The inversion statistic in derangements and in other permutations with a prescribed number of fixed points
Abstract
We study how the inversion statistic is influenced by fixed points in a permutation. %The expected number of inversions in a uniformly random permutation in is . For each , and each , let denote the uniform probability measure on the set of permutations in with exactly fixed points. We obtain an exact formula for the expected number of inversions under the measure as well as for , for , the -probability that the number precedes the number . In particular, up to a super-exponentially small correction as , the expected number of inversions in a random derangement is more than the value that one obtains for a uniformly random general permutation in . On the other hand, up to a super-exponentially small correction, for , the expected number of inversions in a random permutation with fixed points is less than . In the borderline case, , up to a super-exponentially small correction, the expected number of inversions in a random permutation with one fixed point is more than . The proofs make strategic and perhaps novel use of the Chinese restaurant construction for a uniformly random permutation.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2505.02058,
title = {The inversion statistic in derangements and in other permutations with a prescribed number of fixed points},
author = {Ross G. Pinsky},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2505.02058},
year = {2025}
}