A Combinatorial Proof of The Log-Concavity of A Famous Sequence Counting Permutations
A Combinatorial Proof of The Log-Concavity of A Famous Sequence Counting Permutations
A Combinatorial Proof of The Log-Concavity of A Famous Sequence Counting Permutations
Submitted: Nov 24, 2004; Accepted: Jan 11, 2005; Published: Jan 24, 2005
Mathematics Subject Classifications: 05A05, 05A15
Abstract
We provide a combinatorial proof for the fact that for any fixed n, the sequence
{i(n, k)}0≤k≤(n) of the numbers of permutations of length n having k inversions is
2
log-concave.
1 Introduction
Let p = p1 p2 · · · pn be a permutation of length n, or, in what follows, an n-permutation.
An inversion of p is a pair (i, j) of indices so that i < j, but pi > pj . The enumeration
of n-permutations according to their number i(p) of inversions, and the study of numbers
i(n, k) of n-permutations having k inversions, is a classic area of combinatorics. The
best-known result is the following [4].
X
(n)
X
2
i(p)
x = i(n, k)xk = (1 + x)(1 + x + x2 ) · · · (1 + x + x2 + · · · + xn−1 ).
p∈Sn k=0
Another classic result [3] is that the numbers i(n, k) also count n-permutations having
major index k. Details about this result, and other related results can be found in [1].
∗
University of Florida, Gainesville FL 32611-8105. Partially supported by an NSA Young Investigator
Award. Email: [email protected].
Theorem 2.1 is clearly equivalent to what we want to prove. We will prove our claim
by induction on n. That is, first, we will construct the injections fn,k,l for the smallest
meaningful value of n, which is n = 3. Then, in the induction step, we will use the
assumption that the maps fn−1,k,l exist for all allowed values of k and l to create the
maps fn,k,k+2. We will not create the maps fn,k,l for k < l − 2, but we do not have to,
since the existence of the maps fn,k,k+2 in itself implies the log-concavity of the sequence
{i(n, k)}0≤k≤(n) , and therefore, it implies the existence of the maps fn,k,l for k < l − 2.
2
That will complete the induction step of our proof.
(Rule 1) If p1 < n and q1 > 1, increase p1 by one, and decrease the entry of p that was one
larger than p1 by one. Let the obtained permutation be p0 . Similarly, decrease q1
by 1, and increase the entry of q that was one larger than q1 by 1. Let the obtained
permutation be q 0 . Set fn,k,k+2(p, q) = (p0 , q 0).
Note that p0 starts with an entry larger than 1, and q 0 starts with an entry less than
n.
Example 2.2 If p = 2134 and q = 3142, then we have f4,1,3 (p, q) = (3124, 2143).
(Rule 2) If p1 = n, or q1 = 1, then remove these entries, to get the permutations p∗ and q∗.
(After natural relabeling, these are both permutations of length n − 1.) Because of
the extreme values of at least one of the omitted elements, we have i(q∗) − i(p∗) ≥
i(q) − i(p) = 2. Therefore, there exist positive integers r and s, with r ≤ s − 2, so
that (p∗, q∗) is in the domain of fn−1,r,s .
Take fn−1,r,s (p∗, q∗) = (p̄, q̄) ∈ I(n − 1, r + 1) × I(n − 1, s − 1). Now prepend p̄ by p1 ,
and prepend q̄ by q1 . In both cases, entries larger than or equal to the prepended
entry have to be increased by 1. Call this new pair of n-permutations (p1 p̄, q1 q̄).
Finally, set fn,k,k+2(p, q) = (q1 q̄, p1 p̄). We point out that we swapped p and q.
Note that either q1 q̄ starts in 1 or p1 p̄ starts in n.
Example 2.3 If p = 1324 and q = 1432, then we have (p∗, q∗) = (213, 321), there-
fore, recalling that we have already defined f3,1,3 for 3-permutations, f3,1,3 (p∗, q∗) =
(p̄, q̄) = (312, 231). Reinserting the removed first entries, we get (p1 p̄, q1 q̄) =
(1423, 1342). Finally, after swapping the two permutations of the last pair, we get
f4,1,3 (p, q) = (1342, 1423).
Proof: First, it is clear that fn,k,k+2 maps into Ik+1 × Ik+1 since both rules increase
the number of inversions of the first permutation by one, and decrease the number of
inversions of the second permutation by one.
Now we prove that fn,k,k+2 is one-to-one. We achieve this by induction on n, the initial
case of n = 3 being obvious. Assume now that the statement is true for n − 1.
1. If t1 > 1 and un < n, then (t, u) could only be obtained as a result of applying fn,k,k+2
−1
if Rule 1 was used. In that case, we have fn,k,k+2 (t, u) = ((t1 − 1)t2 · · · tn , (u1 +
1)u2 · · · un ).
Acknowledgement
I am grateful to the anonymous referee for a careful reading of the manuscript.
References
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