cp's OEIS Frontend

These were formerly sometimes called Segner numbers.

A very large number of combinatorial interpretations are known - see references, esp. R. P. Stanley, "Catalan Numbers", Cambridge University Press, 2015. This is probably the longest entry in the OEIS, and rightly so.

The solution to Schröder's first problem: number of ways to insert n pairs of parentheses in a word of n+1 letters. E.g., for n=2 there are 2 ways: ((ab)c) or (a(bc)); for n=3 there are 5 ways: ((ab)(cd)), (((ab)c)d), ((a(bc))d), (a((bc)d)), (a(b(cd))).

Consider all the binomial(2n,n) paths on squared paper that (i) start at (0, 0), (ii) end at (2n, 0) and (iii) at each step, either make a (+1,+1) step or a (+1,-1) step. Then the number of such paths that never go below the x-axis (Dyck paths) is C(n). [Chung-Feller]

Number of noncrossing partitions of the n-set. For example, of the 15 set partitions of the 4-set, only [{13},{24}] is crossing, so there are a(4)=14 noncrossing partitions of 4 elements. - Joerg Arndt, Jul 11 2011

Noncrossing partitions are partitions of genus 0. - Robert Coquereaux, Feb 13 2024

a(n-1) is the number of ways of expressing an n-cycle (123...n) in the symmetric group S_n as a product of n-1 transpositions (u_1,v_1)*(u_2,v_2)*...*(u_{n-1},v_{n-1}) where u_iA000272. - Joerg Arndt and Greg Stevenson, Jul 11 2011

a(n) is the number of ordered rooted trees with n nodes, not including the root. See the Conway-Guy reference where these rooted ordered trees are called plane bushes. See also the Bergeron et al. reference, Example 4, p. 167. - Wolfdieter Lang, Aug 07 2007

As shown in the paper from Beineke and Pippert (1971), a(n-2)=D(n) is the number of labeled dissections of a disk, related to the number R(n)=A001761(n-2) of labeled planar 2-trees having n vertices and rooted at a given exterior edge, by the formula D(n)=R(n)/(n-2)!. - M. F. Hasler, Feb 22 2012

Shifts one place left when convolved with itself.

For n >= 1, a(n) is also the number of rooted bicolored unicellular maps of genus 0 on n edges. - Ahmed Fares (ahmedfares(AT)my-deja.com), Aug 15 2001

Number of ways of joining 2n points on a circle to form n nonintersecting chords. (If no such restriction imposed, then the number of ways of forming n chords is given by (2n-1)!! = (2n)!/(n!*2^n) = A001147(n).)

Arises in Schubert calculus - see Sottile reference.

Inverse Euler transform of sequence is A022553.

With interpolated zeros, the inverse binomial transform of the Motzkin numbers A001006. - Paul Barry, Jul 18 2003

The Hankel transforms of this sequence or of this sequence with the first term omitted give A000012 = 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, ...; example: Det([1, 1, 2, 5; 1, 2, 5, 14; 2, 5, 14, 42; 5, 14, 42, 132]) = 1 and Det([1, 2, 5, 14; 2, 5, 14, 42; 5, 14, 42, 132; 14, 42, 132, 429]) = 1. - Philippe Deléham, Mar 04 2004

a(n) equals the sum of squares of terms in row n of triangle A053121, which is formed from successive self-convolutions of the Catalan sequence. - Paul D. Hanna, Apr 23 2005

Also coefficients of the Mandelbrot polynomial M iterated an infinite number of times. Examples: M(0) = 0 = 0*c^0 = [0], M(1) = c = c^1 + 0*c^0 = [1 0], M(2) = c^2 + c = c^2 + c^1 + 0*c^0 = [1 1 0], M(3) = (c^2 + c)^2 + c = [0 1 1 2 1], ... ... M(5) = [0 1 1 2 5 14 26 44 69 94 114 116 94 60 28 8 1], ... - Donald D. Cross (cosinekitty(AT)hotmail.com), Feb 04 2005

The multiplicity with which a prime p divides C_n can be determined by first expressing n+1 in base p. For p=2, the multiplicity is the number of 1 digits minus 1. For p an odd prime, count all digits greater than (p+1)/2; also count digits equal to (p+1)/2 unless final; and count digits equal to (p-1)/2 if not final and the next digit is counted. For example, n=62, n+1 = 223_5, so C_62 is not divisible by 5. n=63, n+1 = 224_5, so 5^3 | C_63. - Franklin T. Adams-Watters, Feb 08 2006

Koshy and Salmassi give an elementary proof that the only prime Catalan numbers are a(2) = 2 and a(3) = 5. Is the only semiprime Catalan number a(4) = 14? - Jonathan Vos Post, Mar 06 2006

The answer is yes. Using the formula C_n = binomial(2n,n)/(n+1), it is immediately clear that C_n can have no prime factor greater than 2n. For n >= 7, C_n > (2n)^2, so it cannot be a semiprime. Given that the Catalan numbers grow exponentially, the above consideration implies that the number of prime divisors of C_n, counted with multiplicity, must grow without limit. The number of distinct prime divisors must also grow without limit, but this is more difficult. Any prime between n+1 and 2n (exclusive) must divide C_n. That the number of such primes grows without limit follows from the prime number theorem. - Franklin T. Adams-Watters, Apr 14 2006

The number of ways to place n indistinguishable balls in n numbered boxes B1,...,Bn such that at most a total of k balls are placed in boxes B1,...,Bk for k=1,...,n. For example, a(3)=5 since there are 5 ways to distribute 3 balls among 3 boxes such that (i) box 1 gets at most 1 ball and (ii) box 1 and box 2 together get at most 2 balls:(O)(O)(O), (O)()(OO), ()(OO)(O), ()(O)(OO), ()()(OOO). - Dennis P. Walsh, Dec 04 2006

a(n) is also the order of the semigroup of order-decreasing and order-preserving full transformations (of an n-element chain) - now known as the Catalan monoid. - Abdullahi Umar, Aug 25 2008

a(n) is the number of trivial representations in the direct product of 2n spinor (the smallest) representations of the group SU(2) (A(1)). - Rutger Boels (boels(AT)nbi.dk), Aug 26 2008

The invert transform appears to converge to the Catalan numbers when applied infinitely many times to any starting sequence. - Mats Granvik, Gary W. Adamson and Roger L. Bagula, Sep 09 2008, Sep 12 2008

Limit_{n->oo} a(n)/a(n-1) = 4. - Francesco Antoni (francesco_antoni(AT)yahoo.com), Nov 24 2008

Starting with offset 1 = row sums of triangle A154559. - Gary W. Adamson, Jan 11 2009

C(n) is the degree of the Grassmannian G(1,n+1): the set of lines in (n+1)-dimensional projective space, or the set of planes through the origin in (n+2)-dimensional affine space. The Grassmannian is considered a subset of N-dimensional projective space, N = binomial(n+2,2) - 1. If we choose 2n general (n-1)-planes in projective (n+1)-space, then there are C(n) lines that meet all of them. - Benji Fisher (benji(AT)FisherFam.org), Mar 05 2009

Starting with offset 1 = A068875: (1, 2, 4, 10, 18, 84, ...) convolved with Fine numbers, A000957: (1, 0, 1, 2, 6, 18, ...). a(6) = 132 = (1, 2, 4, 10, 28, 84) dot (18, 6, 2, 1, 0, 1) = (18 + 12 + 8 + 10 + 0 + 84) = 132. - Gary W. Adamson, May 01 2009

Convolved with A032443: (1, 3, 11, 42, 163, ...) = powers of 4, A000302: (1, 4, 16, ...). - Gary W. Adamson, May 15 2009

Sum_{k>=1} C(k-1)/2^(2k-1) = 1. The k-th term in the summation is the probability that a random walk on the integers (beginning at the origin) will arrive at positive one (for the first time) in exactly (2k-1) steps. - Geoffrey Critzer, Sep 12 2009

C(p+q)-C(p)*C(q) = Sum_{i=0..p-1, j=0..q-1} C(i)*C(j)*C(p+q-i-j-1). - Groux Roland, Nov 13 2009

Leonhard Euler used the formula C(n) = Product_{i=3..n} (4*i-10)/(i-1) in his 'Betrachtungen, auf wie vielerley Arten ein gegebenes polygonum durch Diagonallinien in triangula zerschnitten werden könne' and computes by recursion C(n+2) for n = 1..8. (Berlin, 4th September 1751, in a letter to Goldbach.) - Peter Luschny, Mar 13 2010

Let A179277 = A(x). Then C(x) is satisfied by A(x)/A(x^2). - Gary W. Adamson, Jul 07 2010

a(n) is also the number of quivers in the mutation class of type B_n or of type C_n. - Christian Stump, Nov 02 2010

From Matthew Vandermast, Nov 22 2010: (Start)

Consider a set of A000217(n) balls of n colors in which, for each integer k = 1 to n, exactly one color appears in the set a total of k times. (Each ball has exactly one color and is indistinguishable from other balls of the same color.) a(n+1) equals the number of ways to choose 0 or more balls of each color while satisfying the following conditions: 1. No two colors are chosen the same positive number of times. 2. For any two colors (c, d) that are chosen at least once, color c is chosen more times than color d iff color c appears more times in the original set than color d.

If the second requirement is lifted, the number of acceptable ways equals A000110(n+1). See related comments for A016098, A085082. (End)

Deutsch and Sagan prove the Catalan number C_n is odd if and only if n = 2^a - 1 for some nonnegative integer a. Lin proves for every odd Catalan number C_n, we have C_n == 1 (mod 4). - Jonathan Vos Post, Dec 09 2010

a(n) is the number of functions f:{1,2,...,n}->{1,2,...,n} such that f(1)=1 and for all n >= 1 f(n+1) <= f(n)+1. For a nice bijection between this set of functions and the set of length 2n Dyck words, see page 333 of the Fxtbook (see link below). - Geoffrey Critzer, Dec 16 2010

Postnikov (2005) defines "generalized Catalan numbers" associated with buildings (e.g., Catalan numbers of Type B, see A000984). - N. J. A. Sloane, Dec 10 2011

Number of permutations in S(n) for which length equals depth. - Bridget Tenner, Feb 22 2012

a(n) is also the number of standard Young tableau of shape (n,n). - Thotsaporn Thanatipanonda, Feb 25 2012

a(n) is the number of binary sequences of length 2n+1 in which the number of ones first exceed the number of zeros at entry 2n+1. See the example below in the example section. - Dennis P. Walsh, Apr 11 2012

Number of binary necklaces of length 2*n+1 containing n 1's (or, by symmetry, 0's). All these are Lyndon words and their representatives (as cyclic maxima) are the binary Dyck words. - Joerg Arndt, Nov 12 2012

Number of sequences consisting of n 'x' letters and n 'y' letters such that (counting from the left) the 'x' count >= 'y' count. For example, for n=3 we have xxxyyy, xxyxyy, xxyyxy, xyxxyy and xyxyxy. - Jon Perry, Nov 16 2012

a(n) is the number of Motzkin paths of length n-1 in which the (1,0)-steps come in 2 colors. Example: a(4)=14 because, denoting U=(1,1), H=(1,0), and D=(1,-1), we have 8 paths of shape HHH, 2 paths of shape UHD, 2 paths of shape UDH, and 2 paths of shape HUD. - José Luis Ramírez Ramírez, Jan 16 2013

If p is an odd prime, then (-1)^((p-1)/2)*a((p-1)/2) mod p = 2. - Gary Detlefs, Feb 20 2013

Conjecture: For any positive integer n, the polynomial Sum_{k=0..n} a(k)*x^k is irreducible over the field of rational numbers. - Zhi-Wei Sun, Mar 23 2013

a(n) is the size of the Jones monoid on 2n points (cf. A225798). - James Mitchell, Jul 28 2013

For 0 < p < 1, define f(p) = Sum_{n>=0} a(n)*(p*(1-p))^n, then f(p) = min{1/p, 1/(1-p)}, so f(p) reaches its maximum value 2 at p = 0.5, and p*f(p) is constant 1 for 0.5 <= p < 1. - Bob Selcoe, Nov 16 2013 [Corrected by Jianing Song, May 21 2021]

No a(n) has the form x^m with m > 1 and x > 1. - Zhi-Wei Sun, Dec 02 2013

From Alexander Adamchuk, Dec 27 2013: (Start)

Prime p divides a((p+1)/2) for p > 3. See A120303(n) = Largest prime factor of Catalan number.

Reciprocal Catalan Constant C = 1 + 4*sqrt(3)*Pi/27 = 1.80613.. = A121839.

Log(Phi) = (125*C - 55) / (24*sqrt(5)), where C = Sum_{k>=1} (-1)^(k+1)*1/a(k). See A002390 = Decimal expansion of natural logarithm of golden ratio.

3-d analog of the Catalan numbers: (3n)!/(n!(n+1)!(n+2)!) = A161581(n) = A006480(n) / ((n+1)^2*(n+2)), where A006480(n) = (3n)!/(n!)^3 De Bruijn's S(3,n). (End)

For a relation to the inviscid Burgers's, or Hopf, equation, see A001764. - Tom Copeland, Feb 15 2014

From Fung Lam, May 01 2014: (Start)

One class of generalized Catalan numbers can be defined by g.f. A(x) = (1-sqrt(1-q*4*x*(1-(q-1)*x)))/(2*q*x) with nonzero parameter q. Recurrence: (n+3)*a(n+2) -2*q*(2*n+3)*a(n+1) +4*q*(q-1)*n*a(n) = 0 with a(0)=1, a(1)=1.

Asymptotic approximation for q >= 1: a(n) ~ (2*q+2*sqrt(q))^n*sqrt(2*q*(1+sqrt(q))) /sqrt(4*q^2*Pi*n^3).

For q <= -1, the g.f. defines signed sequences with asymptotic approximation: a(n) ~ Re(sqrt(2*q*(1+sqrt(q)))*(2*q+2*sqrt(q))^n) / sqrt(q^2*Pi*n^3), where Re denotes the real part. Due to Stokes' phenomena, accuracy of the asymptotic approximation deteriorates at/near certain values of n.

Special cases are A000108 (q=1), A068764 to A068772 (q=2 to 10), A240880 (q=-3).

(End)

Number of sequences [s(0), s(1), ..., s(n)] with s(n)=0, Sum_{j=0..n} s(j) = n, and Sum_{j=0..k} s(j)-1 >= 0 for k < n-1 (and necessarily Sum_{j=0..n-1} s(j)-1 = 0). These are the branching sequences of the (ordered) trees with n non-root nodes, see example. - Joerg Arndt, Jun 30 2014

Number of stack-sortable permutations of [n], these are the 231-avoiding permutations; see the Bousquet-Mélou reference. - Joerg Arndt, Jul 01 2014

a(n) is the number of increasing strict binary trees with 2n-1 nodes that avoid 132. For more information about increasing strict binary trees with an associated permutation, see A245894. - Manda Riehl, Aug 07 2014

In a one-dimensional medium with elastic scattering (zig-zag walk), first recurrence after 2n+1 scattering events has the probability C(n)/2^(2n+1). - Joachim Wuttke, Sep 11 2014

The o.g.f. C(x) = (1 - sqrt(1-4x))/2, for the Catalan numbers, with comp. inverse Cinv(x) = x*(1-x) and the functions P(x) = x / (1 + t*x) and its inverse Pinv(x,t) = -P(-x,t) = x / (1 - t*x) form a group under composition that generates or interpolates among many classic arrays, such as the Motzkin (Riordan, A005043), Fibonacci (A000045), and Fine (A000957) numbers and polynomials (A030528), and enumerating arrays for Motzkin, Dyck, and Łukasiewicz lattice paths and different types of trees and non-crossing partitions (A091867, connected to sums of the refined Narayana numbers A134264). - Tom Copeland, Nov 04 2014

Conjecture: All the rational numbers Sum_{i=j..k} 1/a(i) with 0 < min{2,k} <= j <= k have pairwise distinct fractional parts. - Zhi-Wei Sun, Sep 24 2015

The Catalan number series A000108(n+3), offset n=0, gives Hankel transform revealing the square pyramidal numbers starting at 5, A000330(n+2), offset n=0 (empirical observation). - Tony Foster III, Sep 05 2016

Hankel transforms of the Catalan numbers with the first 2, 4, and 5 terms omitted give A001477, A006858, and A091962, respectively, without the first 2 terms in all cases. More generally, the Hankel transform of the Catalan numbers with the first k terms omitted is H_k(n) = Product_{j=1..k-1} Product_{i=1..j} (2*n+j+i)/(j+i) [see Cigler (2011), Eq. (1.14) and references therein]; together they form the array A078920/A123352/A368025. - Andrey Zabolotskiy, Oct 13 2016

Presumably this satisfies Benford's law, although the results in Hürlimann (2009) do not make this clear. See S. J. Miller, ed., 2015, p. 5. - N. J. A. Sloane, Feb 09 2017

Coefficients of the generating series associated to the Magmatic and Dendriform operadic algebras. Cf. p. 422 and 435 of the Loday et al. paper. - Tom Copeland, Jul 08 2018

Let M_n be the n X n matrix with M_n(i,j) = binomial(i+j-1,2j-2); then det(M_n) = a(n). - Tony Foster III, Aug 30 2018

Also the number of Catalan trees, or planted plane trees (Bona, 2015, p. 299, Theorem 4.6.3). - N. J. A. Sloane, Dec 25 2018

Number of coalescent histories for a caterpillar species tree and a matching caterpillar gene tree with n+1 leaves (Rosenberg 2007, Corollary 3.5). - Noah A Rosenberg, Jan 28 2019

Finding solutions of eps*x^2+x-1 = 0 for eps small, that is, writing x = Sum_{n>=0} x_{n}*eps^n and expanding, one finds x = 1 - eps + 2*eps^2 - 5*eps^3 + 14*eps^3 - 42*eps^4 + ... with x_{n} = (-1)^n*C(n). Further, letting x = 1/y and expanding y about 0 to find large roots, that is, y = Sum_{n>=1} y_{n}*eps^n, one finds y = 0 - eps + eps^2 - 2*eps^3 + 5*eps^3 - ... with y_{n} = (-1)^n*C(n-1). - Derek Orr, Mar 15 2019

Permutations of length n that produce a bipartite permutation graph of order n [see Knuth (1973), Busch (2006), Golumbic and Trenk (2004)]. - Elise Anderson, R. M. Argus, Caitlin Owens, Tessa Stevens, Jun 27 2019

For n > 0, a random selection of n + 1 objects (the minimum number ensuring one pair by the pigeonhole principle) from n distinct pairs of indistinguishable objects contains only one pair with probability 2^(n-1)/a(n) = b(n-1)/A098597(n), where b is the 0-offset sequence with the terms of A120777 repeated (1,1,4,4,8,8,64,64,128,128,...). E.g., randomly selecting 6 socks from 5 pairs that are black, blue, brown, green, and white, results in only one pair of the same color with probability 2^(5-1)/a(5) = 16/42 = 8/21 = b(4)/A098597(5). - Rick L. Shepherd, Sep 02 2019

See Haran & Tabachnikov link for a video discussing Conway-Coxeter friezes. The Conway-Coxeter friezes with n nontrivial rows are generated by the counts of triangles at each vertex in the triangulations of regular n-gons, of which there are a(n). - Charles R Greathouse IV, Sep 28 2019

For connections to knot theory and scattering amplitudes from Feynman diagrams, see Broadhurst and Kreimer, and Todorov. Eqn. 6.12 on p. 130 of Bessis et al. becomes, after scaling, -12g * r_0(-y/(12g)) = (1-sqrt(1-4y))/2, the o.g.f. (expressed as a Taylor series in Eqn. 7.22 in 12gx) given for the Catalan numbers in Copeland's (Sep 30 2011) formula below. (See also Mizera p. 34, Balduf pp. 79-80, Keitel and Bartosch.) - Tom Copeland, Nov 17 2019

Number of permutations in S_n whose principal order ideals in the weak order are modular lattices. - Bridget Tenner, Jan 16 2020

Number of permutations in S_n whose principal order ideals in the weak order are distributive lattices. - Bridget Tenner, Jan 16 2020

Legendre gives the following formula for computing the square root modulo 2^m:

sqrt(1 + 8*a) mod 2^m = (1 + 4*a*Sum_{i=0..m-4} C(i)*(-2*a)^i) mod 2^m

as cited by L. D. Dickson, History of the Theory of Numbers, Vol. 1, 207-208. - Peter Schorn, Feb 11 2020

a(n) is the number of length n permutations sorted to the identity by a consecutive-132-avoiding stack followed by a classical-21-avoiding stack. - Kai Zheng, Aug 28 2020

Number of non-crossing partitions of a 2*n-set with n blocks of size 2. Also number of non-crossing partitions of a 2*n-set with n+1 blocks of size at most 3, and without cyclical adjacencies. The two partitions can be mapped by rotated Kreweras bijection. - Yuchun Ji, Jan 18 2021

Named by Riordan (1968, and earlier in Mathematical Reviews, 1948 and 1964) after the French and Belgian mathematician Eugène Charles Catalan (1814-1894) (see Pak, 2014). - Amiram Eldar, Apr 15 2021

For n >= 1, a(n-1) is the number of interpretations of x^n is an algebra where power-associativity is not assumed. For example, for n = 4 there are a(3) = 5 interpretations: x(x(xx)), x((xx)x), (xx)(xx), (x(xx))x, ((xx)x)x. See the link "Non-associate powers and a functional equation" from I. M. H. Etherington and the page "Nonassociative Product" from Eric Weisstein's World of Mathematics for detailed information. See also A001190 for the case where multiplication is commutative. - Jianing Song, Apr 29 2022

Number of states in the transition diagram associated with the Laplacian system over the complete graph K_N, corresponding to ordered initial conditions x_1 < x_2 < ... < x_N. - Andrea Arlette España, Nov 06 2022

a(n) is the number of 132-avoiding stabilized-interval-free permutations of size n+1. - Juan B. Gil, Jun 22 2023

Number of rooted polyominoes composed of n triangular cells of the hyperbolic regular tiling with Schläfli symbol {3,oo}. A rooted polyomino has one external edge identified, and chiral pairs are counted as two. A stereographic projection of the {3,oo} tiling on the Poincaré disk can be obtained via the Christensson link. - Robert A. Russell, Jan 27 2024

a(n) is the number of extremely lucky Stirling permutations of order n; i.e., the number of Stirling permutations of order n that have exactly n lucky cars. (see Colmenarejo et al. reference) - Bridget Tenner, Apr 16 2024

A partition p of the set N_n = {1,2,...,n}, whose elements are arranged in their natural order, is crossing if there exist four numbers 1 <= i < k < j < l <= n such that i and j are in the same block, k and l are in the same block, but i,j and k,l belong to two different blocks. Noncrossing partitions are also called "planar rhyme schemes". - Peter Luschny, Apr 28 2011

Consider a set of A000217(n) balls of n colors in which, for each integer k = 1 to n, exactly one color appears in the set a total of k times. (Each ball has exactly one color and is indistinguishable from other balls of the same color.) a(n+1) equals the number of ways to choose 0 or more balls of each color while satisfying the following conditions:

1. No two colors are chosen the same positive number of times.

2. Among colors chosen at least once, there exists at least one pair of colors (c, d) such that color c is chosen more times than color d, but color d appears more times in the original set than color c.

If the second requirement is removed, the number of acceptable ways to choose equals A000110(n+1). The number of ways that meet the first requirement, but fail to meet the second, equals A000108(n+1). See related comment for A085082. - Matthew Vandermast, Nov 22 2010

In the May 1978 Scientific American, Martin Gardner mentions Lady Murasaki's The Tale of Genji in which chapter heads illustrate A000110(5) = 52. These are the "crossing" cases mentioned there as being discussed by JoAnne Growney's 1970 thesis. - Alford Arnold, expanded by Charles R Greathouse IV, Jun 21 2021

Coefficients are listed in Abramowitz and Stegun order (A036036).

Given an invertible function f(t) analytic about t=0 (or a formal power series) with f(0)=0 and Df(0) not equal to 0, form h(t) = t / f(t) and let h_n denote the coefficient of t^n in h(t).

Lagrange inversion gives the compositional inverse about t=0 as g(t) = Sum_{j>=1} ( t^j * (1/j) * Sum_{permutations s with s(1) + s(2) + ... + s(j) = j - 1} h_s(1) * h_s(2) * ... * h_s(j) ) = t * T(1,1) * h_0 + Sum_{j>=2} ( t^j * Sum_{k=1..(# of partitions for j-1)} T(j,k) * H(j-1,k ; h_0,h_1,...) ), where H(j-1,k ; h_0,h_1,...) is the k-th partition for h_1 through h_(j-1) corresponding to n=j-1 on page 831 of Abramowitz and Stegun (ordered as in A&S) with (h_0)^(j-m)=(h_0)^(n+1-m) appended to each partition subsumed under n and m of A&S.

Denoting h_n by (n') for brevity, to 8th order in t,

g(t) = t * (0')

+ t^2 * [ (0') (1') ]

+ t^3 * [ (0')^2 (2') + (0') (1')^2 ]

+ t^4 * [ (0')^3 (3') + 3 (0')^2 (1') (2') + (0') (1')^3 ]

+ t^5 * [ (0')^4 (4') + 4 (0')^3 (1') (3') + 2 (0')^3 (2')^2 + 6 (0')^2 (1')^2 (2') + (0') (1')^4 ]

+ t^6 * [ (0')^5 (5') + 5 (0')^4 (1') (4') + 5 (0')^4 (2') (3') + 10 (0')^3 (1')^2 (3') + 10 (0')^3 (1') (2')^2 + 10 (0')^2 (1')^3 (2') + (0') (1')^5 ]

+ t^7 * [ (0')^6 (6') + 6 (0')^5 (1') (5') + 6 (0')^5 (2') (4') + 3 (0')^5 (3')^2 + 15 (0')^4 (1')^2 (4') + 30 (0')^4 (1') (2') (3') + 5 (0')^4 (2')^3 + 20 (0')^3 (1')^3 (3') + 30 (0')^3 (1')^2 (2')^2 + 15 (0')^2 (1')^4 (2') + (0') (1')^6]

+ t^8 * [ (0')^7 (7') + 7 (0')^6 (1') (6') + 7 (0')^6 (2') (5') + 7 (0')^6 (3') (4') + 21 (0')^5 (1')^2* (5') + 42 (0')^5 (1') (2') (4') + 21 (0')^5 (1') (3')^2 + 21 (0')^5 (2')^2 (3') + 35 (0')^4 (1')^3 (4') + 105 (0)^4 (1')^2 (2') (3') + 35 (0')^4 (1') (2')^3 + 35 (0')^3 (1')^4 (3') + 70 (0')^3 (1')^3 (2')^2 + 21 (0')^2 (1')^5 (2') + (0') (1')^7 ]

+ ..., where from the formula section, for example, T(8,1',2',...,7') = 7! / ((8 - (1'+ 2' + ... + 7'))! * 1'! * 2'! * ... * 7'!) are the coefficients of the integer partitions (1')^1' (2')^2' ... (7')^7' in the t^8 term.

A125181 is an extended, reordered version of the above sequence, omitting the leading 1, with alternate interpretations.

If the coefficients of partitions with the same exponent for h_0 are summed within rows, A001263 is obtained, omitting the leading 1.

From identification of the elements of the inversion with those on page 25 of the Ardila et al. link, the coefficients of the irregular table enumerate non-crossing partitions on [n]. - Tom Copeland, Oct 13 2014

From Tom Copeland, Oct 28-29 2014: (Start)

Operating with d/d(1') = d/d(h_1) on the n-th partition polynomial Prt(n;h_0,h_1,..,h_n) in square brackets above associated with t^(n+1) generates n * Prt(n-1;h_0,h_1,..,h_(n-1)); therefore, the polynomials are an Appell sequence of polynomials in the indeterminate h_1 when h_0=1 (a special type of Sheffer sequence).

Consequently, umbrally, [Prt(.;1,x,h_2,..) + y]^n = Prt(n;1,x+y,h_2,..); that is, Sum_{k=0..n} binomial(n,k) * Prt(k;1,x,h_2,..) * y^(n-k) = Prt(n;1,x+y,h_2,..).

Or, e^(x*z) * exp[Prt(.;1,0,h_2,..) * z] = exp[Prt(.;1,x,h_2,..) * z]. Then with x = h_1 = -(1/2) * d^2[f(t)]/dt^2 evaluated at t=0, the formal Laplace transform from z to 1/t of this expression generates g(t), the comp. inverse of f(t), when h_0 = 1 = df(t)/dt eval. at t=0.

I.e., t / (1 - t*(x + Prt(.;1,0,h_2,..))) = t / (1 - t*Prt(.;1,x,h_2,..)) = g(t), interpreted umbrally, when h_0 = 1.

(End)

Connections to and between arrays associated to the Catalan (A000108 and A007317), Riordan (A005043), Fibonacci (A000045), and Fine (A000957) numbers and to lattice paths, e.g., the Motzkin, Dyck, and Łukasiewicz, can be made explicit by considering the inverse in x of the o.g.f. of A104597(x,-t), i.e., f(x) = P(Cinv(x),t-1) = Cinv(x) / (1 + (t-1)*Cinv(x)) = x*(1-x) / (1 + (t-1)*x*(1-x)) = (x-x^2) / (1 + (t-1)*(x-x^2)), where Cinv(x) = x*(1-x) is the inverse of C(x) = (1 - sqrt(1-4*x)) / 2, a shifted o.g.f. for the Catalan numbers, and P(x,t) = x / (1+t*x) with inverse Pinv(x,t) = -P(-x,t) = x / (1-t*x). Then h(x,t) = x / f(x,t) = x * (1+(t-1)Cinv(x)) / Cinv(x) = 1 + t*x + x^2 + x^3 + ..., i.e., h_1=t and all other coefficients are 1, so the inverse of f(x,t) in x, which is explicitly in closed form finv(x,t) = C(Pinv(x,t-1)), is given by A091867, whose coefficients are sums of the refined Narayana numbers above obtained by setting h_1=(1')=t in the partition polynomials and all other coefficients to one. The group generators C(x) and P(x,t) and their inverses allow associations to be easily made between these classic number arrays. - Tom Copeland, Nov 03 2014

From Tom Copeland, Nov 10 2014: (Start)

Inverting in x with t a parameter, let F(x;t,n) = x - t*x^(n+1). Then h(x) = x / F(x;t,n) = 1 / (1-t*x^n) = 1 + t*x^n + t^2*x^(2n) + t^3*x^(3n) + ..., so h_k vanishes unless k = m*n with m an integer in which case h_k = t^m.

Finv(x;t,n) = Sum_{j>=0} {binomial((n+1)*j,j) / (n*j + 1)} * t^j * x^(n*j + 1), which gives the Catalan numbers for n=1, and the Fuss-Catalan sequences for n>1 (see A001764, n=2). [Added braces to disambiguate the formula. - N. J. A. Sloane, Oct 20 2015]

This relation reveals properties of the partitions and sums of the coefficients of the array. For n=1, h_k = t^k for all k, implying that the row sums are the Catalan numbers. For n = 2, h_k for k odd vanishes, implying that there are no blocks with only even-indexed h_k on the even-numbered rows and that only the blocks containing only even-sized bins contribute to the odd-row sums giving the Fuss-Catalan numbers for n=2. And so on, for n > 2.

These relations are reflected in any combinatorial structures enumerated by this array and the partitions, such as the noncrossing partitions depicted for a five-element set (a pentagon) in Wikipedia.

(End)

From Tom Copeland, Nov 12 2014: (Start)

An Appell sequence possesses an umbral inverse sequence (cf. A249548). The partition polynomials here, Prt(n;1,h_1,...), are an Appell sequence in the indeterminate h_1=u, so have an e.g.f. exp[Prt(.;1,u,h_2...)*t] = e^(u*t) * exp[Prt(.;1,0,h2,...)*t] with umbral inverses with an e.g.f e^(-u*t) / exp[Prt(.;1,0,h2,...)*t]. This makes contact with the formalism of A133314 (cf. also A049019 and A019538) and the signed, refined face partition polynomials of the permutahedra (or their duals), which determine the reciprocal of exp[Prt(.,0,u,h2...)*t] (cf. A249548) or exp[Prt(.;1,u,h2,...)*t], forming connections among the combinatorics of permutahedra and the noncrossing partitions, Dyck paths and trees (cf. A125181), and many other important structures isomorphic to the partitions of this entry, as well as to formal cumulants through A127671 and algebraic structures of Lie algebras. (Cf. relationship of permutahedra with the Eulerians A008292.)

(End)

From Tom Copeland, Nov 24 2014: (Start)

The n-th row multiplied by n gives the number of terms in the homogeneous symmetric monomials generated by [x(1) + x(2) + ... + x(n+1)]^n under the umbral mapping x(m)^j = h_j, for any m. E.g., [a + b + c]^2 = [a^2 + b^2 + c^2] + 2 * [a*b + a*c + b*c] is mapped to [3 * h_2] + 2 * [3 * h_1^2], and 3 * A134264(3) = 3 *(1,1)= (3,3) the number of summands in the two homogeneous polynomials in the square brackets. For n=3, [a + b + c + d]^3 = [a^3 + b^3 + ...] + 3 [a*b^2 + a*c^2 + ...] + 6 [a*b*c + a*c*d + ...] maps to [4 * h_3] + 3 [12 * h_1 * h_2] + 6 [4 * (h_1)^3], and the number of terms in the brackets is given by 4 * A134264(4) = 4 * (1,3,1) = (4,12,4).

The further reduced expression is 4 h_3 + 36 h_1 h_2 + 24 (h_1)^3 = A248120(4) with h_0 = 1. The general relation is n * A134264(n) = A248120(n) / A036038(n-1) where the arithmetic is performed on the coefficients of matching partitions in each row n.

Abramowitz and Stegun give combinatorial interpretations of A036038 and relations to other number arrays.

This can also be related to repeated umbral composition of Appell sequences and topology with the Bernoulli numbers playing a special role. See the Todd class link.

(End)

These partition polynomials are dubbed the Voiculescu polynomials on page 11 of the He and Jejjala link. - Tom Copeland, Jan 16 2015

See page 5 of the Josuat-Verges et al. reference for a refinement of these partition polynomials into a noncommutative version composed of nondecreasing parking functions. - Tom Copeland, Oct 05 2016

(Per Copeland's Oct 13 2014 comment.) The number of non-crossing set partitions whose block sizes are the parts of the n-th integer partition, where the ordering of integer partitions is first by total, then by length, then lexicographically by the reversed sequence of parts. - Gus Wiseman, Feb 15 2019

With h_0 = 1 and the other h_n replaced by suitably signed partition polynomials of A263633, the refined face partition polynomials for the associahedra of normalized A133437 with a shift in indices are obtained (cf. In the Realm of Shadows). - Tom Copeland, Sep 09 2019

Number of primitive parking functions associated to each partition of n. See Lemma 3.8 on p. 28 of Rattan. - Tom Copeland, Sep 10 2019

With h_n = n + 1, the d_k (A006013) of Table 2, p. 18, of Jong et al. are obtained, counting the n-point correlation functions in a quantum field theory. - Tom Copeland, Dec 25 2019

By inspection of the diagrams on Robert Dickau's website, one can see the relationship between the monomials of this entry and the connectivity of the line segments of the noncrossing partitions. - Tom Copeland, Dec 25 2019

Speicher has examples of the first four inversion partition polynomials on pp. 22 and 23 with his k_n equivalent to h_n = (n') here with h_0 = 1. Identifying z = t, C(z) = t/f(t) = h(t), and M(z) = f^(-1)(t)/t, then statement (3), on p. 43, of Theorem 3.26, C(z M(z)) = M(z), is equivalent to substituting f^(-1)(t) for t in t/f(t), and statement (4), M(z/C(z)) = C(z), to substituting f(t) for t in f^(-1)(t)/t. - Tom Copeland, Dec 08 2021

Given a Laurent series of the form f(z) = 1/z + h_1 + h_2 z + h_3 z^2 + ..., the compositional inverse is f^(-1)(z) = 1/z + Prt(1;1,h_1)/z^2 + Prt(2;1,h_1,h_2)/z^3 + ... = 1/z + h_1/z^2 + (h_1^2 + h_2)/z^3 + (h_1^3 + 3 h_1 h_2 + h_3)/z^4 + (h_1^4 + 6 h_1^2 h_2 + 4 h_1 h_3 + 2 h_2^2 + h_4)/z^5 + ... for which the polynomials in the numerators are the partition polynomials of this entry. For example, this formula applied to the q-expansion of Klein's j-invariant / function with coefficients A000521, related to monstrous moonshine, gives the compositional inverse with the coefficients A091406 (see He and Jejjala). - Tom Copeland, Dec 18 2021

The partition polynomials of A350499 'invert' the polynomials of this entry giving the indeterminates h_n. A multinomial formula for the coefficients of the partition polynomials of this entry, equivalent to the multinomial formula presented in the first four sentences of the formula section below, is presented in the MathOverflow question referenced in A350499. - Tom Copeland, Feb 19 2022

Number of Dyck paths of semilength n, having k uu's with midpoint at even height. Example: T(4,1) = 6 because we have u(uu)duddd, u(uu)udddd, udu(uu)ddd, u(uu)dddud, u(uu)ddudd and uud(uu)ddd [here u = (1,1), d = (1,-1) and the uu's with midpoint at even height are shown between parentheses]. Row sums are the Catalan numbers (A000108). T(2n+1,n) = A000108(n) (the Catalan numbers). Sum_{k>=0} k*T(n,k) = binomial(2n-2,n-3) = A002694(n-1).

Sometimes called the Touchard distribution (after Touchard's Catalan number identity). T(n,k) = number of full binary trees on 2n edges with k deep interior vertices (deep interior means you have to traverse at least 2 edges to reach a leaf) = number of binary trees on n-1 edges with k vertices having a full complement of 2 children. - David Callan, Jul 19 2004

From David Callan, Oct 25 2004: (Start)

T(n,k) = number of ordered trees on n edges with k prolific edges. A prolific edge is one whose child vertex has at least two children. For example with n=3, drawing ordered trees down from the root, /|\ has no prolific edge and the only tree with one prolific edge has the shape of an inverted Y, so T(3,1)=1.

Proof: Consider the following bijection, recorded by Emeric Deutsch, from ordered trees on n edges to Dyck n-paths. For a given ordered tree, traverse the tree in preorder (walk-around from root order). To each node of outdegree r there correspond r upsteps followed by 1 downstep; nothing corresponds to the last leaf. This bijection sends prolific edges to noninitial ascents of length >=2, that is, to DUU's. Then reverse the resulting Dyck n-path so that prolific edges correspond to DDU's. (End)

T(n,k) is the number of Łukasiewicz paths of length n having k fall steps (1,-1) that start at an even level. A Łukasiewicz path of length n is a path in the first quadrant from (0,0) to (n,0) using rise steps (1,k) for any positive integer k, level steps (1,0) and fall steps (1,-1) (see R. P. Stanley, Enumerative Combinatorics, Vol. 2, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 1999, p. 223, Exercise 6.19w; the integers are the slopes of the steps). Example: T(3,1) = 1 because we have U(2)(D)D, where U(2) = (1,2), D = (1,-1) and the fall steps that start at an even level are shown between parentheses. Row n contains ceiling(n/2) terms (n >= 1). - Emeric Deutsch, Jan 06 2005

Number of binary trees with n-1 edges and k+1 leaves (a binary tree is a rooted tree in which each vertex has at most two children and each child of a vertex is designated as its left or right child). - Emeric Deutsch, Jul 31 2006

Number of full binary trees with 2n edges and k+1 vertices both children of which are leaves (n >= 1; a full binary tree is a rooted tree in which each vertex has either 0 or two children). - Emeric Deutsch, Dec 26 2006

Number of ordered trees with n edges and k jumps. In the preorder traversal of an ordered tree, any transition from a node at a deeper level to a node on a strictly higher level is called a jump. - Emeric Deutsch, Jan 18 2007

It is remarkable that we can generate the coefficients of the right hand columns of triangle A175136 with the aid of the coefficients in the rows of the triangle given above. See A175136 for more information. - Johannes W. Meijer, May 06 2011

The antidiagonal sums equal A152225. - Johannes W. Meijer, Sep 13 2012

This array also counts 231-avoiding permutations according to the number of peaks, i.e., positions w[i-1] < w[i] > w[i+1]. For example, 123, 213, 312, and 321 have no peaks, while 132 has one peak. Note also T(n,k) = 2^(n - 1 - 2*k)*A055151(n-1,k). - Kyle Petersen, Aug 02 2013

Row sums are the Motzkin numbers (A001006). Column 0 gives the aerated Catalan numbers (A000108).

Let P_n(x) = Sum_{k=0..n} T(n,k)*x^k. P_0(x) = 1, P_1(x) = x, P_n(x) = x*P_(n-1)(x) + Sum_{j=0..n-2} P_j(x)*P_(n-2-j)(x); essentially the same as A124027. - Philippe Deléham, Oct 03 2007

G. J. Chaitin's numbers of s-expressions of size n are given by the coefficients of polynomials p(k, x) satisfying: p(k, x) = Sum_{j=2..k-1} p(j, x)*p(k-j, x). The coefficients of these polynomials also give (essentially) the triangle shown here. - Roger L. Bagula, Oct 31 2006

Exponential Riordan array [Bessel_I(1,2x)/x,x]. - Paul Barry, Mar 24 2010

Diagonal sums are the aerated large Schroeder numbers. - Paul Barry, Apr 21 2010

Non-vanishing antidiagonals are rows of A060693. - Tom Copeland, Feb 03 2016

These polynomials are related to the Gegenbauer polynomials which in turn are specializations of the Jacobi polynomials. The o.g.f. of the Gegenbauer polynomials is 1 / [1-2tx+x^2]^a. For the generating function Gb(x,h1,h2,a) = [x / (1 + h1 x + h2 x^2)]^a, the compositional inverse in x is Gbinv(x,h1,h2,a) = [(1-h1*y) - sqrt[(1-h1*y)^2-4h2*y^2]]/(2*h2*y) with y = x^(1/a). The polynomials of this entry are generated by Gbinv(x,t,1,1). The Legendre polynomials are related to the o.g.f. Gb(x,-2t,1,1/2). Cf. A121448. - Tom Copeland, Feb 07 2016

The bivariate o.g.f. in Copeland's Jan 29 2016 formulas can be related to conformal mappings of the complex plane and a solution of the dKP hierarchy. Cf. p. 24 of the Takebe et al. paper. - Tom Copeland, May 30 2018

T(n,k) = number of Motzkin paths of length n with k up steps. T(n,k)=number of 0-1-2 trees with n edges and k+1 leaves, n>0. (A 0-1-2 tree is an ordered tree in which every vertex has at most two children.) E.g., T(4,1)=6 because we have UDHH, UHDH, UHHD, HHUD, HUHD, HUDH, where U=(1,1), D(1,-1), H(1,0). - Emeric Deutsch, Nov 30 2003

Coefficients in series reversion of x/(1+H*x+U*D*x^2) corresponding to Motzkin paths with H colors for H(1,0), U colors for U(1,1) and D colors for D(1,-1). - Paul Barry, May 16 2005

Eigenvector equals A119020, so that A119020(n) = Sum_{k=0..[n/2]} T(n,k)*A119020(k). - Paul D. Hanna, May 09 2006

Row reverse of A107131. - Peter Bala, May 07 2012

Also equals the number of 231-avoiding permutations of n+1 for which descents(w) = peaks(w) = k, where descents(w) is the number of positions i such that w[i]>w[i+1], and peaks(w) is the number of positions i such that w[i-1]w[i+1]. For example, T(4,1) = 6 because 13245, 12435, 14235, 12354, 12534, 15234 are the only 231-avoiding permutations of 5 elements with descents(w) = peaks(w) = 1. - Kyle Petersen, Aug 02 2013

Apparently, a refined irregular triangle related to this triangle (and A097610) is given in the Alexeev et al. link on p. 12. This entry's triangle is also related through Barry's comment to A125181 and A134264. The diagonals of this entry are the rows of A088617. - Tom Copeland, Jun 17 2015

The row length sequence of this irregular triangle is A008619(n) = 1 + floor(n/2). - Wolfdieter Lang, Aug 24 2015

A prime index of n is a number m such that prime(m) divides n. The multiset of prime indices of n is row n of A112798.

Number of Dyck n-paths with all ascents of equal length. - David Scambler, Nov 17 2011

From Gus Wiseman, Feb 15 2019: (Start)

Also the number of uniform (all blocks have the same size) non-crossing set partitions of {1,...,n}. For example, the a(3) = 2 through a(6) = 10 uniform non-crossing set partitions are:

{{123}} {{1234}} {{12345}} {{123456}}

{{1}{2}{3}} {{12}{34}} {{1}{2}{3}{4}{5}} {{123}{456}}

{{14}{23}} {{126}{345}}

{{1}{2}{3}{4}} {{156}{234}}

{{12}{34}{56}}

{{12}{36}{45}}

{{14}{23}{56}}

{{16}{23}{45}}

{{16}{25}{34}}

{{1}{2}{3}{4}{5}{6}}

(End)

This combinatorial problem arises in relating connected and disconnected Green functions associated to a "zero-dimensional" quantum field theory presented by Brezin et al. in "Planar Diagrams" via Eqn. 31 on p. 42.

Appears to be a refinement of A120986 and A108767 in that summing the coefficients of partitions with the same sum of exponents gives the rows or reverse rows of the two entries; for example, row 4 here becomes x + 8 xx + 4 x^2 + 28 x^2x + 14 x^4 = x + 12 x^2 + 28 x^3 + 14 x^4, which is row 4 of A108767. In short, replace each g_k or (k) by x in the formula section here to obtain the coarser entry or its reverse from this refined entry, apparently.

This also gives the relationship between moments and free cumulants in free probability theory restricted to an even number of noncrossing partitions as given by restricting the similar enumeration formuia on p. 34 of Novak and LaCroix to b_{2n} = G_{2n} and K_{2q} = g_{2q}. This is consistent with setting h_k to zero for odd k in A134264, e.g., doing so for the coefficients of t^7 for g(t) there gives G_6 here.

A125181 is another version of A134264, providing interpretations in terms of Dyck paths and trees.