The ascent-plateau statistics on Stirling permutations (Q1740362)

Summary: A permutation \(\sigma\) of the multiset \(\{1,1,2,2,\ldots,n,n\}\) is called a Stirling permutation of order \(n\) if \(\sigma_s>\sigma_i\) as long as \(\sigma_i=\sigma_j\) and \(i<s<j\). In this paper, we present a unified refinement of the ascent polynomials and the ascent-plateau polynomials of Stirling permutations. In particular, by using Foata and Strehl's group action, we prove that the pairs of statistics (left ascent-plateau, ascent) and (left ascent-plateau, plateau) are equidistributed over Stirling permutations of given order, and we show the \(\gamma\)-positivity of the enumerative polynomial of left ascent-plateaus, double ascents and descent-plateaus. A connection between the \(\gamma\)-coefficients of this enumerative polynomial and Eulerian numbers is also established.