The \({1/k}\)-Eulerian polynomials (Q426759)

Summary: We use the theory of lecture hall partitions to define a generalization of the Eulerian polynomials, for each positive integer \(k\). We show that these \({1}/{k}\)-Eulerian polynomials have a simple combinatorial interpretation in terms of a single statistic on generalized inversion sequences. The theory provides a geometric realization of the polynomials as the \(h^*\)-polynomials of \(k\)-lecture hall polytopes. Many of the defining relations of the Eulerian polynomials have natural \({1}/{k}\)-generalizations. In fact, these properties extend to a bivariate generalization obtained by replacing \({1}/{k}\) by a continuous variable. The bivariate polynomials have appeared in the work of Carlitz, Dillon, and Roselle on Eulerian numbers of higher order and, more recently, in the theory of rook polynomials.