Minimal factorizations of a cycle and central multiplicative functions on the infinite symmetric group (Q2563711)

Let \(a_1,\dots,a_r\) be positive integers satisfying \(a_i\geq 2\) for \(i=1,\dots,r\). Let \(K\) be a cycle of order \(n\). It is a well-known fact that if \(K\) has a factorization \(\sigma\) into a product of \(r\) cycles of orders \(a_1,\dots,a_r\), then \[ \sum^r_{i=1}(a_i-1)\geq n-1.\tag{\(*\)} \] The factorization \(\sigma\) is called minimal if there is equality in \((*)\), and we call the sequence \((a_1,\dots,a_r)\) the class of \(\sigma\). The author proves that \(K\) has exactly \(n^{r-1}\) distinct minimal factorizations of class \((a_1,\dots,a_r)\). This result was proved by \textit{I. P. Goulden} and \textit{D. M. Jackson} [J. Algebra 166, No. 2, 364-378 (1994; Zbl 0830.20021)] for the case that \(a_1=\cdots=a_r\). Moreover, the author gives some interesting consequences of the above-mentioned result.