The Matrix Ansatz, Orthogonal Polynomials, and Permutations

In this paper we outline a Matrix Ansatz approach to some problems of combinatorial enumeration. The idea is that many interesting quantities can be expressed in terms of products of matrices, where the matrices obey certain relations. We illustrate this approach with applications to moments of orthogonal polynomials, permutations, signed permutations, and tableaux.Comment: to appear in Advances in Applied Mathematics, special issue for Dennis Stanto

Combinatorics of the three-parameter PASEP partition function

We consider a partially asymmetric exclusion process (PASEP) on a finite number of sites with open and directed boundary conditions. Its partition function was calculated by Blythe, Evans, Colaiori, and Essler. It is known to be a generating function of permutation tableaux by the combinatorial interpretation of Corteel and Williams. We prove bijectively two new combinatorial interpretations. The first one is in terms of weighted Motzkin paths called Laguerre histories and is obtained by refining a bijection of Foata and Zeilberger. Secondly we show that this partition function is the generating function of permutations with respect to right-to-left minima, right-to-left maxima, ascents, and 31-2 patterns, by refining a bijection of Francon and Viennot. Then we give a new formula for the partition function which generalizes the one of Blythe & al. It is proved in two combinatorial ways. The first proof is an enumeration of lattice paths which are known to be a solution of the Matrix Ansatz of Derrida & al. The second proof relies on a previous enumeration of rook placements, which appear in the combinatorial interpretation of a related normal ordering problem. We also obtain a closed formula for the moments of Al-Salam-Chihara polynomials.Comment: 31 page

A unified approach to polynomial sequences with only real zeros

We give new sufficient conditions for a sequence of polynomials to have only real zeros based on the method of interlacing zeros. As applications we derive several well-known facts, including the reality of zeros of orthogonal polynomials, matching polynomials, Narayana polynomials and Eulerian polynomials. We also settle certain conjectures of Stahl on genus polynomials by proving them for certain classes of graphs, while showing that they are false in general.Comment: 19 pages, Advances in Applied Mathematics, in pres

Rook placements and Jordan forms of upper-triangular nilpotent matrices

The set of n by n upper-triangular nilpotent matrices with entries in a finite field F_q has Jordan canonical forms indexed by partitions lambda of n. We present a combinatorial formula for computing the number F_\lambda(q) of matrices of Jordan type lambda as a weighted sum over standard Young tableaux. We also study a connection between these matrices and non-attacking rook placements, which leads to a refinement of the formula for F_\lambda(q).Comment: 25 pages, 6 figure

Elliptic rook and file numbers

Utilizing elliptic weights, we construct an elliptic analogue of rook numbers for Ferrers boards. Our elliptic rook numbers generalize Garsia and Remmel's q-rook numbers by two additional independent parameters a and b, and a nome p. These are shown to satisfy an elliptic extension of a factorization theorem which in the classical case was established by Goldman, Joichi and White and later was extended to the q-case by Garsia and Remmel. We obtain similar results for our elliptic analogues of Garsia and Remmel's q-file numbers for skyline boards. We also provide an elliptic extension of the j-attacking model introduced by Remmel and Wachs. Various applications of our results include elliptic analogues of (generalized) Stirling numbers of the first and second kind, Lah numbers, Abel numbers, and r-restricted versions thereof.Comment: 45 pages; 3rd version shortened (elliptic rook theory for matchings has been taken out to keep the length of this paper reasonable

Explicit formula for the generating series of diagonal 3D rook paths

Let $a_n$ denote the number of ways in which a chess rook can move from a corner cell to the opposite corner cell of an $n \times n \times n$ three-dimensional chessboard, assuming that the piece moves closer to the goal cell at each step. We describe the computer-driven \emph{discovery and proof} of the fact that the generating series $G(x)= \sum_{n \geq 0} a_n x^n$ admits the following explicit expression in terms of a Gaussian hypergeometric function: G(x) = 1 + 6 \cdot \int_0^x \frac{\,\pFq21{1/3}{2/3}{2} {\frac{27 w(2-3w)}{(1-4w)^3}}}{(1-4w)(1-64w)} \, dw.Comment: To appear in "S\'eminaire Lotharingien de Combinatoire