When the law of large numbers fails for increasing subsequences of random permutations

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Publication:2371955



Abstract: Let the random variable Zn,k denote the number of increasing subsequences of length k in a random permutation from Sn, the symmetric group of permutations of 1,...,n. In a recent paper [Random Structures Algorithms 29 (2006) 277--295] we showed that the weak law of large numbers holds for Zn,kn if kn=o(n2/5); that is, [lim_{n oinfty}frac{Z_{n,k_n}}{EZ_{n,k_n}}=1qquad in probability.] The method of proof employed there used the second moment method and demonstrated that this method cannot work if the condition kn=o(n2/5) does not hold. It follows from results concerning the longest increasing subsequence of a random permutation that the law of large numbers cannot hold for Zn,kn if kngecn1/2, with c>2. Presumably there is a critical exponent l0 such that the law of large numbers holds if kn=O(nl), with l<l0, and does not hold if limsupnoinftyfracknnl>0, for some l>l0. Several phase transitions concerning increasing subsequences occur at l=1/2, and these would suggest that l0=1/2. However, in this paper, we show that the law of large numbers fails for Zn,kn if limsupnoinftyfracknn4/9=infty. Thus, the critical exponent, if it exists, must satisfy l0in[2/5,4/9].


Let \(Z_{n,k}\) denote the number of increasing subsequences of length \(k\) in a random permutation from \(S_n,\) the symmetric group of permutations of \(\{1,\dots,n\}.\) The author proved earlier that the weak law of large numbers holds for the sequence \(Z_{n,k_n}\) if \(k_n= o(n^{2/5})\) [cf. Random Struct. Algorithms 29, No. 3, 277--295 (2006; Zbl 1111.60006)]. The author now shows that the law of large numbers fails for \(Z_{n,k_n}\) if \(\limsup_{n\rightarrow \infty}(k_n/n^{4/9})= \infty.\)











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