# 9.13 CycleIndicators¶

This section is based upon the paper J. H. Redfield, The Theory of Group-Reduced Distributions, American J. Math.,49 (1927) 433-455, and is an application of group theory to enumeration problems. It is a development of the work by P. A. MacMahon on the application of symmetric functions and Hammond operators to combinatorial theory.

The theory is based upon the power sum symmetric functions si which are the sum of the i-th powers of the variables. The cycle index of a permutation is an expression that specifies the sizes of the cycles of a permutation, and may be represented as a partition. A partition of a non-negative integer n is a collection of positive integers called its parts whose sum is n. For example, the partition (32212) will be used to represent and will indicate that the permutation has two cycles of length 3, one of length 2 and two of length 1. The cycle index of a permutation group is the sum of the cycle indices of its permutations divided by the number of permutations. The cycle indices of certain groups are provided.

The operation complete returns the cycle index of the symmetric group of order n for argument n. Alternatively, it is the n-th complete homogeneous symmetric function expressed in terms of power sum symmetric functions.

complete 1



Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

complete 2


 12(2)+12(12)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

complete 3


 13(3)+12(21)+16(13)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

complete 7


 17(7)+16(61)+110(52)+110(512)+112(43)+18(421)+124(413)+118(321)+124(322)+112(3212)+172(314)+148(231)+148(2213)+1240(215)+15040(17)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

The operation elementary computes the n-th elementary symmetric function for argument n.

elementary 7


 17(7)-16(61)-110(52)+110(512)-112(43)+18(421)-124(413)+118(321)+124(322)-112(3212)+172(314)-148(231)+148(2213)-1240(215)+15040(17)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

The operation alternating returns the cycle index of the alternating group having an even number of even parts in each cycle partition.

alternating 7


 27(7)+15(512)+14(421)+19(321)+112(322)+136(314)+124(2213)+12520(17)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

The operation cyclic returns the cycle index of the cyclic group.

cyclic 7


 67(7)+17(17)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

The operation dihedral is the cycle index of the dihedral group.

dihedral 7


 37(7)+12(231)+114(17)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

The operation graphs for argument n returns the cycle index of the group of permutations on the edges of the complete graph with n nodes induced by applying the symmetric group to the nodes.

graphs 5


 16(631)+15(52)+14(422)+16(331)+18(2412)+112(2314)+1120(110)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

The cycle index of a direct product of two groups is the product of the cycle indices of the groups. Redfield provided two operations on two cycle indices which will be called cup and cap here. The cup of two cycle indices is a kind of scalar product that combines monomials for permutations with the same cycles. The cap operation provides the sum of the coefficients of the result of the cup operation which will be an integer that enumerates what Redfield called group-reduced distributions.

We can, for example, represent complete 2 * complete 2 as the set of objects a a b b and complete 2 * complete 1 * complete 1 as c c d e.

This integer is the number of different sets of four pairs.

cap(complete 2^2, complete 2*complete 1^2)


 4

Type: Fraction Integer

For example,

a a b b     a a b b    a a b b   a a b b
c c d e     c d c e    c e c d   d e c c


This integer is the number of different sets of four pairs no two pairs being equal.

cap(elementary 2^2, complete 2*complete 1^2)


 2

Type: Fraction Integer

For example,

a a b b    a a b b
c d c e    c e c d


In this case the configurations enumerated are easily constructed, however the theory merely enumerates them providing little help in actually constructing them.

Here are the number of 6-pairs, first from a a a b b c, second from d d e e f g.

cap(complete 3*complete 2*complete 1,complete 2^2*complete 1^2)


 24

Type: Fraction Integer

Here it is again, but with no equal pairs.

cap(elementary 3*elementary 2*elementary 1,complete 2^2*complete 1^2)


 8

Type: Fraction Integer

cap(complete 3*complete 2*complete 1,elementary 2^2*elementary 1^2)


 8

Type: Fraction Integer

The number of 6-triples, first from a a a b b c, second from d d e e f g, third from h h i i j j.

eval(cup(complete 3*complete 2*complete 1, cup(complete 2^2*complete


1^2,complete 2^3)))


 1500

Type: Fraction Integer

The cycle index of vertices of a square is dihedral 4.

square:=dihedral 4


 14(4)+38(22)+14(212)+18(14)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

The number of different squares with 2 red vertices and 2 blue vertices.

cap(complete 2^2,square)


 2

Type: Fraction Integer

The number of necklaces with 3 red beads, 2 blue beads and 2 green beads.

cap(complete 3*complete 2^2,dihedral 7)


 18

Type: Fraction Integer

The number of graphs with 5 nodes and 7 edges.

cap(graphs 5,complete 7*complete 3)


 4

Type: Fraction Integer

The cycle index of rotations of vertices of a cube.

s(x) == powerSum(x)


Type: Void

cube:=(1/24)*(s 1^8+9*s 2^4 + 8*s 3^2*s 1^2+6*s 4^2)

Compiling function s with type PositiveInteger ->
SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer


 14(42)+13(3212)+38(24)+124(18)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

The number of cubes with 4 red vertices and 4 blue vertices.

cap(complete 4^2,cube)


 7

Type: Fraction Integer

The number of labeled graphs with degree sequence 2 2 2 1 1 with no loops or multiple edges.

cap(complete 2^3*complete 1^2,wreath(elementary 4,elementary 2))


 7

Type: Fraction Integer

Again, but with loops allowed but not multiple edges.

cap(complete 2^3*complete 1^2,wreath(elementary 4,complete 2))


 17

Type: Fraction Integer

Again, but with multiple edges allowed, but not loops

cap(complete 2^3*complete 1^2,wreath(complete 4,elementary 2))


 10

Type: Fraction Integer

Again, but with both multiple edges and loops allowed

cap(complete 2^3*complete 1^2,wreath(complete 4,complete 2))


 23

Type: Fraction Integer

Having constructed a cycle index for a configuration we are at liberty to evaluate the si components any way we please. For example we can produce enumerating generating functions. This is done by providing a function f on an integer i to the value required of si, and then evaluating eval(f, cycleindex).

x: ULS(FRAC INT,'x,0) := 'x


 x

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

ZeroOrOne: INT -> ULS(FRAC INT, 'x, 0)


Type: Void

Integers: INT -> ULS(FRAC INT, 'x, 0)


Type: Void

For the integers 0 and 1, or two colors.

ZeroOrOne n == 1+x^n


Type: Void

ZeroOrOne 5

Compiling function ZeroOrOne with type Integer ->
UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)


 1+x5

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

For the integers 0, 1, 2, ... we have this.

Integers n == 1/(1-x^n)


Type: Void

Integers 5

Compiling function Integers with type Integer ->
UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)


 1+x5+O(x8)

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

The coefficient of xn is the number of graphs with 5 nodes and n edges.

Note that there is an eval function that takes two arguments. It has the signature:

((Integer -> D1),SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer) -> D1
from EvaluateCycleIndicators D1 if D1 has ALGEBRA FRAC INT


This function is not normally exposed (it will not normally be considered in the list of eval functions) as it is only useful for this particular domain. To use it we ask that it be considered thus:

)expose EVALCYC


and now we can use it:

eval(ZeroOrOne, graphs 5)


 1+x+2x2+4x3+6x4+6x5+6x6+4x7+O(x8)

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

The coefficient of xn is the number of necklaces with n red beads and n-8 green beads.

eval(ZeroOrOne,dihedral 8)


 1+x+4x2+5x3+8x4+5x5+4x6+x7+O(x8)

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

The coefficient of xn is the number of partitions of n into 4 or fewer parts.

eval(Integers,complete 4)


 1+x+2x2+3x3+5x4+6x5+9x6+11x7+O(x8)

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

The coefficient of xn is the number of partitions of n into 4 boxes containing ordered distinct parts.

eval(Integers,elementary 4)


 x6+x7+2x8+3x9+5x10+6x11+9x12+11x13+O(x14)

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

The coefficient of xn is the number of different cubes with n red vertices and 8-n green ones.

eval(ZeroOrOne,cube)


 1+x+3x2+3x3+7x4+3x5+3x6+x7+O(x8)

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

The coefficient of xn is the number of different cubes with integers on the vertices whose sum is n.

eval(Integers,cube)


 1+x+4x2+7x3+21x4+37x5+85x6+151x7+O(x8)

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

The coefficient of xn is the number of graphs with 5 nodes and with integers on the edges whose sum is n. In other words, the enumeration is of multigraphs with 5 nodes and n edges.

eval(Integers,graphs 5)


 1+x+3x2+7x3+17x4+35x5+76x6+149x7+O(x8)

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

Graphs with 15 nodes enumerated with respect to number of edges.

eval(ZeroOrOne ,graphs 15)


 1+x+2x2+5x3+11x4+26x5+68x6+177x7+O(x8)

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

Necklaces with 7 green beads, 8 white beads, 5 yellow beads and 10 red beads.

cap(dihedral 30,complete 7*complete 8*complete 5*complete 10)


 49958972383320

Type: Fraction Integer

The operation SFunction is the S-function or Schur function of a partition written as a descending list of integers expressed in terms of power sum symmetric functions.

In this case the argument partition represents a tableau shape. For example 3,2,2,1 represents a tableau with three boxes in the first row, two boxes in the second and third rows, and one box in the fourth row. SFunction [3,2,2,1] counts the number of different tableaux of shape 3, 2, 2, 1 filled with objects with an ascending order in the columns and a non-descending order in the rows.

sf3221:= SFunction [3,2,2,1]


 112(62)-112(612)-116(42)+112(431)+124(414)-136(322)+136(3212)-124(3221)-136(3213)-172(315)-1192(24)+148(2312)+196(2214)-1144(216)+1576(18)

Type: SymmetricPolynomial Fraction Integer

This is the number filled with a a b b c c d d.

cap(sf3221,complete 2^4)


 3

Type: Fraction Integer

The configurations enumerated above are:

a a b    a a c    a a d
b c      b b      b b
c d      c d      c c
d        d        d


This is the number of tableaux filled with 1..8.

cap(sf3221, powerSum 1^8)


 70

Type: Fraction Integer

The coefficient of xn is the number of column strict reverse plane partitions of n of shape 3 2 2 1.

eval(Integers, sf3221)


 x9+3x10+7x11+14x12+27x13+47x14+O(x15)

Type: UnivariateLaurentSeries(Fraction Integer,x,0)

The smallest is

0 0 0
1 1
2 2
3