Vacillating parking functions

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Fang, Bruce, Harris, Pamela E., Kamau, Brian M., Wang, David
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Fang, Bruce
Harris, Pamela E.
Kamau, Brian M.
Wang, David
author_facet Fang, Bruce
Harris, Pamela E.
Kamau, Brian M.
Wang, David
contents For any integers $1\leq k\leq n$, we introduce a new family of parking functions called $k$-vacillating parking functions of length $n$. The parking rule for $k$-vacillating parking functions allows a car with preference $p$ to park in the first available spot in encounters among the parking spots numbered $p$, $p-k$, and $p+k$ (in that order and if those spots exists). In this way, $k$-vacillating parking functions are a modification of Naples parking functions, which allow for backwards movement of a car, and of $\ell$-interval parking functions, which allow a car to park in its preference or up to $\ell$ spots in front of its preference. Among our results, we establish a combinatorial interpretation for the numerator of the $n$th convergent of the continued fraction of $\sqrt{2}$, as the number of non-decreasing $1$-vacillating parking functions of length~$n$. Our main result gives a product formula for the enumeration of $k$-vacillating parking functions of length $n$ based on the number of $1$-vacillating parking functions of smaller length. We conclude with some directions for further research.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2402_02538
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Vacillating parking functions
Fang, Bruce
Harris, Pamela E.
Kamau, Brian M.
Wang, David
Combinatorics
05A05, 05A15
For any integers $1\leq k\leq n$, we introduce a new family of parking functions called $k$-vacillating parking functions of length $n$. The parking rule for $k$-vacillating parking functions allows a car with preference $p$ to park in the first available spot in encounters among the parking spots numbered $p$, $p-k$, and $p+k$ (in that order and if those spots exists). In this way, $k$-vacillating parking functions are a modification of Naples parking functions, which allow for backwards movement of a car, and of $\ell$-interval parking functions, which allow a car to park in its preference or up to $\ell$ spots in front of its preference. Among our results, we establish a combinatorial interpretation for the numerator of the $n$th convergent of the continued fraction of $\sqrt{2}$, as the number of non-decreasing $1$-vacillating parking functions of length~$n$. Our main result gives a product formula for the enumeration of $k$-vacillating parking functions of length $n$ based on the number of $1$-vacillating parking functions of smaller length. We conclude with some directions for further research.
title Vacillating parking functions
topic Combinatorics
05A05, 05A15
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2402.02538