cp's OEIS Frontend

The solution to Schröder's third problem.

Number of fixed-point-free involutions in symmetric group S_{2n} (cf. A000085).

a(n-2) is the number of full Steiner topologies on n points with n-2 Steiner points. [corrected by Lyle Ramshaw, Jul 20 2022]

a(n) is also the number of perfect matchings in the complete graph K(2n). - Ola Veshta (olaveshta(AT)my-deja.com), Mar 25 2001

Number of ways to choose n disjoint pairs of items from 2*n items. - Ron Zeno (rzeno(AT)hotmail.com), Feb 06 2002

Number of ways to choose n-1 disjoint pairs of items from 2*n-1 items (one item remains unpaired). - Bartosz Zoltak, Oct 16 2012

For n >= 1 a(n) is the number of permutations in the symmetric group S_(2n) whose cycle decomposition is a product of n disjoint transpositions. - Ahmed Fares (ahmedfares(AT)my-deja.com), Apr 21 2001

a(n) is the number of distinct products of n+1 variables with commutative, nonassociative multiplication. - Andrew Walters (awalters3(AT)yahoo.com), Jan 17 2004. For example, a(3)=15 because the product of the four variables w, x, y and z can be constructed in exactly 15 ways, assuming commutativity but not associativity: 1. w(x(yz)) 2. w(y(xz)) 3. w(z(xy)) 4. x(w(yz)) 5. x(y(wz)) 6. x(z(wy)) 7. y(w(xz)) 8. y(x(wz)) 9. y(z(wx)) 10. z(w(xy)) 11. z(x(wy)) 12. z(y(wx)) 13. (wx)(yz) 14. (wy)(xz) 15. (wz)(xy).

a(n) = E(X^(2n)), where X is a standard normal random variable (i.e., X is normal with mean = 0, variance = 1). So for instance a(3) = E(X^6) = 15, etc. See Abramowitz and Stegun or Hoel, Port and Stone. - Jerome Coleman, Apr 06 2004

Second Eulerian transform of 1,1,1,1,1,1,... The second Eulerian transform transforms a sequence s to a sequence t by the formula t(n) = Sum_{k=0..n} E(n,k)s(k), where E(n,k) is a second-order Eulerian number (A008517). - Ross La Haye, Feb 13 2005

Integral representation as n-th moment of a positive function on the positive axis: a(n) = Integral_{x=0..oo} x^n*exp(-x/2)/sqrt(2*Pi*x) dx, n >= 0. - Karol A. Penson, Oct 10 2005

a(n) is the number of binary total partitions of n+1 (each non-singleton block must be partitioned into exactly two blocks) or, equivalently, the number of unordered full binary trees with n+1 labeled leaves (Stanley, ex 5.2.6). - Mitch Harris, Aug 01 2006

a(n) is the Pfaffian of the skew-symmetric 2n X 2n matrix whose (i,j) entry is i for iDavid Callan, Sep 25 2006

a(n) is the number of increasing ordered rooted trees on n+1 vertices where "increasing" means the vertices are labeled 0,1,2,...,n so that each path from the root has increasing labels. Increasing unordered rooted trees are counted by the factorial numbers A000142. - David Callan, Oct 26 2006

Number of perfect multi Skolem-type sequences of order n. - Emeric Deutsch, Nov 24 2006

a(n) = total weight of all Dyck n-paths (A000108) when each path is weighted with the product of the heights of the terminal points of its upsteps. For example with n=3, the 5 Dyck 3-paths UUUDDD, UUDUDD, UUDDUD, UDUUDD, UDUDUD have weights 1*2*3=6, 1*2*2=4, 1*2*1=2, 1*1*2=2, 1*1*1=1 respectively and 6+4+2+2+1=15. Counting weights by height of last upstep yields A102625. - David Callan, Dec 29 2006

a(n) is the number of increasing ternary trees on n vertices. Increasing binary trees are counted by ordinary factorials (A000142) and increasing quaternary trees by triple factorials (A007559). - David Callan, Mar 30 2007

From Tom Copeland, Nov 13 2007, clarified in first and extended in second paragraph, Jun 12 2021: (Start)

a(n) has the e.g.f. (1-2x)^(-1/2) = 1 + x + 3*x^2/2! + ..., whose reciprocal is (1-2x)^(1/2) = 1 - x - x^2/2! - 3*x^3/3! - ... = b(0) - b(1)*x - b(2)*x^2/2! - ... with b(0) = 1 and b(n+1) = -a(n) otherwise. By the formalism of A133314, Sum_{k=0..n} binomial(n,k)*b(k)*a(n-k) = 0^n where 0^0 := 1. In this sense, the sequence a(n) is essentially self-inverse. See A132382 for an extension of this result. See A094638 for interpretations.

This sequence aerated has the e.g.f. e^(t^2/2) = 1 + t^2/2! + 3*t^4/4! + ... = c(0) + c(1)*t + c(2)*t^2/2! + ... and the reciprocal e^(-t^2/2); therefore, Sum_{k=0..n} cos(Pi k/2)*binomial(n,k)*c(k)*c(n-k) = 0^n; i.e., the aerated sequence is essentially self-inverse. Consequently, Sum_{k=0..n} (-1)^k*binomial(2n,2k)*a(k)*a(n-k) = 0^n. (End)

From Ross Drewe, Mar 16 2008: (Start)

This is also the number of ways of arranging the elements of n distinct pairs, assuming the order of elements is significant but the pairs are not distinguishable, i.e., arrangements which are the same after permutations of the labels are equivalent.

If this sequence and A000680 are denoted by a(n) and b(n) respectively, then a(n) = b(n)/n! where n! = the number of ways of permuting the pair labels.

For example, there are 90 ways of arranging the elements of 3 pairs [1 1], [2 2], [3 3] when the pairs are distinguishable: A = { [112233], [112323], ..., [332211] }.

By applying the 6 relabeling permutations to A, we can partition A into 90/6 = 15 subsets: B = { {[112233], [113322], [221133], [223311], [331122], [332211]}, {[112323], [113232], [221313], [223131], [331212], [332121]}, ....}

Each subset or equivalence class in B represents a unique pattern of pair relationships. For example, subset B1 above represents {3 disjoint pairs} and subset B2 represents {1 disjoint pair + 2 interleaved pairs}, with the order being significant (contrast A132101). (End)

A139541(n) = a(n) * a(2*n). - Reinhard Zumkeller, Apr 25 2008

a(n+1) = Sum_{j=0..n} A074060(n,j) * 2^j. - Tom Copeland, Sep 01 2008

From Emeric Deutsch, Jun 05 2009: (Start)

a(n) is the number of adjacent transpositions in all fixed-point-free involutions of {1,2,...,2n}. Example: a(2)=3 because in 2143=(12)(34), 3412=(13)(24), and 4321=(14)(23) we have 2 + 0 + 1 adjacent transpositions.

a(n) = Sum_{k>=0} k*A079267(n,k).

(End)

Hankel transform is A137592. - Paul Barry, Sep 18 2009

(1, 3, 15, 105, ...) = INVERT transform of A000698 starting (1, 2, 10, 74, ...). - Gary W. Adamson, Oct 21 2009

a(n) = (-1)^(n+1)*H(2*n,0), where H(n,x) is the probabilists' Hermite polynomial. The generating function for the probabilists' Hermite polynomials is as follows: exp(x*t-t^2/2) = Sum_{i>=0} H(i,x)*t^i/i!. - Leonid Bedratyuk, Oct 31 2009

The Hankel transform of a(n+1) is A168467. - Paul Barry, Dec 04 2009

Partial products of odd numbers. - Juri-Stepan Gerasimov, Oct 17 2010

See A094638 for connections to differential operators. - Tom Copeland, Sep 20 2011

a(n) is the number of subsets of {1,...,n^2} that contain exactly k elements from {1,...,k^2} for k=1,...,n. For example, a(3)=15 since there are 15 subsets of {1,2,...,9} that satisfy the conditions, namely, {1,2,5}, {1,2,6}, {1,2,7}, {1,2,8}, {1,2,9}, {1,3,5}, {1,3,6}, {1,3,7}, {1,3,8}, {1,3,9}, {1,4,5}, {1,4,6}, {1,4,7}, {1,4,8}, and {1,4,9}. - Dennis P. Walsh, Dec 02 2011

a(n) is the leading coefficient of the Bessel polynomial y_n(x) (cf. A001498). - Leonid Bedratyuk, Jun 01 2012

For n>0: a(n) is also the determinant of the symmetric n X n matrix M defined by M(i,j) = min(i,j)^2 for 1 <= i,j <= n. - Enrique Pérez Herrero, Jan 14 2013

a(n) is also the numerator of the mean value from 0 to Pi/2 of sin(x)^(2n). - Jean-François Alcover, Jun 13 2013

a(n) is the size of the Brauer monoid on 2n points (see A227545). - James Mitchell, Jul 28 2013

For n>1: a(n) is the numerator of M(n)/M(1) where the numbers M(i) have the property that M(n+1)/M(n) ~ n-1/2 (for example, large Kendell-Mann numbers, see A000140 or A181609, as n --> infinity). - Mikhail Gaichenkov, Jan 14 2014

a(n) = the number of upper-triangular matrix representations required for the symbolic representation of a first order central moment of the multivariate normal distribution of dimension 2(n-1), i.e., E[X_1*X_2...*X_(2n-2)|mu=0, Sigma]. See vignette for symmoments R package on CRAN and Phillips reference below. - Kem Phillips, Aug 10 2014

For n>1: a(n) is the number of Feynman diagrams of order 2n (number of internal vertices) for the vacuum polarization with one charged loop only, in quantum electrodynamics. - Robert Coquereaux, Sep 15 2014

Aerated with intervening zeros (1,0,1,0,3,...) = a(n) (cf. A123023), the e.g.f. is e^(t^2/2), so this is the base for the Appell sequence A099174 with e.g.f. e^(t^2/2) e^(x*t) = exp(P(.,x),t) = unsigned A066325(x,t), the probabilist's (or normalized) Hermite polynomials. P(n,x) = (a. + x)^n with (a.)^n = a_n and comprise the umbral compositional inverses for A066325(x,t) = exp(UP(.,x),t), i.e., UP(n,P(.,t)) = x^n = P(n,UP(.,t)), where UP(n,t) are the polynomials of A066325 and, e.g., (P(.,t))^n = P(n,t). - Tom Copeland, Nov 15 2014

a(n) = the number of relaxed compacted binary trees of right height at most one of size n. A relaxed compacted binary tree of size n is a directed acyclic graph consisting of a binary tree with n internal nodes, one leaf, and n pointers. It is constructed from a binary tree of size n, where the first leaf in a post-order traversal is kept and all other leaves are replaced by pointers. These links may point to any node that has already been visited by the post-order traversal. The right height is the maximal number of right-edges (or right children) on all paths from the root to any leaf after deleting all pointers. The number of unbounded relaxed compacted binary trees of size n is A082161(n). See the Genitrini et al. link. - Michael Wallner, Jun 20 2017

Also the number of distinct adjacency matrices in the n-ladder rung graph. - Eric W. Weisstein, Jul 22 2017

From Christopher J. Smyth, Jan 26 2018: (Start)

a(n) = the number of essentially different ways of writing a probability distribution taking n+1 values as a sum of products of binary probability distributions. See comment of Mitch Harris above. This is because each such way corresponds to a full binary tree with n+1 leaves, with the leaves labeled by the values. (This comment is due to Niko Brummer.)

Also the number of binary trees with root labeled by an (n+1)-set S, its n+1 leaves by the singleton subsets of S, and other nodes labeled by subsets T of S so that the two daughter nodes of the node labeled by T are labeled by the two parts of a 2-partition of T. This also follows from Mitch Harris' comment above, since the leaf labels determine the labels of the other vertices of the tree.

(End)

a(n) is the n-th moment of the chi-squared distribution with one degree of freedom (equivalent to Coleman's Apr 06 2004 comment). - Bryan R. Gillespie, Mar 07 2021

Let b(n) = 0 for n odd and b(2k) = a(k); i.e., let the sequence b(n) be an aerated version of this entry. After expanding the differential operator (x + D)^n and normal ordering the resulting terms, the integer coefficient of the term x^k D^m is n! b(n-k-m) / [(n-k-m)! k! m!] with 0 <= k,m <= n and (k+m) <= n. E.g., (x+D)^2 = x^2 + 2xD + D^2 + 1 with D = d/dx. The result generalizes to the raising (R) and lowering (L) operators of any Sheffer polynomial sequence by replacing x by R and D by L and follows from the disentangling relation e^{t(L+R)} = e^{t^2/2} e^{tR} e^{tL}. Consequently, these are also the coefficients of the reordered 2^n permutations of the binary symbols L and R under the condition LR = RL + 1. E.g., (L+R)^2 = LL + LR + RL + RR = LL + 2RL + RR + 1. (Cf. A344678.) - Tom Copeland, May 25 2021

From Tom Copeland, Jun 14 2021: (Start)

Lando and Zvonkin present several scenarios in which the double factorials occur in their role of enumerating perfect matchings (pairings) and as the nonzero moments of the Gaussian e^(x^2/2).

Speyer and Sturmfels (p. 6) state that the number of facets of the abstract simplicial complex known as the tropical Grassmannian G'''(2,n), the space of phylogenetic T_n trees (see A134991), or Whitehouse complex is a shifted double factorial.

These are also the unsigned coefficients of the x[2]^m terms in the partition polynomials of A134685 for compositional inversion of e.g.f.s, a refinement of A134991.

a(n)*2^n = A001813(n) and A001813(n)/(n+1)! = A000108(n), the Catalan numbers, the unsigned coefficients of the x[2]^m terms in the partition polynomials A133437 for compositional inversion of o.g.f.s, a refinement of A033282, A126216, and A086810. Then the double factorials inherit a multitude of analytic and combinatoric interpretations from those of the Catalan numbers, associahedra, and the noncrossing partitions of A134264 with the Catalan numbers as unsigned-row sums. (End)

Connections among the Catalan numbers A000108, the odd double factorials, values of the Riemann zeta function and its derivative for integer arguments, and series expansions of the reduced action for the simple harmonic oscillator and the arc length of the spiral of Archimedes are given in the MathOverflow post on the Riemann zeta function. - Tom Copeland, Oct 02 2021

b(n) = a(n) / (n! 2^n) = Sum_{k = 0..n} (-1)^n binomial(n,k) (-1)^k a(k) / (k! 2^k) = (1-b.)^n, umbrally; i.e., the normalized double factorial a(n) is self-inverse under the binomial transform. This can be proved by applying the Euler binomial transformation for o.g.f.s Sum_{n >= 0} (1-b.)^n x^n = (1/(1-x)) Sum_{n >= 0} b_n (x / (x-1))^n to the o.g.f. (1-x)^{-1/2} = Sum_{n >= 0} b_n x^n. Other proofs are suggested by the discussion in Watson on pages 104-5 of transformations of the Bessel functions of the first kind with b(n) = (-1)^n binomial(-1/2,n) = binomial(n-1/2,n) = (2n)! / (n! 2^n)^2. - Tom Copeland, Dec 10 2022

Counts binary rooted trees (with out-degree <= 2), embedded in plane, with n labeled end nodes of degree 1. Unlabeled version gives Catalan numbers A000108.

Define a "downgrade" to be the permutation which places the items of a permutation in descending order. We are concerned with permutations that are identical to their downgrades. Only permutations of order 4n and 4n+1 can have this property; the number of permutations of length 4n having this property are equinumerous with those of length 4n+1. If a permutation p has this property then the reversal of this permutation also has it. a(n) = number of permutations of length 4n and 4n+1 that are identical to their downgrades. - Eugene McDonnell (eemcd(AT)mac.com), Oct 26 2003

Number of broadcast schemes in the complete graph on n+1 vertices, K_{n+1}. - Calin D. Morosan (cd_moros(AT)alumni.concordia.ca), Nov 28 2008

Hankel transform is A137565. - Paul Barry, Nov 25 2009

The e.g.f. of 1/a(n) = n!/(2*n)! is (exp(sqrt(x)) + exp(-sqrt(x)) )/2. - Wolfdieter Lang, Jan 09 2012

From Tom Copeland, Nov 15 2014: (Start)

Aerated with intervening zeros (1,0,2,0,12,0,120,...) = a(n) (cf. A123023 and A001147), the e.g.f. is e^(t^2), so this is the base for the Appell sequence with e.g.f. e^(t^2) e^(x*t) = exp(P(.,x),t) (reverse A059344, cf. A099174, A066325 also). P(n,x) = (a. + x)^n with (a.)^n = a_n and comprise the umbral compositional inverses for e^(-t^2)e^(x*t) = exp(UP(.,x),t), i.e., UP(n,P(.,t)) = x^n = P(n,UP(.,t)), e.g., (P(.,t))^n = P(n,t).

Equals A000407*2 with leading 1 added. (End)

a(n) is also the number of square roots of any permutation in S_{4*n} whose disjoint cycle decomposition consists of 2*n transpositions. - Luis Manuel Rivera Martínez, Mar 04 2015

Self-convolution gives A076729. - Vladimir Reshetnikov, Oct 11 2016

For n > 1, it follows from the formula dated Aug 07 2013 that a(n) is a Zumkeller number (A083207). - Ivan N. Ianakiev, Feb 28 2017

For n divisible by 4, a(n/4) is the number of ways to place n points on an n X n grid with pairwise distinct abscissae, pairwise distinct ordinates, and 90-degree rotational symmetry. For n == 1 (mod 4), the number of ways is a((n-1)/4) because the center point can be considered "fixed". For 180-degree rotational symmetry see A006882, for mirror symmetry see A000085, A135401, and A297708. - Manfred Scheucher, Dec 29 2017

A relaxed compacted binary tree of size n is a directed acyclic graph consisting of a binary tree with n internal nodes, one leaf, and n pointers. It is constructed from a binary tree of size n, where the first leaf in a post-order traversal is kept and all other leaves are replaced by pointers. These links may point to any node that has already been visited by the post-order traversal. The right height is the maximal number of right-edges (or right children) on all paths from the root to any leaf after deleting all pointers. The number of unbounded relaxed compacted binary trees of size n is A082161(n). The number of relaxed compacted binary trees of right height at most one of size n is A001147(n). See the Genitrini et al. and Wallner link. - Michael Wallner, Apr 20 2017

a(n) is the number of plane increasing trees with n+1 nodes where node 3 is at depth 1 on the right of node 2 and where the node n+1 has a left sibling. See the Wallner link. - Michael Wallner, Apr 20 2017

A graph is covering if there are no isolated vertices.

A relaxed compacted binary tree of size n is a directed acyclic graph consisting of a binary tree with n internal nodes, one leaf, and n pointers. It is constructed from a binary tree of size n, where the first leaf in a post-order traversal is kept and all other leaves are replaced by pointers. These links may point to any node that has already been visited by the post-order traversal. The right height is the maximal number of right-edges (or right children) on all paths from the root to any leaf after deleting all pointers. A branch node is a node with a left and right edge (no pointer). See the Genitrini et al. link. - Michael Wallner, Apr 20 2017

a(n) is the number of plane increasing trees with n+1 nodes where in the growth process induced by the labels a maximal young leaf has to be followed by a non-maximal young leaf. A young leaf is a leaf with no left sibling. A maximal young leaf is a young leaf with maximal label. See the Wallner link. - Michael Wallner, Apr 20 2017