Broken bracelets, Molien series, paraffin wax and an elliptic curve of conductor 48

Abstract

This paper introduces the concept of necklace binomial coefficients motivated by the enumeration of a special type of sequences. Several properties of these coefficients are described, including a connection between their roots and an elliptic curve. Further links are given to a physical model from quantum mechanical supersymmetry as well as properties of alkane molecules in chemistry.