A generalization of a 1998 unimodality conjecture of Reiner and Stanton

DOI10.4310/JOC.2020.V11.N1.A5zbMATH Open1427.05011arXiv1711.10033WikidataQ122878320 ScholiaQ122878320MaRDI QIDQ2335909FDOQ2335909

Authors: Richard P. Stanley, Fabrizio Zanello 

Publication date: 18 November 2019

Published in: Journal of Combinatorics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: An interesting, and still wide open, conjecture of Reiner and Stanton predicts that certain "strange" symmetric differences of $q$-binomial coefficients are always nonnegative and unimodal. We extend their conjecture to a broader, and perhaps more natural, framework, by conjecturing that, for each $kge5$, the polynomials ${\displaystyle }$f(k,m,b)(q)=�inom{m}{k}_q-q^{frac{k(m-b)}{2}+b-2k+2}cdot�inom{b}{k-2}_q${\displaystyle }$ are nonnegative and unimodal for all $mg{g}_{k}0$ and $blefrackm-4k+4k-2$ such that $kbequivkm$ (mod 2), with the only exception of $b=frackm-4k+2k-2$ when this is an integer. Using the KOH theorem, we combinatorially show the case $k=5$. In fact, we completely characterize the nonnegativity and unimodality of $f(k,m,b)$ for $kle5$. (This also provides an isolated counterexample to Reiner-Stanton's conjecture when $k=3$.) Further, we prove that, for each $k$ and $m$, it suffices to show our conjecture for the largest $2k-6$ values of $b$.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1711.10033

Recommendations

• Semi-invariants of binary forms pertaining to a unimodality theorem of Reiner and Stanton
• On Bergeron's positivity problem for \(q\)-binomial coefficients
• $q$-binomials and related symmetric unimodal polynomials
• Zeilberger's KOH theorem and the strict unimodality of \(q\)-binomial coefficients
• Strict unimodality of \(q\)-binomial coefficients

zbMATH Keywords

positivityunimodality\(q\)-binomial coefficientGaussian polynomialKOH theorem

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Symmetric functions and generalizations (05E05) Factorials, binomial coefficients, combinatorial functions (05A10) Combinatorial aspects of partitions of integers (05A17) Combinatorial identities, bijective combinatorics (05A19)

Cited In (3)

• On Bergeron's positivity problem for \(q\)-binomial coefficients
• Semi-invariants of binary forms pertaining to a unimodality theorem of Reiner and Stanton
• A Unified Approach to Unimodality of Gaussian Polynomials

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