Annual Seminar for Mathematics Research Scholar
Date: Thursday, 19 October 2023
Time: 3:30 PM
Venue: Seminar Hall
An introduction to the exponential formula in combinatorics
Krishna Menon
Chennai Mathematical Institute.
19-10-23

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Abstract

There are several ways that one can give structure to a finite set. One may impose the structure of a graph, permutation, partition, etc. In this talk, I will be focused on the problem of describing the number of ways one can give a particular structure to a finite set. One way to attempt this problem is using a tool called "Exponential Generating Functions" (EGFs).

I will discuss the correspondence between algebraic operations on these EGFs and combinatorial operations on structures. I will also present several concrete examples. For instance, I will show how to prove: log(EGF for graph structures) = EGF for connected graph structures.