MATH 895-4 Fall 2010

Course Schedule

f a cu lty of science
d epa r tm ent of m athema tic s

MACM 201 FACT S HEET

Combinatorial Generating Functions

Week

Date

Sections
from FS2009

Part/ References

Topic/Sections

Notes/Speaker

Description
Here
are
some basic facts
about
combinatorial generating functions, that is formal power series
1
Sept 7 I.1, I.2,
I.3
Symbolic
methods
Combinatorial
related
to
combinatorial
families.
Structures
2
14
I.4, I.5, I.6
Unlabelled structures
3

21

Note

II.1, II.2, II.3

28

II.4, II.5, II.6

Oct 5

III.1, III.2

19

IV.3, IV.4

26

Nov 2

FS: Part A.1, A.2

Comtet74
Handout #1
(self study)

Labelled structures I

Combinatorial

Combinatorial

Labelled structures II
Asst #1 Due

parameters
The example on integer
compositions Parameters
is illustrated by a Maple worksheet available both in Maple and PDF
FS A.III
6
12 on canvas.
IV.1, IV.2
Multivariable GFs
formats
(self-study)
Analytic Methods
FS: Part B: IV, V, VI
Appendix B4
Stanley 99: Ch. 6
Handout #1
(self-study)
combinatorial

Complex Analysis

Singularity Analysis
Combinatorial
generating functions
IV.5 V.1
Asymptotic methods

Asst #2 Due

Let C be
of
objects together with
a notion of size s (from now we always assume that s
9 a family
VI.1
Sophie
is 10
given
C),
a C, tos(a)
12 with
A.3/
C where, for every object
Introduction
Prob.denotes
Mariolysthe size of a.
Limitobjects
Laws and Comb
Let Cn18be theIX.1subset of C composed of all
of sizeMarni
n and cn = |Cn |. Thus the counting sequence of C is
11

12

20

IX.2

23

IX.3

Random Structures
and Limit Laws
FS: Part C
(rotating
presentations)

The formal
power
series
25
IX.4
13

30

14
Dec 10
associated

Sophie

Combinatorial
instances of discrete

Mariolys

Continuous Limit Laws

Marni
X

c0 , c1 , c2 , . . .

C(x) =
Quasi-Powers and

IX.5

to the sequence

Discrete Limit Laws

Gaussian limit laws

ofPresentations
integers

c0 , c1 . . ., is the

Sophie

cn xn

n0

Asst #3 Due
generating

function of C.

We have taken the numbers from the counting sequence and turned them into the coefficients of a power
series. Weve already seen one
case
of this. The counting sequence for subsets of {1, . . . , n} is given by

special




the binomial coefficients n0 , n1 , . . . , nn . These numbers appear as the coefficients in the binomial theorem.
So our first example: If C is the set of subsets of {1, . . . , n}, then the generating function of C is
 
 
 
n
n n
n 0
x +
x + +
x = (1 + x)n .
1
n
0
Dr. Marni MISHNA, Department of Mathematics, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
Version of: 11-Dec-09

Fundamental Fact 1. There exists a unique formal power series associated to any family of combinatorial
objects C, denoted by C(x) and called its generating function.

Example: Binary strings. If C ={binary strings}, and the size of a binary string is defined by its length,
then Cn = {binarystrings of length n} = {0, 1}n , and cn = 2n so
C(x) =

X
n0

2n xn =

1
.
1 2x

The calculus of combinatorial generating functions

We have seen with formal power series that we can combine/modify them using operations such as sum or
product for example. The second fundamental fact on combinatorial generating functions is the following.

M ARNI M ISHNA , S PRING 2010; C EDRIC C HAUVE , S UMMER 2010; K AREN Y EATS, FALL 2013, L UIS G ODDYN S PRING 2015

MATH 895-4 Fall 2010

Course Schedule

f a cu lty of science
d epa r tm ent of m athema tic s

Week

Date

Sections

Part/ References

Topic/Sections

MACM 201 FACT S HEET

Notes/Speaker

from FS2009
Fundamental
Fact 2. Algebraic operations on combinatorial generating functions can be interpreted in
terms
of set
operations
on the corresponding
combinatorial families. Here are four examples.
1
Sept
7 I.1,
I.2, I.3
Symbolic methods
Combinatorial
Structures

I.4,three
I.5, I.6 combinatorial families
Unlabelled
structures
Let2 A,14B, C be
with
respective generating functions A(x), B(x), C(x).
FS: Part A.1, A.2
Comtet74

21
II.1, II.2, II.3
2.13 Union

Sum: If Handout
C = A#1 B, thenLabelled
C(x) structures
= A(x)I + B(x).
(self study)
4
28
II.4,
II.5,
II.6
Labelled
structures
II
Note: We should assume that A B = . Otherwise
we should interpret A B to be a multiset union, so an
element in both A andCombinatorial
B is counted twice
in A B.
Combinatorial
5

Oct 5

III.1, III.2

parameters

Asst #1 Due

Parameters

FS A.III
2.2 Cartesian product
Multiply: If C = A B, then C(x) = A(x)B(x).
6
12
IV.1, IV.2
Multivariable GFs
(self-study)
Here C = A B = {(a, b)
| a A, b B} is the cartesian product of A and B. Here the size of a pair c = (a, b) C,
7
19
IV.3,to
IV.4be theAnalytic
Complex
Analysis
is understood
sumMethods
of the sizes
of its
entries: s(c) = s(a) + s(b) .
8

FS: Part B: IV, V, VI

26

Singularity Analysis

Appendix If
B4 C = Ak , then C(x) = A(x)k .
2.3 Cartesian
kth power:
IV.5 V.1
Stanley 99: Ch. 6
k
9
Nov
2
Asst
Due is the set of k-tuples c = (a , a , . . . , a ) whose
Here C = A = {(a1 ,Handout
a2 , . . #1
. , ak ) | ai Asymptotic
A, for
i = 1, 2,
. .#2
. k}
methods
1 2
k
(self-study)
members
allVI.1
belong to A. This makes sense when k = Sophie
0 since A0 = {()} contains only the empty sequence, and
9
10 0
A(x)
= 1. The
size of c = (a1 , a2 , . . . . , aIntroduction
to be s(c) = s(a1 ) + s(a2 ) + + s(ak ).
k ), is understood
12
A.3/ C
to Prob.
Mariolys

2.4 Finite
sequences:
If C = A , thenLimit
C(x)
18
IX.1
Laws=
and1/(1
Comb A(x)).
Marni
11

0
1
2
Here, C
=
A
=
A
A
A

=
{(a
,
a
,
.
.
.
.
,
a
)
|
t

0 and ai A} is set of all finite sequences whose entries

1
2
t
Random Structures
20
IX.2
Discrete Limit Laws
Sophie
and LimitCLaws
are objects in A. Therefore
includes the empty string (), which has size zero. The size of c = (a1 , a2 , . . . . , at ),
FS: Part C
Combinatorial
23 understood
IX.3
Mariolys
is again
to(rotating
be s(c) = s(a1 ) instances
+ s(a2of) discrete
+ + s(a
t ). Caution: This only makes sense if A contains no
12
presentations)
objects25of size
0!
(Why?)
IX.4
Continuous Limit Laws Marni
13

30

Quasi-Powers and
Gaussian limit laws

IX.5

Sophie

Example: Binary strings. Let B be the family of finite binary strings. A binary string of length n is a finite
Due
14
Dec 10of symbols belonging
Presentations
Asst
sequence
to {0, 1}. Therefore B =
A#3
where A = {0, 1}. We note that A has no objects of
size zero, and its generating function is A(x) = 2x. By 2.4, the generating function for B is.
B(x) =

X
1
1
=
= 1 + 2x + 4x4 + =
2 n xn
1 A(x)
1 2x
n1

Example: Integer compositions. An integer composition is a sequence (ordered list) of strictly positive
integers. Its size is the sum of all integers in the sequence. For example, (2, 1, 5, 3, 1) is a composition of size
12 Marni
= 2MISHNA,
+ 1 +Department
5+3+
1; it is not
the
same
composition that (2, 1, 5, 1, 3): they both have the same size and
Dr.
of Mathematics,
SIMON
FRASER
UNIVERSITY
Version
of: 11-Dec-09
contain
the same integers, but the order of the integers is different. We consider the empty sequence () to be a
composition of size zero.
Let C be the set of all nonempty compositions. Let A be the set of all positive integers. Then C = A A0 . The
generation function for A0 = {()} is 1. The generating function of A is
A(x) = x + x2 + x3 + x4 + = x(1 + x + x2 + x3 . . .) = x

xn =

n0

x
1x

(This identity can also be proved by 2.4 and the fact that an integer can be seen as a sequence of 1s).
Because C A0 = A , we have from 2.1 and 2.4 that C(x) + 1 =
nonempty integer compositions can be computed and simplified.
C(x) =

1
x 1=
1 1x

1
12x
1x

1=

1
1A(x) .

Thus the generating function for

1x
1 2x
x

=
.
1 2x 1 2x
1 2x

Comparing the above two examples we see that

C(x) = xB(x) = x(1 + 2x + 22 x2 + . . . ) = x + 2x2 + 22 x3 + 23 x4 + . . . .

M ARNI M ISHNA , S PRING 2010; C EDRIC C HAUVE , S UMMER 2010; K AREN Y EATS, FALL 2013, L UIS G ODDYN S PRING 2015

f a cu lty of science
d epa r tm ent of m athema tic s

Week

Date

Sections

Part/ References

MATH 895-4 Fall 2010

Course Schedule

Topic/Sections

MACM 201 FACT S HEET

Notes/Speaker

from
FS2009
Evidently, the
number
of compositions of n is 2n1 for all n 1. (We will visit the extraction of coefficients in
the1 next
Septfact
7 I.1,sheet.)
I.2, I.3
Symbolic methods
Combinatorial
Structures

2 suggests
14
I.4, I.5,
I.6 there is a link between
Unlabelled
structures
This
that
binary
strings and compositions that is not obvious from the definiFS: Part A.1, A.2
Comtet74like to explain, at the level of the combinatorial objects, how integer compositions
tions
of
B
and
C.
We
would
3
21
II.1, II.2, II.3
Labelled structures I
Handout #1
of 4n and
binary
strings(self
ofstudy)
length n 1Labelled
are in
one-to-one correspondence. This is is not very difficult to do (see
28
II.4, II.5, II.6
structures II
Grimaldi Example 3.11), but also not entirely trivial. The fact that algebra revealed an unsuspected connection
Combinatorial
5
Oct 5
III.1,utility
III.2
Asst #1 Due
demonstrates
ofCombinatorial
generating functions.
parameters
Parameters
6

12

IV.1, IV.2

FS A.III
(self-study)

7
19 to watch
IV.3, IV.4
What
out
for
Analytic
Methods

Multivariable GFs
Complex Analysis

FS: Part B: IV, V, VI

Singularity Analysis
Appendix B4
IV.5 V.1
Stanley
99: Ch.
6
The
main
thing
that
people
mess
up
on this topic is
that they forget whether to put the numbers of the
9
Nov 2
Asst #2 Due
Asymptotic methods
Handout #1
counting sequence in the
coefficients
or
in
the
exponents.
Remember how many objects goes in the coefficient
(self-study)
9
VI.1
Sophie
8

26

and
10 what size each object is goes in the exponent.
12

A.3/ C

Introduction to Prob.

Mariolys

18

IX.1

Limit Laws and Comb

Marni

20

IX.2

Discrete Limit Laws

Sophie

23

IX.3

Combinatorial
instances of discrete

Mariolys

25

IX.4

Continuous Limit Laws

Marni

13

30

IX.5

Quasi-Powers and
Gaussian limit laws

Sophie

14

Dec 10

For a sequence (a1 , a2 , . . . , at ) of objects, it is easy to confuse its size s(a1 ) + s(a2 ) + + s(at ) with its length t.
11

12

Random Structures
and Limit Laws
FS: Part C
(rotating
presentations)

Presentations

Asst #3 Due

Dr. Marni MISHNA, Department of Mathematics, SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY

Version of: 11-Dec-09

M ARNI M ISHNA , S PRING 2010; C EDRIC C HAUVE , S UMMER 2010; K AREN Y EATS, FALL 2013, L UIS G ODDYN S PRING 2015