Difference ascent sequences

Abstract

Let alpha = a_1 a_2 ... a_n be a sequence of nonnegative integers. The ascent set of alpha, Asc(alpha), consists of all indices k where a_{k+1} > a_k. An ascent sequence is alpha where the growth of the a_k is bounded by the elements of Asc(alpha). These sequences were introduced by Bousquet-M\'elou, Claesson, Dukes and Kitaev and have many wonderful properties. In particular, they are in bijection with unlabeled (2+2)-free posets, permutations avoiding a particular bivincular pattern, certain upper-triangular nonnegative integer matrices, and a class of matchings. A weak ascent of alpha is an index k with a_{k+1} >= a_k and weak ascent sequences are defined analogously to ascent sequences. These were studied by B\'enyi, Claesson and Dukes and shown to have analogous equinumerous sets. Given a nonnegative integer d, we define a difference d ascent to be an index k such that a_{k+1} > a_k - d. We study the properties of the corresponding d-ascent sequences, showing that some of the maps from the weak case can be extended to bijections for general d while the extensions of others continue to be injective (but not surjective). We also make connections with other combinatorial objects such as rooted duplication trees and restricted growth functions.