Enumerating Vector Parking Functions and their Outcomes Based on Specified Lucky Cars

Abstract

In a parking function, a car is considered lucky if it is able to park in its preferred spot. Extending work of Harris and Martinez, we enumerate outcomes of parking functions with a fixed set of lucky cars. We then consider a generalization of parking functions known as vector parking functions or $\boldsymbol{u}$-parking functions, in which a nonnegative integer capacity is given to each parking spot in the street. With certain restrictions on $\boldsymbol{u}$, we enumerate outcomes of $\boldsymbol{u}$-parking functions with a fixed set of lucky cars or with a fixed number of lucky cars. We also count outcomes according to which spots contain lucky cars, and give formulas for enumerating $\boldsymbol{u}$-parking functions themselves according to their set of lucky cars.