Generalized Catalan Numbers and the Enumeration of Planar Embeddings

Abstract

The Raney numbers $R_{p,r}(n)$ are a two-parameter generalization of the Catalan numbers that were introduced by Raney in his investigation of functional composition patterns \cite{Raney}. We give a new combinatorial interpretation for all Raney numbers in terms of planar embeddings of certain collections of trees, a construction that recovers the usual interpretation of the $p$-Catalan numbers in terms of $p$-ary trees via the specialization $R_{p,1}(n) =_{p} c_n$. Our technique leads to several combinatorial identities involving the Raney numbers and ordered partitions. We then give additional combinatorial interpretations of specific Raney numbers, including an identification of $R_{p^2,p}(n)$ with oriented trees whose vertices satisfy the "source or sink property". We close with comments applying these results to the enumeration of connected (non-elliptic) $A_2$ webs that lack an internal cycle.