On the parity of certain coefficients for a \(q\)-analogue of the Catalan numbers (Q1953333)

Summary: The 2-adic valuation (highest power of 2) dividing the well-known Catalan numbers, \(C_n\), has been completely determined by \textit{R. Alter} and \textit{K. K. Kubota} [ J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 15, 243--256 (1973; Zbl 0273.10010)] and further studied combinatorially by \textit{E. Deutsch} and \textit{B. E. Sagan} [J. Number Theory 117, No. 1, 191--215 (2006; Zbl 1163.11310)]. In particular, it is well known that \(C_n\) is odd if and only if \(n = 2^k-1\) for some \(k \geq 0\). The polynomial \(F_n^{ch}(321;q) = \sum_{\sigma \in Av_n(321)} q^{ch(\sigma)}\), where \(Av_n(321)\) is the set of permutations in \(S_n\) that avoid 321 and \(ch\) is the charge statistic, is a \(q\)-analogue of the Catalan numbers since specializing \(q=1\) gives \(C_n\). We prove that the coefficient of \(q^i\) in \(F_{2^k-1}^{ch}(321;q)\) is even if \(i \geq 1\), giving a refinement of the ''if'' direction of the \(C_n\) parity result. Furthermore, we use a bijection between the charge statistic and the major index to prove a conjecture of \textit{T. Dokos} et al. [Discrete Math. 312, No. 18, 2760--2775 (2012; Zbl 1248.05004)] regarding powers of 2 and the major index. In addition, \textit{B. Sagan} and \textit{C. D. Savage} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 119, No. 3, 526--545 (2012; Zbl 1242.05019)] have recently defined a notion of \(st\)-Wilf equivalence for any permutation statistic \(st\) and any two sets of permutations \(\Pi\) and \(\Pi'\). We say \(\Pi\) and \(\Pi'\) are \(st\)-Wilf equivalent if \(\sum_{\sigma \in Av_n(\Pi)} q^{st(\sigma)} = \sum_{\sigma \in Av_n(\Pi')} q^{st(\sigma)}\). In this paper we show how one can characterize the charge-Wilf equivalence classes for subsets of \(S_3\).