Region distributions of graph embeddings and Stirling numbers (Q919004)

Let b(q,r) be the number of orientable embeddings of a one-vertex, q-loop pseudo-graph that have r regions (on a surface of genus \((1+q-r)/2).\) An explicit formula for b(q,r) is given in terms of the characters of the symmetric group \(S_{2q}\), and from this formula it is proved that if \(1\leq r\leq (2q)^{1/5}\) and \(r\not\equiv q (mod 2)\), then \(b(q,r)=s(2q,r)/q[1+\rho (r)/q],\) where s refers to the unsigned Stirling numbers of the first kind and \(| \rho (r)| \leq r^ 2.\) It is then deduced that if \(X_ q\) is the discrete random variable such that the probability that \(X_ q=r\) is b(q,r)/(2q-1)!, then the mean \(\mu_ q\) and the standard deviation \(\sigma_ q\) of \(X_ q\) satisfy \(\lim_{q\to \infty}(\mu_ q-H_{2q})=0\) and \(\lim_{q\to \infty}(\sigma^ 2_ q-H_{2q}+(2))=0,\) where \(H_{2q}=\sum^{2q}_{k=1}(1/k)\) and \((2)=\sum^{\infty}_{k=1}(1/k^ 2).\) Since \(H_{2q}-\ln (2q)\) approaches a constant, so do \(\mu_ q-\ln (2q)\) and \(\sigma^ 2_ q- \ln (2q)\). This paper continues the work of the author [The average genus of classes of graph embeddings, Combinatorics, Graph theory and computing, Proc. 14th Southeast. Conf., Boca Raton/Flo. 1983, Congr. Numerantium 40, 375-388 (1983; Zbl 0532.05024)] and \textit{J. L. Gross, D. P. Robbins} and \textit{T. W. Tucker} [Genus distribution for bouquets of circles, J. Comb. Theory, Ser. B 47, No.3, 292-306 (1989; Zbl 0688.05038)].