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26 Combinatorial AnalysisProperties

§26.9 Integer Partitions: Restricted Number and Part Size

Contents
  1. §26.9(i) Definitions
  2. §26.9(ii) Generating Functions
  3. §26.9(iii) Recurrence Relations
  4. §26.9(iv) Limiting Form

§26.9(i) Definitions

pk(n) denotes the number of partitions of n into at most k parts. See Table 26.9.1.

26.9.1 pk(n)=p(n),
kn.

Unrestricted partitions are covered in §27.14.

Table 26.9.1: Partitions pk(n).
n k
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
3 0 1 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
4 0 1 3 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
5 0 1 3 5 6 7 7 7 7 7 7
6 0 1 4 7 9 10 11 11 11 11 11
7 0 1 4 8 11 13 14 15 15 15 15
8 0 1 5 10 15 18 20 21 22 22 22
9 0 1 5 12 18 23 26 28 29 30 30
10 0 1 6 14 23 30 35 38 40 41 42

A useful representation for a partition is the Ferrers graph in which the integers in the partition are each represented by a row of dots. An example is provided in Figure 26.9.1.

Figure 26.9.1: Ferrers graph of the partition 7+4+3+3+2+1.

The conjugate partition is obtained by reflecting the Ferrers graph across the main diagonal or, equivalently, by representing each integer by a column of dots. The conjugate to the example in Figure 26.9.1 is 6+5+4+2+1+1+1. Conjugation establishes a one-to-one correspondence between partitions of n into at most k parts and partitions of n into parts with largest part less than or equal to k. It follows that pk(n) also equals the number of partitions of n into parts that are less than or equal to k.

pk(m,n) is the number of partitions of n into at most k parts, each less than or equal to m. It is also equal to the number of lattice paths from (0,0) to (m,k) that have exactly n vertices (h,j), 1hm, 1jk, above and to the left of the lattice path. See Figure 26.9.2.

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Figure 26.9.2: The partition 5+5+3+2 represented as a lattice path. Magnify

Equations (26.9.2)–(26.9.3) are examples of closed forms that can be computed explicitly for any positive integer k. See Andrews (1976, p. 81).

26.9.2 p0(n)=0,
n>0,
26.9.3 p1(n) =1,
p2(n) =1+n/2,
p3(n) =1+n2+6n12.

§26.9(ii) Generating Functions

In what follows

26.9.4 [mn]q=j=1n1qmn+j1qj,
n0,

is the Gaussian polynomial (or q-binomial coefficient); see also §§17.2(i)17.2(ii). In the present chapter mn0 in all cases. It is also assumed everywhere that |q|<1.

§26.9(iii) Recurrence Relations

26.9.8 pk(n)=pk(nk)+pk1(n);

equivalently, partitions into at most k parts either have exactly k parts, in which case we can subtract one from each part, or they have strictly fewer than k parts.

26.9.9 pk(n)=1nt=1npk(nt)j|tjkj,

where the inner sum is taken over all positive divisors of t that are less than or equal to k.

§26.9(iv) Limiting Form

As n with k fixed,

26.9.10 pk(n)nk1k!(k1)!.