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Also, number of distinct Tsuro tiles which are digonal in shape and have n points per side. Turning over is not allowed. See A132100 for definition and comments.

See the Burns et al. papers for another interpretation.

From Ross Drewe, Mar 16 2008: (Start)

This is also the number of arrangements of n pairs which are equivalent under the joint operation of sequence reversal and permutations of labels. Assume that the elements of n distinct pairs are labeled to show the pair of origin, e.g., [1 1], [2 2]. The number of distinguishable ways of arranging these elements falls as the conditions are made more general:

a(n) = A000680: element order is significant and the labels are distinguishable;

b(n) = A001147: element order is significant but labels are not distinguishable, i.e., all label permutations of a given sequence are equivalent;

c(n) = A132101: element order is weakened (reversal allowed) and all label permutations are equivalent;

d(n) = A047974: reversal allowed, all label permutations are equivalent and equivalence class maps to itself under joint operation.

Those classes that do not map to themselves form reciprocal pairs of classes under the joint operation and their number is r(n). Then c = b - r/2 = b - (b - d)/2 = (b+d)/2. A formula for r(n) is not available, but formulas are available for b(n) = A001147 and d(n) = A047974, allowing an explicit formula for this sequence.

c(n) is useful in extracting structure information without regard to pair ordering (see example). c(n) terms also appear in formulas related to binary operators, e.g., the number of binary operators in a k-valued logic that are invertible in 1 operation.

a(n) = (b(n) + c(n))/2, where b(n) = (2n)!/(2^n * n!) = A001147(n), c(n) = Sum_{k=0..floor(n/2)} n!/((n-2*k)! * k!) = A047974(n).

For 3 pairs, the arrangement A = [112323] is the same as B = [212133] under the permutation of the labels [123] -> [312] plus reversal of the elements, or vice versa. The unique structure common to A and B is {1 intact pair + 2 interleaved pairs}, where the order is not significant (contrast A001147). (End)

a(n) is also the number of n X n symmetric permutation matrices.

a(n) is also the number of matchings (Hosoya index) in the complete graph K(n). - Ola Veshta (olaveshta(AT)my-deja.com), Mar 25 2001

a(n) is also the number of independent vertex sets and vertex covers in the n-triangular graph. - Eric W. Weisstein, May 22 2017

Equivalently, this is the number of graphs on n labeled nodes with degrees at most 1. - Don Knuth, Mar 31 2008

a(n) is also the sum of the degrees of the irreducible representations of the symmetric group S_n. - Avi Peretz (njk(AT)netvision.net.il), Apr 01 2001

a(n) is the number of partitions of a set of n distinguishable elements into sets of size 1 and 2. - Karol A. Penson, Apr 22 2003

Number of tableaux on the edges of the star graph of order n, S_n (sometimes T_n). - Roberto E. Martinez II, Jan 09 2002

The Hankel transform of this sequence is A000178 (superfactorials). Sequence is also binomial transform of the sequence 1, 0, 1, 0, 3, 0, 15, 0, 105, 0, 945, ... (A001147 with interpolated zeros). - Philippe Deléham, Jun 10 2005

Row sums of the exponential Riordan array (e^(x^2/2),x). - Paul Barry, Jan 12 2006

a(n) is the number of nonnegative lattice paths of upsteps U = (1,1) and downsteps D = (1,-1) that start at the origin and end on the vertical line x = n in which each downstep (if any) is marked with an integer between 1 and the height of its initial vertex above the x-axis. For example, with the required integer immediately preceding each downstep, a(3) = 4 counts UUU, UU1D, UU2D, U1DU. - David Callan, Mar 07 2006

Equals row sums of triangle A152736 starting with offset 1. - Gary W. Adamson, Dec 12 2008

Proof of the recurrence relation a(n) = a(n-1) + (n-1)*a(n-2): number of involutions of [n] containing n as a fixed point is a(n-1); number of involutions of [n] containing n in some cycle (j, n), where 1 <= j <= n-1, is (n-1) times the number of involutions of [n] containing the cycle (n-1 n) = (n-1)*a(n-2). - Emeric Deutsch, Jun 08 2009

Number of ballot sequences (or lattice permutations) of length n. A ballot sequence B is a string such that, for all prefixes P of B, h(i) >= h(j) for i < j, where h(x) is the number of times x appears in P. For example, the ballot sequences of length 4 are 1111, 1112, 1121, 1122, 1123, 1211, 1212, 1213, 1231, and 1234. The string 1221 does not appear in the list because in the 3-prefix 122 there are two 2's but only one 1. (Cf. p. 176 of Bruce E. Sagan: "The Symmetric Group"). - Joerg Arndt, Jun 28 2009

Number of standard Young tableaux of size n; the ballot sequences are obtained as a length-n vector v where v_k is the (number of the) row in which the number r occurs in the tableaux. - Joerg Arndt, Jul 29 2012

Number of factorial numbers of length n-1 with no adjacent nonzero digits. For example the 10 such numbers (in rising factorial radix) of length 3 are 000, 001, 002, 003, 010, 020, 100, 101, 102, and 103. - Joerg Arndt, Nov 11 2012

Also called restricted Stirling numbers of the second kind (see Mezo). - N. J. A. Sloane, Nov 27 2013

a(n) is the number of permutations of [n] that avoid the consecutive patterns 123 and 132. Proof. Write a self-inverse permutation in standard cycle form: smallest entry in each cycle in first position, first entries decreasing. For example, (6,7)(3,4)(2)(1,5) is in standard cycle form. Then erase parentheses. This is a bijection to the permutations that avoid consecutive 123 and 132 patterns. - David Callan, Aug 27 2014

Getu (1991) says these numbers are also known as "telephone numbers". - N. J. A. Sloane, Nov 23 2015

a(n) is the number of elements x in the symmetric group S_n such that x^2 = e where e is the identity. - Jianing Song, Aug 22 2018 [Edited on Jul 24 2025]

a(n) is the number of congruence orbits of upper-triangular n X n matrices on skew-symmetric matrices, or the number of Borel orbits in largest sect of the type DIII symmetric space SO_{2n}(C)/GL_n(C). Involutions can also be thought of as fixed-point-free partial involutions. See [Bingham and Ugurlu] link. - Aram Bingham, Feb 08 2020

From Thomas Anton, Apr 20 2020: (Start)

Apparently a(n) = b*c where b is odd iff a(n+b) (when a(n) is defined) is divisible by b.

Apparently a(n) = 2^(f(n mod 4)+floor(n/4))*q where f:{0,1,2,3}->{0,1,2} is given by f(0),f(1)=0, f(2)=1 and f(3)=2 and q is odd. (End)

From Iosif Pinelis, Mar 12 2021: (Start)

a(n) is the n-th initial moment of the normal distribution with mean 1 and variance 1. This follows because the moment generating function of that distribution is the e.g.f. of the sequence of the a(n)'s.

The recurrence a(n) = a(n-1) + (n-1)*a(n-2) also follows, by writing E(Z+1)^n=EZ(Z+1)^(n-1)+E(Z+1)^(n-1), where Z is a standard normal random variable, and then taking the first of the latter two integrals by parts. (End)

Determinant of n X n matrix M=[m(i,j)] where m(i,i)=i, m(i,j)=1 if i > j, m(i,j)=i-j if j > i. - Vladeta Jovovic, Jan 19 2003

With p(n) = the number of integer partitions of n, d(i) = the number of different parts of the i-th partition of n, m(i,j) = multiplicity of the j-th part of the i-th partition of n, Sum_{i=1..p(n)} = sum over i and Product_{j=1..d(i)} = product over j, one has: a(n) = Sum_{i=1..p(n)} n!/(Product_{j=1..d(i)} m(i,j)!). - Thomas Wieder, May 18 2005

Consider all n! permutations of the integer sequence [n] = 1,2,3,...,n. The i-th permutation, i=1,2,...,n!, consists of Z(i) permutation cycles. Such a cycle has the length lc(i,j), j=1,...,Z(i). For a given permutation we form the product of all its cycle lengths Product_{j=1..Z(i)} lc(i,j). Furthermore, we sum up all such products for all permutations of [n] which gives Sum_{i=1..n!} Product_{j=1..Z(i)} lc(i,j) = A000262(n). For n=4 we have Sum_{i=1..n!} Product_{j=1..Z(i)} lc(i,j) = 1*1*1*1 + 2*1*1 + 3*1 + 2*1*1 + 3*1 + 2*1 + 3*1 + 4 + 3*1 + 4 + 2*2 + 2*1*1 + 3*1 + 4 + 3*1 + 2*1*1 + 2*2 + 4 + 2*2 + 4 + 3*1 + 2*1*1 + 3*1 + 4 = 73 = A000262(4). - Thomas Wieder, Oct 06 2006

For a finite set S of size n, a chain gang G of S is a partially ordered set (S,<=) consisting only of chains. The number of chain gangs of S is a(n). For example, with S={a, b}and n=2, there are a(2)=3 chain gangs of S, namely, {(a,a),(b,b)}, {(a,a),(a,b),(b,b)} and {(a,a),(b,a),(b,b)}. - Dennis P. Walsh, Feb 22 2007

(-1)*A000262 with the first term set to 1 and A084358 form a reciprocal pair under the list partition transform and associated operations described in A133314. Cf. A133289. - Tom Copeland, Oct 21 2007

Consider the distribution of n unlabeled elements "1" onto n levels where empty levels are allowed. In addition, the empty levels are labeled. Their names are 0_1, 0_2, 0_3, etc. This sequence gives the total number of such distributions. If the empty levels are unlabeled ("0"), then the answer is A001700. Let the colon ":" separate two levels. Then, for example, for n=3 we have a(3)=13 arrangements: 111:0_1:0_2, 0_1:111:0_2, 0_1:0_2:111, 111:0_2:0_1, 0_2:111:0_1, 0_2:0_1:111, 11:1:0, 11:0:1, 0:11:1, 1:11:0, 1:0:11, 0:1:11, 1:1:1. - Thomas Wieder, May 25 2008

Row sums of exponential Riordan array [1,x/(1-x)]. - Paul Barry, Jul 24 2008

a(n) is the number of partitions of [n] (A000110) into lists of noncrossing sets. For example, a(3)=3 counts 12, 1-2, 2-1 and a(4) = 73 counts the 75 partitions of [n] into lists of sets (A000670) except for 13-24, 24-13 which fail to be noncrossing. - David Callan, Jul 25 2008

a(i-j)/(i-j)! gives the value of the non-null element (i, j) of the lower triangular matrix exp(S)/exp(1), where S is the lower triangular matrix - of whatever dimension - having all its (non-null) elements equal to one. - Giuliano Cabrele, Aug 11 2008, Sep 07 2008

a(n) is also the number of nilpotent partial one-one bijections (of an n-element set). Equivalently, it is the number of nilpotents in the symmetric inverse semigroup (monoid). - Abdullahi Umar, Sep 14 2008

A000262 is the exp transform of the factorial numbers A000142. - Thomas Wieder, Sep 10 2008

If n is a positive integer then the infinite continued fraction (1+n)/(1+(2+n)/(2+(3+n)/(3+...))) converges to the rational number A052852(n)/A000262(n). - David Angell (angell(AT)maths.unsw.edu.au), Dec 18 2008

Vladeta Jovovic's formula dated Sep 20 2006 can be restated as follows: a(n) is the n-th ascending factorial moment of the Poisson distribution with parameter (mean) 1. - Shai Covo (green355(AT)netvision.net.il), Jan 25 2010

The umbral exponential generating function for a(n) is (1-x)^{-B}. In other words, write (1-x)^{-B} as a power series in x whose coefficients are polynomials in B, and then replace B^k with the Bell number B_k. We obtain a(0) + a(1)x + a(2)x^2/2! + ... . - Richard Stanley, Jun 07 2010

a(n) is the number of Dyck n-paths (A000108) with its peaks labeled 1,2,...,k in some order, where k is the number of peaks. For example a(2)=3 counts U(1)DU(2)D, U(2)DU(1)D, UU(1)DD where the label at each peak is in parentheses. This is easy to prove using generating functions. - David Callan, Aug 23 2011

a(n) = number of permutations of the multiset {1,1,2,2,...,n,n} such that for 1 <= i <= n, all entries between the two i's exceed i and if any such entries are present, they include n. There are (2n-1)!! permutations satisfying the first condition, and for example: a(3)=13 counts all 5!!=15 of them except 331221 and 122133 which fail the second condition. - David Callan, Aug 27 2014

a(n) is the number of acyclic, injective functions from subsets of [n] to [n]. Let subset D of [n] have size k. The number of acyclic, injective functions from D to [n] is (n-1)!/(n-k-1)! and hence a(n) = Sum_{k=0..n-1} binomial(n,k)*(n-1)!/(n-k-1)!. - Dennis P. Walsh, Nov 05 2015

a(n) is the number of acyclic, injective, labeled directed graphs on n vertices with each vertex having outdegree at most one. - Dennis P. Walsh, Nov 05 2015

For n > 0, a(n) is the number of labeled-rooted skinny-tree forests on n nodes. A skinny tree is a tree in which each vertex has at most one child. Let k denote the number of trees. There are binomial(n,k) ways to choose the roots, binomial(n-1,k-1) ways to choose the number of descendants for each root, and (n-k)! ways to permute those descendants. Summing over k, we obtain a(n) = Sum_{k=1..n} C(n,k)*C(n-1,k-1)*(n-k)!. - Dennis P. Walsh, Nov 10 2015

This is the Sheffer transform of the Bell numbers A000110 with the Sheffer matrix S = |Stirling1| = (1, -log(1-x)) = A132393. See the e.g.f. formula, a Feb 21 2017 comment on A048993, and R. Stanley's Jun 07 2010 comment above. - Wolfdieter Lang, Feb 21 2017

All terms = {1, 3} mod 10. - Muniru A Asiru, Oct 01 2017

We conjecture that for k = 2,3,4,..., the difference a(n+k) - a(n) is divisible by k: if true, then for each k the sequence a(n) taken modulo k is periodic with period dividing k. - Peter Bala, Nov 14 2017

The above conjecture is true - see the Bala link. - Peter Bala, Jan 20 2018

The terms of this sequence can be derived from the numerators of the fractions, produced by the recursion: b(0) = 1, b(n) = 1 + ((n-1) * b(n-1)) / (n-1 + b(n-1)) for n > 0. The denominators give A002720. - Dimitris Valianatos, Aug 01 2018

a(n) is the number of rooted labeled forests on n nodes that avoid the patterns 213, 312, and 123. It is also the number of rooted labeled forests that avoid 312, 213, and 132, as well as the number of rooted labeled forests that avoid 132, 213, and 321. - Kassie Archer, Aug 30 2018

For n > 0, a(n) is the number of partitions of [2n-1] whose nontrivial blocks are of type {a,b}, with a <= n and b > n. In fact, for n > 0, a(n) = A056953(2n-1). - Francesca Aicardi, Nov 03 2022

For n > 0, a(n) is the number of ways to split n people into nonempty groups, have each group sit around a circular table, and select one person from each table (where two seating arrangements are considered identical if each person has the same left neighbors in both of them). - Enrique Navarrete, Oct 01 2023

Number of solutions to the rook problem on a 2n X 2n board having a certain symmetry group (see Robinson for details).

Also the value of the n-th derivative of exp(x^2) evaluated at 1. - N. Calkin, Apr 22 2010

For n >= 1, a(n) is also the sum of the degrees of the irreducible representations of the group of n X n signed permutation matrices (described in sequence A066051). The similar sum for the "ordinary" symmetric group S_n is in sequence A000085. - Sharon Sela (sharonsela(AT)hotmail.com), Jan 12 2002

It appears that this is also the number of permutations of 1, 2, ..., n+1 such that each term (after the first) is within 2 of some preceding term. Verified for n+1 <= 6. E.g., a(4) = 20 because of the 24 permutations of 1, 2, 3, 4, the only ones not permitted are 1, 4, 2, 3; 1, 4, 3, 2; 4, 1, 2, 3; and 4, 1, 3, 2. - Gerry Myerson, Aug 06 2003

Hankel transform is A108400. - Paul Barry, Feb 11 2008

From Emeric Deutsch, Jun 19 2010: (Start)

Number of symmetric involutions of [2n]. Example: a(2)=6 because we have 1234, 2143, 1324, 3412, 4231, and 4321. See the Egge reference, pp. 419-420.

Number of symmetric involutions of [2n+1]. Example: a(2)=6 because we have 12345, 14325, 21354, 45312, 52341, and 54321. See the Egge reference, pp. 419-420.

(End)

Binomial convolution of sequence A000085: a(n) = Sum_{k=0..n} binomial(n,k)*A000085(k)*A000085(n-k). - Emanuele Munarini, Mar 02 2016

The sequence can be obtained from the infinite product of 2 X 2 matrices [(1,N); (1,1)] by extracting the upper left terms, where N = (1, 3, 5, ...), the odd integers. - Gary W. Adamson, Jul 28 2016

Apparently a(n) is the number of standard domino tableaux of size 2n, where a domino tableau is a generalized Young tableau in which all rows and columns are weakly increasing and all regions are dominos. - Gus Wiseman, Feb 25 2018

With offset 1, permanent of (0,1)-matrix of size n X (n+d) with d=2 and n zeros not on a line. This is a special case of Theorem 2.3 of Seok-Zun Song et al. Extremes of permanents of (0,1)-matrices, pp. 201-202. - Jaap Spies, Dec 12 2003

Starting (1, 2, 7, 32, ...) = inverse binomial transform of A001710 starting (1, 3, 12, 60, 360, 2520, ...). - Gary W. Adamson, Dec 25 2008

This sequence appears in Euler's analysis of the divergent series 1 - 1! + 2! - 3! + 4! ..., see Sandifer. For information about this and related divergent series see A163940. - Johannes W. Meijer, Oct 16 2009

a(n+1)=:b(n), n>=1, enumerates the ways to distribute n beads labeled differently from 1 to n, over a set of (unordered) necklaces, excluding necklaces with exactly one bead, and two indistinguishable, ordered, fixed cords, each allowed to have any number of beads. Beadless necklaces as well as beadless cords contribute each a factor 1 in the counting, e.g., b(0):= 1*1 = 1. See A000255 for the description of a fixed cord with beads.

This produces for b(n) the exponential (aka binomial) convolution of the subfactorial sequence {A000166(n)} and {(n+1)!}={A000042(n+1)}. This follows from the general problem with only k indistinguishable, ordered, fixed cords which has e.g.f. 1/(1-x)^k, and the pure necklace problem (no necklaces with one bead allowed) with e.g.f. for the subfactorials. Therefore also the recurrence b(n) = (n+1)*b(n-1) + (n-1)*b(n-2) with b(-1)=0 and b(0)=1 holds.

This comment derives from a family of recurrences found by Malin Sjodahl for a combinatorial problem for certain quark and gluon diagrams (Feb 27 2010). - Wolfdieter Lang, Jun 02 2010

a(n) is a function of the subfactorials..sf... A000166(n) a(n) = (n*sf(n+1) - (n+1)*sf(n))/(2*n*(n-1)*(n+1)),n>1, with offset 1. - Gary Detlefs, Nov 06 2010

For even k the sequence a(n) (mod k) is purely periodic with exact period a divisor of k, while for odd k the sequence a(n) (mod k) is purely periodic with exact period a divisor of 2*k. See A047974. - Peter Bala, Dec 04 2017

Previous name was: Form the iterate f[ f[ .. f[ 1 ] ] ] or f^n [ 1 ] with f[ stuff ] defined as ( stuff - Integrate[ stuff over x ] ), set x=1 and multiply by n!.

This presumably means the recurrence L(n+1,x) = L(n,x) - Integral_{t=0..x} L(n,t) dt with L(0,x) = 1, which is satisfied by the Laguerre polynomials. - Robert Israel, Jan 09 2015

Old name: A binomial sum.

a(n) is the number of ways that n people can form any number of lines and then designate one person in each line. Equivalently, number of ways to linearly arrange the elements in each block of a set partition, then underline one element in each block summed over all set partitions of {1,2,...,n}. a(2) = 5: [1'][2'], [1',2], [1,2'], [2',1], [2,1']. - Geoffrey Critzer, Nov 04 2012

It appears that the sequence taken modulo 10 is periodic with period 5. More generally, we conjecture that for k = 2,3,4,... the difference a(n+k) - a(n) is divisible by k: if true, then for each k the sequence a(n) taken modulo k would be periodic with period dividing k. - Peter Bala, Nov 14 2017

The above conjecture is true - see the Bala link. - Peter Bala, Jan 20 2018

Place 2n points equally spaced on a circle. Draw lines to pair up all the points so that each point has exactly one partner. Allow turning over.