English

Polynomization of the Bessenrodt-Ono inequality

Combinatorics 2019-10-24 v1 Number Theory

Abstract

In this paper we investigate the generalization of the Bessenrodt--Ono inequality by following Gian-Carlo Rota's advice in studying problems in combinatorics and number theory in terms of roots of polynomials. We consider the number of kk-colored partitions of nn as special values of polynomials Pn(x)P_n(x). We prove for all real numbers x>2x >2 and a,bNa,b \in \mathbb{N} with a+b>2a+b >2 the inequality \begin{equation*} P_a(x) \, \cdot \, P_b(x) > P_{a+b}(x). \end{equation*} We show that Pn(x)<Pn+1(x)P_n(x) < P_{n+1}(x) for x1x \geq 1, which generalizes p(n)<p(n+1)p(n) < p(n+1), where p(n)p(n) denotes the partition function. Finally, we observe for small values, the opposite can be true since for example: P2(3+10)=P3(3+10)P_2(-3+ \sqrt{10}) = P_{3}(-3 + \sqrt{10}).

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1910.10413,
  title  = {Polynomization of the Bessenrodt-Ono inequality},
  author = {Bernhard Heim and Markus Neuhauser and Robert Tröger},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1910.10413},
  year   = {2019}
}