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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Bousquet-Melou, Mireille, Petkovsek, Marko
Format: Preprint
Published: 2002
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Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0211432
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author Bousquet-Melou, Mireille
Petkovsek, Marko
author_facet Bousquet-Melou, Mireille
Petkovsek, Marko
contents We consider planar lattice walks that start from a prescribed position, take their steps in a given finite subset of Z^2, and always stay in the quadrant x >= 0, y >= 0. We first give a criterion which guarantees that the length generating function of these walks is D-finite, that is, satisfies a linear differential equation with polynomial coefficients. This criterion applies, among others, to the ordinary square lattice walks. Then, we prove that walks that start from (1,1), take their steps in {(2,-1), (-1,2)} and stay in the first quadrant have a non-D-finite generating function. Our proof relies on a functional equation satisfied by this generating function, and on elementary complex analysis.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_math_0211432
institution arXiv
publishDate 2002
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Walks confined in a quadrant are not always D-finite
Bousquet-Melou, Mireille
Petkovsek, Marko
Combinatorics
05A15 (primary)
We consider planar lattice walks that start from a prescribed position, take their steps in a given finite subset of Z^2, and always stay in the quadrant x >= 0, y >= 0. We first give a criterion which guarantees that the length generating function of these walks is D-finite, that is, satisfies a linear differential equation with polynomial coefficients. This criterion applies, among others, to the ordinary square lattice walks. Then, we prove that walks that start from (1,1), take their steps in {(2,-1), (-1,2)} and stay in the first quadrant have a non-D-finite generating function. Our proof relies on a functional equation satisfied by this generating function, and on elementary complex analysis.
title Walks confined in a quadrant are not always D-finite
topic Combinatorics
05A15 (primary)
url https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0211432