On the number of solutions to the equation \(X^ 2=0\) in triangular matrices over a finite field (Q1907476)

Let \(\mathbb F_q\) be the finite field with \(q\) elements and let \(\mathcal A_q\) be the free \(\mathbb Z[q,q^{-1}]\)-module with the base \(E^r_n,0\leq r\leq [n/2]\). There exists a structure of an associative \(\mathbb Z[q,q^{-1}]\)-algebra on \(\mathcal A_q\), namely, \[ E^i_jE^r_s=\sum_{m\geq i+r}c(m,i,r,j,s)E^m_{j+s} \] for some special choice of constants \(c(m,i,r,j,s)\in \mathbb Z[q,q^{- 1}].\) It is shown that \(\mathcal A_q\) is generated by two elements \(E^0_1,E^1_2\). There is found an explicit form of an expression of \(E^r_n\) via \(E^0_1,E^1_2\) in terms of \(q\)-Hermite polynomials. All previous results are applied to a calculation of the number of upper triangular matrices \(X\) over \(\mathbb F_q\) such that \(X^2=0\) and the rank of X is at most \(r\).