Counting packings of generic subsets in finite groups

A packing of subsets $\mathcal S_1,..., \mathcal S_n$ in a group $G$ is a sequence $(g_1,...,g_n)$ such that $g_1\mathcal S_1,...,g_n\mathcal S_n$ are disjoint subsets of $G$. We give a formula for the number of packings if the group $G$ is finite and if the subsets $\mathcal S_1,...,\mathcal S_n$ satisfy a genericity condition. This formula can be seen as a generalization of the falling factorials which encode the number of packings in the case where all the sets $\mathcal S_i$ are singletons

On the number of perfect lattices

We show that the number $p\_d$ of non-similar perfect $d$-dimensional lattices satisfies eventually the inequalities$e^{d^{1-\epsilon}}<p\_d<e^{d^{3+\epsilon}}$ for arbitrary smallstrictly positive $\epsilon$

Generalized Dyck paths of bounded height

Generalized Dyck paths (or discrete excursions) are one-dimensional paths that take their steps in a given finite set S, start and end at height 0, and remain at a non-negative height. Bousquet-M\'elou showed that the generating function E_k of excursions of height at most k is of the form F_k/F_{k+1}, where the F_k are polynomials satisfying a linear recurrence relation. We give a combinatorial interpretation of the polynomials F_k and of their recurrence relation using a transfer matrix method. We then extend our method to enumerate discrete meanders (or paths that start at 0 and remain at a non-negative height, but may end anywhere). Finally, we study the particular case where the set S is symmetric and show that several simplifications occur

The Ring of Support-Classes of SL_2(F_q)\mathrm{SL}\_2(\mathbb F\_q)

We introduce and study a subring $\mathcal{SC}$ of $\mathbb Z[\mathrm{SL}\_2(\mathbb F\_q)]$ obtained by summing elements of $\mathrm{SL}\_2(\mathbb F\_q)$ according to their support. The ring $\mathcal SC$ can be used for the construction of several association schemes