Asymptotics of convex lattice polygonal lines with a constrained number of vertices (Q1686395)

In this paper, the authors present a combinatorial analysis of planar convex lattice polygonal lines, answering an open question of Vershik from 1994 regarding the existence of a limit shape when the number of vertices is constrained. More precisely, they prove that the Hausdorff distance between a random convex polygonal line on \((1/n){\mathbb Z}^2\cap[0,1]^2\), joining \((0,0)\) and \((1,1)\) and having at most \(k\) vertices, and the arc of parabola \(\sqrt{y}+\sqrt{1-x}=1\) (in \([0,1]^2\)), converges in probability to \(0\) when \(n,k\to\infty\). They also estimate the number \(p((n,n),k)\) of convex polygonal lines in \({\mathbb Z}^2_+\) joining the origin to \((n,n)\), depending on the behavior of \(k\). For instance, it is proved that when \(k=o\bigl(n^{1/2}/(\log n)^{1/4}\bigr)\), then \[ p((n,n),k)=\frac{1}{k!}\binom{n-1}{k-1}^2(1+o(1)). \] Similar results are obtained for \(k=o\bigl(n^{2/3}\bigr)\) and when \(k\) is asymptotically equivalent to \(c(\ell)n^{2/3}\) for a certain function \(c\) and all \(\ell\in(0,+\infty)\).