The Euler and Springer numbers as moment sequences (Q1987041): Difference between revisions

The Euler numbers \(E_n\) and the Springer numbers \(S_n\) are defined by the exponential generating functions \[ \sec{t}+\tan{t}=\sum_{n=0}^\infty E_n t^n/n!\quad\text{ and }\quad (\cos{t}-\sin{t})^{-1}=\sum_{n=0}^\infty S_n t^n/n!, \] respectively. It is known that both \(E_n\) and \(S_n\) are widely used in enumerative combinatorics. For instance, \(E_n\) enumerates the alternating (down-up) permutations of \([n]:=\{1,\dots,n\}\), complete increasing \(n\)-vertex plane binary trees and increasing \(0-1-2\) trees, while \(S_n\) enumerates a signed-permutation analogue of the alternating permutations of \([n]\) and certain classes of complete binary trees and plane rooted forests. A sequence \((a_n)_{n\ge 0}\) of real numbers is called a Hamburger (resp. Stieltjes) moment sequence if there exists a positive measure \(\mu\) on \(\mathbb{R}\) (resp. \([0,\infty)\)) such that \(a_n=\int x^n d\mu(x)\) for all \(n\ge 0\). From the author's introduction: ``Many combinatorial sequences turn out to be Hamburger or Stieltjes moment sequences, and it is obviously of interest to find explicit expressions for the representing measure(s) \(\mu\) and/or the continued fraction expansions of the ordinary generating function. In this paper we will address both aspects for the Euler and Springer numbers and some sequences related to them.''