Cycles in the burnt pancake graphs

The pancake graph $P_n$ is the Cayley graph of the symmetric group $S_n$ on $n$ elements generated by prefix reversals. $P_n$ has been shown to have properties that makes it a useful network scheme for parallel processors. For example, it is $(n-1)$-regular, vertex-transitive, and one can embed cycles in it of length $\ell$ with $6\leq\ell\leq n!$. The burnt pancake graph $BP_n$, which is the Cayley graph of the group of signed permutations $B_n$ using prefix reversals as generators, has similar properties. Indeed, $BP_n$ is $n$-regular and vertex-transitive. In this paper, we show that $BP_n$ has every cycle of length $\ell$ with $8\leq\ell\leq 2^n n!$. The proof given is a constructive one that utilizes the recursive structure of $BP_n$. We also present a complete characterization of all the $8$-cycles in $BP_n$ for $n \geq 2$, which are the smallest cycles embeddable in $BP_n$, by presenting their canonical forms as products of the prefix reversal generators.Comment: Added a reference, clarified some definitions, fixed some typos. 42 pages, 9 figures, 20 pages of appendice

On the number of pancake stacks requiring four flips to be sorted

Using existing classification results for the 7- and 8-cycles in the pancake graph, we determine the number of permutations that require 4 pancake flips (prefix reversals) to be sorted. A similar characterization of the 8-cycles in the burnt pancake graph, due to the authors, is used to derive a formula for the number of signed permutations requiring 4 (burnt) pancake flips to be sorted. We furthermore provide an analogous characterization of the 9-cycles in the burnt pancake graph. Finally we present numerical evidence that polynomial formulae exist giving the number of signed permutations that require $k$ flips to be sorted, with $5\leq k\leq9$.Comment: We have finalized for the paper for publication in DMTCS, updated a reference to its published version, moved the abstract to its proper location, and added a thank you to the referees. The paper has 27 pages, 6 figures, and 2 table

A preorder-free construction of the Kazhdan-Lusztig representations of Hecke algebras Hn(q)H_n(q) of symmetric groups

International audienceWe use a quantum analog of the polynomial ring $\mathbb{Z}[x_{1,1},\ldots, x_{n,n}]$ to modify the Kazhdan-Lusztig construction of irreducible $H_n(q)$-modules. This modified construction produces exactly the same matrices as the original construction in [$\textit{Invent. Math.}$ $\textbf{53}$ (1979)], but does not employ the Kazhdan-Lusztig preorders. Our main result is dependent on new vanishing results for immanants in the quantum polynomial ring.Nous utilisons un analogue quantique de l'anneau $\mathbb{Z}[x_{1,1},\ldots,x_{n,n}]$ pour modifier la construction Kazhdan-Lusztig des modules-$H_n(q)$ irréductibles. Cette construction modifiée produit exactement les mêmes matrices que la construction originale dans [$\textit{Invent. Math.}$ $\textbf{53}$ (1979)], mais sans employer les préordres de Kazhdan-Lusztig. Notre résultat principal dépend de nouveaux résultats de disparition pour des immanants dans l'anneau polynôme de quantique

Some relations on prefix reversal generators of the symmetric and hyperoctahedral group

The symmetric group Sn and the group of signed permutations Bn (also referred to as the hyperoctahedral group) can be generated by prefixreversal permutations. A natural question is to determine the order of the “Coxeter-like” products formed by multiplying two generators, and in general, the relations satisfied by the prefix-reversal generators (also known as pancake generators or pancake flips). The order of these products is related to the length of certain cycles in the pancake and burnt pancake graphs. Using this connection, we derive a description of the order of the product of any two of these generators from a result due to Konstantinova and Medvedev. We provide a partial description of the order of the product of three generators when one of the generators is the transposition (1, 2). Furthermore, we describe the order of the product of two prefix-reversal generators in the hyperoctahedral group and give connections to the length of certain cycles in the burnt pancake graph

On the number of pancake stacks requiring four flips to be sorted

Using existing classification results for the 7- and 8-cycles in the pancake graph, we determine the number of permutations that require 4 pancake flips (prefix reversals) to be sorted. A similar characterization of the 8-cycles in the burnt pancake graph, due to the authors, is used to derive a formula for the number of signed permutations requiring 4 (burnt) pancake flips to be sorted. We furthermore provide an analogous characterization of the 9-cycles in the burnt pancake graph. Finally we present numerical evidence that polynomial formulae exist giving the number of signed permutations that require $k$ flips to be sorted, with 5≤ $k$ ≤9