The simsun and zigzag refinements of the zigzag numbers

For n≥1n\geq 1, define B(n,k)B(n,k) and C(n,k)C(n,k) by

In(−1,t)=∑k=0⌊(n−1)/2⌋B(n,k)tn−1−kI_n(-1,t)=\sum_{k=0}^{\lfloor (n-1)/2\rfloor}B(n,k)t^{n-1-k}

and

I~n(−1,t)=∑k=0n−2C(n,k)tk+1.\widetilde{I}_n(-1,t)=\sum_{k=0}^{n-2}C(n,k)t^{k+1}.

Here a simsun permutation is a permutation with the stated simsun property, and a big return is the stated statistic on an alternating permutation. Simsun and zigzag refinement conjecture. The coefficient B(n,k)B(n,k) is the number of simsun permutations in Sn−1S_{n-1} with kk descents, while C(n,k)C(n,k) is the number of alternating permutations in SnS_n with kk big returns. These identities would give two distinct natural refinements of the zigzag numbers EnE_n, since In(−1)=EnI_n(-1)=E_n. They are supported experimentally by the displayed small cases; the source does not provide a resolution.

References

Primary source

Sam Hopkins, “Two t-analogues of the tree inversion enumerator”, arXiv:2510.22385 (2026).

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