English

q-Stirling numbers: A new view

Combinatorics 2017-05-30 v2

Abstract

We show the classical qq-Stirling numbers of the second kind can be expressed compactly as a pair of statistics on a subset of restricted growth words. The resulting expressions are polynomials in qq and 1+q1+q. We extend this enumerative result via a decomposition of a new poset Π(n,k)\Pi(n,k) which we call the Stirling poset of the second kind. Its rank generating function is the qq-Stirling number Sq[n,k]S_q[n,k]. The Stirling poset of the second kind supports an algebraic complex and a basis for integer homology is determined. A parallel enumerative, poset theoretic and homological study for the qq-Stirling numbers of the first kind is done. Letting t=1+qt = 1+q we give a bijective argument showing the (q,t)(q,t)-Stirling numbers of the first and second kind are orthogonal.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1506.03249,
  title  = {q-Stirling numbers: A new view},
  author = {Yue Cai and Margaret A. Readdy},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1506.03249},
  year   = {2017}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-22T09:50:53.837Z