A combinatorial proof of a bibasic trigonometric identity (Q2368710)

\textit{L. Euler} [Introductio in Analysin Infinitorum, Facsimile of the 1st edition of 1748. (2000; Zbl 0967.01027)] found the following \(q\)-analogue of the exponential function: \[ e_q(x) \equiv \sum_{n=0} ^{\infty} \frac{x^{n}}{(q;q)_{n}} =\frac{1}{(x;q)_{\infty}},\quad | x| <1,\;0<| q| <1. \] This is the function that appears on page 519 in the paper under review. The \(q\)-binomial theorem is more general. Next the author defines small \(q\)-trigonometric functions by \(e_q(ix)=\cos_q(x)+i\sin_q(x),\) and \(\sin_{p,q}(x,y), \cos_{p,q}(x,y)\) by \[ e_{q}(iy) e_{p}(ix)= \cos_{p,q}(x,y)+i\sin_{p,q}(x,y). \] The four functions \[ \tan_q(x) =\frac{\sin_q(x)}{\cos_q(x)};\quad \tan_{p,q}(x,y)=\frac{\sin_{p,q}(x,y)}{\cos_{p,q}(x,y)}; \] \[ \sec_q(x) =\frac{1}{\cos_q(x)};\quad \sec_{p,q}(x,y)=\frac{1}{\cos_{p,q}(x,y)}, \] are defined analogously. Now define \(\text{Eul}_q(x)= \sec_q(x)+\tan_q(x)\) and \(\text{Eul}_{p,q}(x,y)=\sec_{p,q}(x,y)+\tan_{p,q}(x,y).\) The corresponding Euler numbers are given by the generating functions \[ \text{Eul}_q(x)=\sum_{n=0} ^{\infty}\text{Eul}_{n,q}\frac{x^{n}}{(q;q)_{n}}\quad\text{and}\quad \text{Eul}_{p,q}(x,y)=\sum_{m,n=0} ^{\infty}\text{Eul}_{m,n,q,p}\frac{x^{m}}{(p;p)_{m}}\frac{y^{n}}{(q;q)_{n}}.\tag{\(*\)} \] For \(q=1\) in \((*)\), an explicit formula for \(\text{Eul}_{n}\) was given by \textit{C. Fields } [``Related expressions for Bernoulli's and Euler's numbers'', American J. XIII, 191--192 (1891; JFM 22.0266.03)]. Foata has shown that \(\text{Eul}_{n,q}\) is the generating function for the rising alternating permutations of length \(n\) by the number of inversions. There is a corresponding formula for \(\text{Eul}_{m,n,q,p}\), and the author gives a combinatorial proof of a symmetry property for a related number.