Grid classes and the Fibonacci dichotomy for restricted permutations

We introduce and characterise grid classes, which are natural generalisations of other well-studied permutation classes. This characterisation allows us to give a new, short proof of the Fibonacci dichotomy: the number of permutations of length n in a permutation class is either at least as large as the nth Fibonacci number or is eventually polynomial

On the least exponential growth admitting uncountably many closed permutation classes

We show that the least exponential growth of counting functions which admits uncountably many closed permutation classes lies between 2^n and (2.33529...)^n.Comment: 13 page

Subclasses of the separable permutations

We prove that all subclasses of the separable permutations not containing Av(231) or a symmetry of this class have rational generating functions. Our principal tools are partial well-order, atomicity, and the theory of strongly rational permutation classes introduced here for the first time

Wreath Products of Permutation Classes

A permutation class which is closed under pattern involvement may be described in terms of its basis. The wreath product construction X \wr Y of two permutation classes X and Y is also closed, and we investigate classes Y with the property that, for any finitely based class X, the wreath product X \wr Y is also finitely based.Comment: 14 page

Permutation Classes of Polynomial Growth

A pattern class is a set of permutations closed under the formation of subpermutations. Such classes can be characterised as those permutations not involving a particular set of forbidden permutations. A simple collection of necessary and sufficient conditions on sets of forbidden permutations which ensure that the associated pattern class is of polynomial growth is determined. A catalogue of all such sets of forbidden permutations having three or fewer elements is provided together with bounds on the degrees of the associated enumerating polynomials.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figure

Pattern avoidance classes and subpermutations

Pattern avoidance classes of permutations that cannot be expressed as unions of proper subclasses can be described as the set of subpermutations of a single bijection. In the case that this bijection is a permutation of the natural numbers a structure theorem is given. The structure theorem shows that the class is almost closed under direct sums or has a rational generating function.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures (all in-line

Finitely labeled generating trees and restricted permutations

Generating trees are a useful technique in the enumeration of various combinatorial objects, particularly restricted permutations. Quite often the generating tree for the set of permutations avoiding a set of patterns requires infinitely many labels. Sometimes, however, this generating tree needs only finitely many labels. We characterize the finite sets of patterns for which this phenomenon occurs. We also present an algorithm - in fact, a special case of an algorithm of Zeilberger - that is guaranteed to find such a generating tree if it exists.Comment: Accepted by J. Symb. Comp.; 12 page

Growth rates for subclasses of Av(321)

Pattern classes which avoid 321 and other patterns are shown to have the same growth rates as similar (but strictly larger) classes obtained by adding articulation points to any or all of the other patterns. The method of proof is to show that the elements of the latter classes can be represented as bounded merges of elements of the original class, and that the bounded merge construction does not change growth rates