On the structure of the lattice of noncrossing partitions (Q1185097)

A partition of \(\{1,\dots,n\}\) is noncrossing if, whenever \(1\leq a<b<c<d\leq n\) with \(a,c\) in the same block and \(b,d\) in the same block, then all of \(a,b,c,d\) are in the same block. It is shown that the lattice of noncrossing partitions of \(\{1,\dots,n\}\), unlike the lattice of all partitions of \(\{1,\dots,n\}\), is selfdual and possesses a symmetric chain decomposition. The chain property is proved in two different ways, one reminiscent of the parenthesization method of \textit{C. Greene} and \textit{D. J. Kleitman} [Proof techniques in the theory of finite sets, MAA Stud. Math., Vol. 17, Studies in Combinatorics, 22-79 (1978; Zbl 0409.05012)]. Out of the constructions of the chains come a number of identities involving the Catalan numbers \(C_ n\) \((C_ n\) is in fact the number of noncrossing partitions of \(\{1,\dots,n\})\).