Log-concavity and LC-positivity (Q868876)

A sequence \(x_0,x_1,x_2,\dots\) is called log-concave if \(x_{i-1}x_{i+1}\leq x_i^2\) for all \(i>0\). Given a triangular array of non-negative numbers \(\{a(n,k)\}_{0\leq k \leq n}\), the linear transformation \(z_n=\sum_{k=0}^n a(n,k)x_k\) is called having PLC-property if it preserves the log-concavity. The linear transformation \(z_n=\sum_{k=0}^n a(n,k)x_ky_{n-k}\) has double PLC-property if the log-concavity of \(\{x_n\}\) and \(\{y_n\}\) implies that of \(\{z_n\}\). The corresponding triangle \(\{a(n,k)\}\) is also called PLC and double PLC. If \(q\) is an indeterminate then a sequence of polynomials \(\{f_n(q)\}_{n\geq 0}\) in \(q\) is called \(q\)-log-concave if for each \(n\geq 1\), \(f_n^2(q)-f_{n-1}(q)f_{n+1}(q)\) has non-negative coefficients as a polynomial in \(q\). If \({\mathcal A}_r(n;q)=\sum_{k=r}^n a(n,k)q^k\) for \(0\leq r\leq n\), we say that the triangle \(\{a(n,k)\}\) has the LC-positive property provided the sequence of polynomials \(\{{\mathcal A}_r(n;k)\}_{n\geq r}\) is \(q\)-log-concave in \(n\) for each \(r\geq 0\). The triangle \(\{a(n,k)\}\) has the double LC-positive property if both \(\{a(n,k)\}\) and its reciprocal \(a^*(n,k)=a(n,n-k)\), \(0\leq k\leq n\), have the LC-positive property. The first main aim of the paper is to show that LC-positive triangles are PLC and that the double LC-positive triangles are double PLC. The authors also give examples of PLC and double PLC triangles by showing their LC-positivity. The sequence \(\{x_n\}\) is ultra-log-concave of order \(m\) if \(x_k=0\) for \(k>m\) and the sequence \(\{x_k/\binom mk\}_{k=0}^m\) is log-concave. A generalization of a result of \textit{T.~M. Liggett} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 79, No. 2, 315--325 (1997; Zbl 0888.60013)] verifying a conjecture of Pemantle on the convolution of ultra-log-concave sequences is also proved.