Quadratic denominator-degree conjecture for rectangular tatami tiling generating functions

For a fixed number of rows r1r\geq 1, let Tr(z)T_r(z) be the ordinary generating function for tatami tilings of an r×nr\times n rectangle, and let g(z)g(z) be its denominator. Write r=4m+sr=4m+s with s{0,1,2,3}s\in\{0,1,2,3\}.

Denominator-degree conjecture. The degree of the denominator is

deg(g(z))={8m2+2m+1,r0(mod4),8m2+4m+2,r1(mod4),8m2+10m+4,r2(mod4),8m2+8m+6,r3(mod4).\deg(g(z))=\left\{\begin{aligned} 8m^2+2m+1,&\quad r\equiv 0\pmod{4},\\ 8m^2+4m+2,&\quad r\equiv 1\pmod{4},\\ 8m^2+10m+4,&\quad r\equiv 2\pmod{4},\\ 8m^2+8m+6,&\quad r\equiv 3\pmod{4}. \end{aligned}\right.

The formulas extend the mod-44 pattern observed in computed denominator degrees, but the source gives no resolution.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Alejandro Erickson, Frank Ruskey, Mark Schurch and Jennifer Woodcock, “Auspicious tatami mat arrangements”, arXiv:1103.3309 (2011).

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