Generating functions for inverted semistandard Young tableaux and generalized ballot numbers (Q2628256)

Summary: An inverted semistandard Young tableau is a row-standard tableau along with a collection of inversion pairs that quantify how far the tableau is from being column semistandard. Such a tableau with precisely \(k\) inversion pairs is said to be a \(k\)-inverted semistandard Young tableau. Building upon earlier work by \textit{L. Fresse} [J. Algebra 322, No. 7, 2566--2579 (2009; Zbl 1186.14051)] and the author [Electron. J. Comb. 23, No. 1, Research Paper P1.43, 22 p. (2016; Zbl 1333.05035)], this paper develops generating functions for the numbers of \(k\)-inverted semistandard Young tableaux of various shapes \(\lambda\) and contents \(\mu\). An easily-calculable generating function is given for the number of \(k\)-inverted semistandard Young tableaux that ``standardize'' to a fixed semistandard Young tableau. For \(m\)-row shapes \(\lambda\) and standard content \(\mu\), the total number of \(k\)-inverted standard Young tableaux of shape \(\lambda\) is then enumerated by relating such tableaux to \(m\)-dimensional generalizations of Dyck paths and counting the numbers of ``returns to ground'' in those paths. In the rectangular specialization of \(\lambda = n^m\) this yields a generating function that involves \(m\)-dimensional analogues of the famed Ballot numbers. Our various results are then used to directly enumerate all \(k\)-inverted semistandard Young tableaux with arbitrary content and two-row shape \(\lambda = a^1 b^1\), as well as all \(k\)-inverted standard Young tableaux with two-column shape \(\lambda=2^n\).