In 2019, Andrews and Newman [‘Partitions and the minimal excludant’, Ann. Comb. 23(2) (2019), 249–254] introduced the arithmetic function $\sigma \textrm {mex}(n)$, which denotes the sum of minimal excludants over all the partitions of n. Baruah et al. [‘A refinement of a result of Andrews and Newman on the sum of minimal excludants’, Ramanujan J., to appear] showed that the sum of minimal excludants over all the partitions of n is the same as the number of partition pairs of n into distinct parts. They proved three congruences modulo $4$ and $8$ for two functions appearing in this refinement and conjectured two further congruences modulo $8$ and $16$. We confirm these two conjectures by using q-series manipulations and modular forms.

We use the tropical geometry approach to compute absolute and relative enumerative invariants of complex surfaces which are $\mathbb {C} P^1$-bundles over an elliptic curve. We also show that the tropical multiplicity used to count curves can be refined by the standard Block–Göttsche refined multiplicity to give tropical refined invariants. We then give a concrete algorithm using floor diagrams to compute these invariants along with the associated interpretation as operators acting on some Fock space. The floor diagram algorithm allows one to prove the piecewise polynomiality of the relative invariants, and the quasi-modularity of their generating series.

Let $\mathcal {F}$ denote the set of functions $f \colon [-1/2,1/2] \to \mathbb {R}_{\geq 0}$ such that $\int f = 1$. We determine the value of $\inf _{f \in \mathcal {F}} \| f \ast f \|_2^2$ up to a $4 \cdot 10^{-6}$ error, thereby making progress on a problem asked by Ben Green. Furthermore, we prove that a unique minimizer exists. As a corollary, we obtain improvements on the maximum size of $B_h[g]$ sets for $(g,h) \in \{ (2,2),(3,2),(4,2),(1,3),(1,4)\}$.

In this paper, we mainly prove the following conjectures of Z.-W. Sun (J. Number Theory 133 (2013), 2914–2928): let $p>2$ be a prime. If $p=x^2+3y^2$ with $x,y\in \mathbb {Z}$ and $x\equiv 1\ ({\rm {mod}}\ 3)$, then

\[ x\equiv\frac14\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}(3k+4)\frac{f_k}{2^k}\equiv\frac12\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}(3k+2)\frac{f_k}{({-}4)^k}\ ({\rm{mod}}\ p^2), \]

$p\equiv 1\pmod 3$

\[ \sum_{k=0}^{p-1}\frac{f_k}{2^k}\equiv\sum_{k=0}^{p-1}\frac{f_k}{({-}4)^k}\ ({\rm{mod}}\ p^3), \]

$f_n=\sum _{k=0}^n\binom {n}k^3$

$n$

The integrality of the numbers $A_{n,m}={(2n)!(2m)!}/{n!m!(n+m)!}$ was observed by Catalan as early as 1874 and Gessel named $A_{n,m}$ the super Catalan numbers. The positivity of the q-super Catalan numbers (q-analogue of the super Catalan numbers) was investigated by Warnaar and Zudilin [‘A q-rious positivity’, Aequationes Math. 81 (2011), 177–183]. We prove the divisibility of sums of q-super Catalan numbers, which establishes a q-analogue of Apagodu’s congruence involving super Catalan numbers.

Formulas evaluating differences of integer partitions according to the parity of the parts are referred to as Legendre theorems. In this paper we give some formulas of Legendre type for overpartitions.

Let ${\overline{p}}(n)$ denote the overpartition function. In this paper, we study the asymptotic higher-order log-concavity property of the overpartition function in a similar framework done by Hou and Zhang for the partition function. This will enable us to move on further in order to prove log-concavity of overpartitions, explicitly by studying the asymptotic expansion of the quotient ${\overline{p}}(n-1){\overline{p}}(n+1)/{\overline{p}}(n)^2$ up to a certain order. This enables us to additionally prove 2-log-concavity and higher Turán inequalities with a unified approach.

If a sequence indexed by nonnegative integers satisfies a linear recurrence without constant terms, one can extend the indices of the sequence to negative integers using the recurrence. Recently, Cigler and Krattenthaler showed that the negative version of the number of bounded Dyck paths is the number of bounded alternating sequences. In this paper, we provide two methods to compute the negative versions of sequences related to moments of orthogonal polynomials. We give a combinatorial model for the negative version of the number of bounded Motzkin paths. We also prove two conjectures of Cigler and Krattenthaler on reciprocity between determinants.

We study (asymmetric) $U$-statistics based on a stationary sequence of $m$-dependent variables; moreover, we consider constrained $U$-statistics, where the defining multiple sum only includes terms satisfying some restrictions on the gaps between indices. Results include a law of large numbers and a central limit theorem, together with results on rate of convergence, moment convergence, functional convergence, and a renewal theory version.

Special attention is paid to degenerate cases where, after the standard normalization, the asymptotic variance vanishes; in these cases non-normal limits occur after a different normalization.

The results are motivated by applications to pattern matching in random strings and permutations. We obtain both new results and new proofs of old results.

Let $Q(n)$ denote the number of partitions of n into distinct parts. Merca [‘Ramanujan-type congruences modulo 4 for partitions into distinct parts’, An. Şt. Univ. Ovidius Constanţa 30(3) (2022), 185–199] derived some congruences modulo $4$ and $8$ for $Q(n)$ and posed a conjecture on congruences modulo powers of $2$ enjoyed by $Q(n)$. We present an approach which can be used to prove a family of internal congruence relations modulo powers of $2$ concerning $Q(n)$. As an immediate consequence, we not only prove Merca’s conjecture, but also derive many internal congruences modulo powers of $2$ satisfied by $Q(n)$. Moreover, we establish an infinite family of congruence relations modulo $4$ for $Q(n)$.

Lin introduced the partition function $\text {PDO}_t(n)$, which counts the total number of tagged parts over all the partitions of n with designated summands in which all parts are odd. Lin also proved some congruences modulo 3 and 9 for $\text {PDO}_t(n)$, and conjectured certain congruences modulo $3^{k+2}$ for $k\geq 0$. He proved the conjecture for $k=0$ and $k=1$ [‘The number of tagged parts over the partitions with designated summands’, J. Number Theory 184 (2018), 216–234]. We prove the conjecture for $k=2$. We also study the lacunarity of $\text {PDO}_t(n)$ modulo arbitrary powers of 2 and 3. Using nilpotency of Hecke operators, we prove that there exists an infinite family of congruences modulo any power of 2 satisfied by $\text {PDO}_t(n)$.

We address Hodge integrals over the hyperelliptic locus. Recently Afandi computed, via localisation techniques, such one-descendant integrals and showed that they are Stirling numbers. We give another proof of the same statement by a very short argument, exploiting Chern classes of spin structures and relations arising from Topological Recursion in the sense of Eynard and Orantin.

These techniques seem also suitable to deal with three orthogonal generalisations: (1) the extension to the r-hyperelliptic locus; (2) the extension to an arbitrary number of non-Weierstrass pairs of points; (3) the extension to multiple descendants.

We consider the family $\mathrm {MC}_d$ of monic centered polynomials of one complex variable with degree $d \geq 2$, and study the map $\widehat {\Phi }_d:\mathrm {MC}_d\to \widetilde {\Lambda }_d \subset \mathbb {C}^d / \mathfrak {S}_d$ which maps each $f \in \mathrm {MC}_d$ to its unordered collection of fixed-point multipliers. We give an explicit formula for counting the number of elements of each fiber $\widehat {\Phi }_d^{-1}(\bar {\unicode{x3bb} })$ for every $\bar {\unicode{x3bb} } \in \widetilde {\Lambda }_d$ except when the fiber $\widehat {\Phi }_d^{-1}(\bar {\unicode{x3bb} })$ contains polynomials having multiple fixed points. This formula is not a recursive one, and is a drastic improvement of our previous result [T. Sugiyama. The moduli space of polynomial maps and their fixed-point multipliers. Adv. Math. 322 (2017), 132–185] which gave a rather long algorithm with some induction processes.

Suppose that m drivers each choose a preferred parking space in a linear car park with n spots. In order, each driver goes to their chosen spot and parks there if possible, and otherwise takes the next available spot if it exists. If all drivers park successfully, the sequence of choices is called a parking function. Classical parking functions correspond to the case $m=n$.

We investigate various probabilistic properties of a uniform parking function. Through a combinatorial construction termed a parking function multi-shuffle, we give a formula for the law of multiple coordinates in the generic situation $m \lesssim n$. We further deduce all possible covariances: between two coordinates, between a coordinate and an unattempted spot, and between two unattempted spots. This asymptotic scenario in the generic situation $m \lesssim n$ is in sharp contrast with that of the special situation $m=n$.

A generalization of parking functions called interval parking functions is also studied, in which each driver is willing to park only in a fixed interval of spots. We construct a family of bijections between interval parking functions with n cars and n spots and edge-labeled spanning trees with $n+1$ vertices and a specified root.

Recently, when studying intricate connections between Ramanujan’s theta functions and a class of partition functions, Banerjee and Dastidar [‘Ramanujan’s theta functions and parity of parts and cranks of partitions’, Ann. Comb., to appear] studied some arithmetic properties for $c_o(n)$, the number of partitions of n with odd crank. They conjectured a congruence modulo $4$ satisfied by $c_o(n)$. We confirm the conjecture and evaluate $c_o(4n)$ modulo $8$ by dissecting some q-series into even powers. Moreover, we give a conjecture on the density of divisibility of odd cranks modulo 4, 8 and 16.

A partition $\lambda $ of n is said to be nearly self-conjugate if the Ferrers graph of $\lambda $ and its transpose have exactly $n-1$ cells in common. The generating function of the number of such partitions was first conjectured by Campbell and recently confirmed by Campbell and Chern (‘Nearly self-conjugate integer partitions’, submitted for publication). We present a simple and direct analytic proof and a combinatorial proof of an equivalent statement.

We derive three critical exponents for Bernoulli site percolation on the uniform infinite planar triangulation (UIPT). First, we compute explicitly the probability that the root cluster is infinite. As a consequence, we show that the off-critical exponent for site percolation on the UIPT is $\beta = 1/2$. Then we establish an integral formula for the generating function of the number of vertices in the root cluster. We use this formula to prove that, at criticality, the probability that the root cluster has at least n vertices decays like $n^{-1/7}$. Finally, we also derive an expression for the law of the perimeter of the root cluster and use it to establish that, at criticality, the probability that the perimeter of the root cluster is equal to n decays like $n^{-4/3}$. Among these three exponents, only the last one was previously known. Our main tools are the so-called gasket decomposition of percolation clusters, generic properties of random Boltzmann maps, and analytic combinatorics.

The $q$-coloured Delannoy numbers $D_{n,k}(q)$ count the number of lattice paths from $(0,\,0)$ to $(n,\,k)$ using steps $(0,\,1)$, $(1,\,0)$ and $(1,\,1)$, among which the $(1,\,1)$ steps are coloured with $q$ colours. The focus of this paper is to study some analytical properties of the polynomial matrix $D(q)=[d_{n,k}(q)]_{n,k\geq 0}=[D_{n-k,k}(q)]_{n,k\geq 0}$, such as the strong $q$-log-concavity of polynomial sequences located in a ray or a transversal line of $D(q)$ and the $q$-total positivity of $D(q)$. We show that the zeros of all row sums $R_n(q)=\sum \nolimits _{k=0}^{n}d_{n,k}(q)$ are in $(-\infty,\, -1)$ and are dense in the corresponding semi-closed interval. We also prove that the zeros of all antidiagonal sums $A_n(q)=\sum \nolimits _{k=0}^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor }d_{n-k,k}(q)$ are in the interval $(-\infty,\, -1]$ and are dense there.

In the past $20$ years, the enumeration of plane lattice walks confined to a convex cone—normalized into the first quadrant—has received a lot of attention, stimulated the development of several original approaches, and led to a rich collection of results. Most of these results deal with the nature of the associated generating function: for which models is it algebraic, D-finite, D-algebraic? By model, what we mean is a finite collection of allowed steps.

More recently, similar questions have been raised for nonconvex cones, typically the three-quadrant cone $\mathcal {C} = \{ (i,j) : i \geq 0 \text { or } j \geq 0 \}$. They turn out to be more difficult than their quadrant counterparts. In this paper, we investigate a collection of eight models in $\mathcal {C}$, which can be seen as the first level of difficulty beyond quadrant problems. This collection consists of diagonally symmetric models in $\{-1, 0,1\}^2\setminus \{(-1,1), (1,-1)\}$. Three of them are known not to be D-algebraic. We show that the remaining five can be solved in a uniform fashion using Tutte’s notion of invariants, which has already proved useful for some quadrant models. Three models are found to be algebraic, one is (only) D-finite, and the last one is (only) D-algebraic. We also solve in the same fashion the diagonal model $\{ \nearrow , \nwarrow , \swarrow , \searrow \}$, which is D-finite. The three algebraic models are those of the Kreweras trilogy, $\mathcal S=\{\nearrow , \leftarrow , \downarrow \}$, $\mathcal S^*=\{\rightarrow , \uparrow , \swarrow \}$, and $\mathcal S\cup \mathcal S^*$.

Our solutions take similar forms for all six models. Roughly speaking, the square of the generating function of three-quadrant walks with steps in $\mathcal S$ is an explicit rational function in the quadrant generating function with steps in $\mathscr S:= \{(j-i,j): (i,j) \in \mathcal S\}$. We derive various exact or asymptotic corollaries, including an explicit algebraic description of a positive harmonic function in $\mathcal C$ for the (reverses of the) five models that are at least D-finite.