Properties of multivariate \(b\)-ary Stern polynomials (Q2299132)

\textit{S. Klavžar} et al. [Adv. in Appl. Math. 39, 86--95 (2007; Zbl 1171.11016)] introduced the Stern polynomials \(B_n(t)\) in the following way: \(B_0(t)=0,\; B_1(t)=1,\; B_{2n}(t)=tB_n(t)\) and \(B_{2n+1}(t)=B_{n+1}(t)+B_n(t)\) for \(n\ge 1\). Here, \(s(n)=B_n(1)\) gives the original diatomic sequence of \textit{M. A. Stern} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 55, 193--220 (1858; ERAM 055.1457cj)]. It is well-known that \(s(n)\) is the number of hyperbinary representations of \(n-1\) (i.e., representations in base 2 with digits from \(\{0, 1, 2\}\)), moreover, the coefficient of \(t^i\) in \(B_n(t)\) is the number of hyperbinary representations of \(n-1\) containing exactly \(i\) digits 1. The present authors [Bull. Pol. Acad. Sci. Math. 65, 11--28 (2017; Zbl 1429.11055)] previously introduced a sequence of bivariate Stern polynomials. For \(b \ge 2,\) they [J. Integer Seq. 21, No. 4, Article 18.4.3, 11 p. (2018; Zbl 1390.05010)] also introduced the Stern polynomials of \(b\) variables in order to characterize the hyper \(b\)-ary representations of a positive integer (i.e., representations in base \(b\) with digits from \(\{0, 1, ..., b\}\)). In the paper under review the authors derive various properties of these polynomials including a generating function and identities that lead to factorizations of the polynomials. They extend an identity of \textit{K. M. Courtright} and \textit{J. A. Sellers} [Integers 4, Paper A06 (2004; Zbl 1080.11074)] on the \(b\)-ary Stern numbers \(s_b(n).\) The authors also extend a result of \textit{C. Defant} [Electron. J. Comb. 23, No. 4, Research Paper P4.8, 47 p. (2016; Zbl 1351.05025)] and a result of \textit{M. Coons} and \textit{L. Spiegelhofer} [Electron. J. Comb. 24, No. 1, Research Paper P1.15, 8 p. (2017; Zbl 1355.05035)] on the maximal values of \(s_b(n)\) within certain intervals.