Walks on the slit plane: other approaches

Let S be a finite subset of Z^2. A walk on the slit plane with steps in S is a sequence (0,0)=w_0, w_1, ..., w_n of points of Z^2 such that w_{i+1}-w_i belongs to S for all i, and none of the points w_i, i>0, lie on the half-line H= {(k,0): k =< 0}. In a recent paper, G. Schaeffer and the author computed the length generating function S(t) of walks on the slit plane for several sets S. All the generating functions thus obtained turned out to be algebraic: for instance, on the ordinary square lattice, S(t) =\frac{(1+\sqrt{1+4t})^{1/2}(1+\sqrt{1-4t})^{1/2}}{2(1-4t)^{3/4}}. The combinatorial reasons for this algebraicity remain obscure. In this paper, we present two new approaches for solving slit plane models. One of them simplifies and extends the functional equation approach of the original paper. The other one is inspired by an argument of Lawler; it is more combinatorial, and explains the algebraicity of the product of three series related to the model. It can also be seen as an extension of the classical cycle lemma. Both methods work for any set of steps S. We exhibit a large family of sets S for which the generating function of walks on the slit plane is algebraic, and another family for which it is neither algebraic, nor even D-finite. These examples give a hint at where the border between algebraicity and transcendence lies, and calls for a complete classification of the sets S.Comment: 31 page

Walks confined in a quadrant are not always D-finite

We consider planar lattice walks that start from a prescribed position, take their steps in a given finite subset of Z^2, and always stay in the quadrant x >= 0, y >= 0. We first give a criterion which guarantees that the length generating function of these walks is D-finite, that is, satisfies a linear differential equation with polynomial coefficients. This criterion applies, among others, to the ordinary square lattice walks. Then, we prove that walks that start from (1,1), take their steps in {(2,-1), (-1,2)} and stay in the first quadrant have a non-D-finite generating function. Our proof relies on a functional equation satisfied by this generating function, and on elementary complex analysis.Comment: To appear in Theoret. Comput. Sci. (special issue devoted to random generation of combinatorial objects and bijective combinatorics

Decreasing subsequences in permutations and Wilf equivalence for involutions

In a recent paper, Backelin, West and Xin describe a map $\phi ^*$ that recursively replaces all occurrences of the pattern $k... 21$ in a permutation $\sigma$ by occurrences of the pattern $(k-1)... 21 k$. The resulting permutation $\phi^*(\sigma)$ contains no decreasing subsequence of length $k$. We prove that, rather unexpectedly, the map $\phi ^*$ commutes with taking the inverse of a permutation. In the BWX paper, the definition of $\phi^*$ is actually extended to full rook placements on a Ferrers board (the permutations correspond to square boards), and the construction of the map $\phi^*$ is the key step in proving the following result. Let $T$ be a set of patterns starting with the prefix $12... k$. Let $T'$ be the set of patterns obtained by replacing this prefix by $k... 21$ in every pattern of $T$. Then for all $n$, the number of permutations of the symmetric group \Sn_n that avoid $T$ equals the number of permutations of \Sn_n that avoid $T'$. Our commutation result, generalized to Ferrers boards, implies that the number of {\em involutions} of \Sn_n that avoid $T$ is equal to the number of involutions of \Sn_n avoiding $T'$, as recently conjectured by Jaggard

XML Compression via DAGs

Unranked trees can be represented using their minimal dag (directed acyclic graph). For XML this achieves high compression ratios due to their repetitive mark up. Unranked trees are often represented through first child/next sibling (fcns) encoded binary trees. We study the difference in size (= number of edges) of minimal dag versus minimal dag of the fcns encoded binary tree. One main finding is that the size of the dag of the binary tree can never be smaller than the square root of the size of the minimal dag, and that there are examples that match this bound. We introduce a new combined structure, the hybrid dag, which is guaranteed to be smaller than (or equal in size to) both dags. Interestingly, we find through experiments that last child/previous sibling encodings are much better for XML compression via dags, than fcns encodings. We determine the average sizes of unranked and binary dags over a given set of labels (under uniform distribution) in terms of their exact generating functions, and in terms of their asymptotical behavior.Comment: A short version of this paper appeared in the Proceedings of ICDT 201

The degree distribution in bipartite planar maps: applications to the Ising model

We characterize the generating function of bipartite planar maps counted according to the degree distribution of their black and white vertices. This result is applied to the solution of the hard particle and Ising models on random planar lattices. We thus recover and extend some results previously obtained by means of matrix integrals. Proofs are purely combinatorial and rely on the idea that planar maps are conjugacy classes of trees. In particular, these trees explain why the solutions of the Ising and hard particle models on maps of bounded degree are always algebraic.Comment: 32 pages, 15 figure

Generating functions for generating trees

Certain families of combinatorial objects admit recursive descriptions in terms of generating trees: each node of the tree corresponds to an object, and the branch leading to the node encodes the choices made in the construction of the object. Generating trees lead to a fast computation of enumeration sequences (sometimes, to explicit formulae as well) and provide efficient random generation algorithms. We investigate the links between the structural properties of the rewriting rules defining such trees and the rationality, algebraicity, or transcendence of the corresponding generating function.Comment: This article corresponds, up to minor typo corrections, to the article submitted to Discrete Mathematics (Elsevier) in Nov. 1999, and published in its vol. 246(1-3), March 2002, pp. 29-5

Asymptotic Behavior of Inflated Lattice Polygons

We study the inflated phase of two dimensional lattice polygons with fixed perimeter $N$ and variable area, associating a weight $\exp[pA - Jb ]$ to a polygon with area $A$ and $b$ bends. For convex and column-convex polygons, we show that $/A_{max} = 1 - K(J)/\tilde{p}^2 + \mathcal{O}(\rho^{-\tilde{p}})$, where $\tilde{p}=pN \gg 1$, and $\rho<1$. The constant $K(J)$ is found to be the same for both types of polygons. We argue that self-avoiding polygons should exhibit the same asymptotic behavior. For self-avoiding polygons, our predictions are in good agreement with exact enumeration data for J=0 and Monte Carlo simulations for $J \neq 0$. We also study polygons where self-intersections are allowed, verifying numerically that the asymptotic behavior described above continues to hold.Comment: 7 page