A combinatorial proof of strict unimodality for q-binomial coefficients

DOI10.1016/J.DISC.2014.07.001zbMATH Open1298.05320arXiv1402.1199OpenAlexW1997892198MaRDI QIDQ400433FDOQ400433

Authors: Vivek Dhand 

Publication date: 21 August 2014

Published in: Discrete Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Pak and Panova recently proved that the $q$-binomial coefficient ${m+nchoosem}_q$ is a strictly unimodal polynomial in $q$ for $m,ngeq8$, via the representation theory of the symmetric group. We give a direct combinatorial proof of their result by characterizing when a product of chains is strictly unimodal and then applying O'Hara's structure theorem for the partition lattice $L(m,n)$. In fact, we prove a stronger result: if $m,ngeq8d$, and $2dleqrleqmn/2$, then the $r$-th rank of $L(m,n)$ has at least $d$ more elements that the next lower rank.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1402.1199

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zbMATH Keywords

strict unimodalitysymmetric chain decompositionYoung's lattice

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Symmetric functions and generalizations (05E05) Combinatorial aspects of representation theory (05E10) Combinatorial identities, bijective combinatorics (05A19)

Cites Work

• Weyl Groups, the Hard Lefschetz Theorem, and the Sperner Property
• Kathy O'Hara's Constructive Proof of the Unimodality of the Gaussian Polynomials
• Unimodality of Gaussian coefficients: A constructive proof
• Strict unimodality of \(q\)-binomial coefficients
• Zeilberger's KOH theorem and the strict unimodality of \(q\)-binomial coefficients
• Solution of Two Difficult Combinatorial Problems with Linear Algebra
• Unimodality via Kronecker products
• Bounds on Kronecker coefficients via contingency tables
• Tropical decomposition of Young's partition lattice

Cited In (14)

• Covering symmetric sets of the Boolean cube by affine hyperplanes
• Proof of a conjecture of Lundow and Rosengren on the bimodality of \(p,q\)-binomial coefficients
• Rigged configurations and unimodality
• Some asymptotic results on \(q\)-binomial coefficients
• Strict unimodality of \(q\)-binomial coefficients
• Bounds on certain classes of Kronecker and \(q\)-binomial coefficients
• Quasipolynomials and maximal coefficients of Gaussian polynomials
• Semi-invariants of binary forms pertaining to a unimodality theorem of Reiner and Stanton
• Semi-invariants of binary forms and symmetrized graph-monomials
• A Unified Approach to Unimodality of Gaussian Polynomials
• Applications of Gaussian binomials to coding theory for deletion error correction
• Unimodality via Kronecker products
• Asymptotics of the number of geodesics in the discrete Heisenberg group
• Zeilberger's KOH theorem and the strict unimodality of \(q\)-binomial coefficients

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