No label defined (Q4700613)

``Horizontally convex polyominoes'' are obtained by starting with single rows of squares of \(1,2,3,\dots\) squares putted together horizontally \(\square\), \(\square\kern-.25ex\square\), \(\square\kern-.25ex\square\kern-.25ex\square\) and then building up the polyomino vertically so that the rows overlap, e.g. \(\vcenter{\vbox to 9ex{=10ex\offinterlineskip \vss \line{\hfill\hfill\hrulefill\hfill\hfill} \line{\vrule height0pt \hss \vrule height0pt \hss \vrule height2ex \hss \vrule height2ex \hss \vrule height0pt \hss \vrule height0pt} \hrule \line{\vrule height2ex \hss \vrule \hss \vrule \hss \vrule \hss \vrule \hss \vrule} \hrule \line{\vrule height0pt \hss \vrule height0pt \hss \vrule height2ex \hss \vrule height2ex \hss \vrule height2ex \hss \vrule height0pt} \line{\hfill\hrulefill\hrulefill\hrulefill\hfill} \line{\vrule height0pt \hss \vrule height2ex \hss \vrule height2ex \hss \vrule height2ex \hss \vrule height2ex \hss \vrule height0pt} \line{\hfill\hrulefill\hrulefill\hrulefill\hfill} \vss}}\), so that there is only one horizontal row at each vertical level. It is shown that an exact algebraic generating function exists for this enumeration problem, namely \[ {x(1- x)^3\over 1- 5x+ 7x^2- 4x^3}.\tag{1} \] Results equivalent to this are obtained by a method substantially equivalent to some obtained by the reviewer; see \textit{H. N. V. Temperley} [Phys. Review, II. Ser. 103, 1-16 (1956; Zbl 0075.20502)]. Similar results were published by \textit{G. Pólya} [J. Comb. Theory 6, 102-105 (1969; Zbl 0327.05010)] and by \textit{D. A. Klarner } [Fibonacci Q. 3, 9-20 (1965; Zbl 0128.24504) and Can. J. Math. 19, 851- -863 (1967; Zbl 0178.00904)]. All these resuls are considerably generalized by \textit{D. Zeilberger} [Automatic counting of Lego towers, J. Difference Equ. Appl. 5, No. 4-5, 323-333 (1999; reviewed below)].