In this paper, we give a necessary condition for an infinite word defined by a non-degenerate interval exchange on three intervals (3iet word) to be invariant by a substitution: a natural parameter associated to this word must be a Sturm number. We deduce some algebraic consequences from this condition concerning the incidence matrix of the associated substitution. As a by-product of our proof, we give a combinatorial characterization of 3iet words.
We investigate the natural codings of linear involutions. We deduce from the geometric representation of linear involutions as Poincare maps of measured foliations a suitable definition of return words which yields that the set of first return words to a given word is a symmetric basis of the free group on the underlying alphabet $A$. The set of first return words with respect to a subgroup of finite index $G$ of the free group on $A$ is also proved to be a symmetric basis of $G$.
We prove new results concerning the relation between bifix codes, episturmian words and subgroups offree groups. We study bifix codes in factorial sets of words. We generalize most properties of ordinary maximal bifix codes to bifix codes maximal in a recurrent set $F$ of words ($F$-maximal bifix codes). In the case of bifix codes contained in Sturmian sets of words, we obtain several new results. Let $F$ be a Sturmian set of words, defined as the set of factors of a strict episturmian word. Our results express the fact that an $F$-maximal bifix code of degree $d$ behaves just as the set of words of $F$ of length $d$. An $F$-maximal bifix code of degree $d$ in a Sturmian set of words on an alphabet with $k$ letters has $(k-1)d+1$ elements. This generalizes the fact that a Sturmian set contains $(k-1)d+1$ words of length $d$. Moreover, given an infinite word $x$, if there is a finite maximal bifix code $X$ of degree $d$ such that $x$ has at most $d$ factors of length $d$ in $X$, then $x$ is ultimately periodic. Our main result states that any $F$-maximal bifix code of degree $d$ on the alphabet $A$ is the basis of a subgroup of index $d$ of the free group on~$A$.
A word $sigma=sigma_1...sigma_n$ over the alphabet $[k]={1,2,...,k}$ is said to be {em smooth} if there are no two adjacent letters with difference greater than 1. A word $sigma$ is said to be {em smooth cyclic} if it is a smooth word and in addition satisfies $|sigma_n-sigma_1|le 1$. We find the explicit generating functions for the number of smooth words and cyclic smooth words in $[k]^n$, in terms of {it Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind}. Additionally, we find explicit formula for the numbers themselves, as trigonometric sums. These lead to immediate asymptotic corollaries. We also enumerate smooth necklaces, which are cyclic smooth words that are not equivalent up to rotation.
We extend results regarding a combinatorial model introduced by Black, Drellich, and Tymoczko (2017+) which generalizes the folding of the RNA molecule in biology. Consider a word on alphabet ${A_1, overline{A}_1, ldots, A_m, overline{A}_m}$ in which $overline{A}_i$ is called the complement of $A_i$. A word $w$ is foldable if can be wrapped around a rooted plane tree $T$, starting at the root and working counterclockwise such that one letter labels each half edge and the two letters labeling the same edge are complements. The tree $T$ is called $w$-valid. We define a bijection between edge-colored plane trees and words folded onto trees. This bijection is used to characterize and enumerate words for which there is only one valid tree. We follow up with a characterization of words for which there exist exactly two valid trees. In addition, we examine the set $mathcal{R}(n,m)$ consisting of all integers $k$ for which there exists a word of length $2n$ with exactly $k$ valid trees. Black, Drellich, and Tymoczko showed that for the $n$th Catalan number $C_n$, ${C_n,C_{n-1}}subset mathcal{R}(n,1)$ but $k otinmathcal{R}(n,1)$ for $C_{n-1}<k<C_n$. We describe a superset of $mathcal{R}(n,1)$ in terms of the Catalan numbers by which we establish more missing intervals. We also prove $mathcal{R}(n,1)$ contains all non-negative integer less than $n+1$.
A connected digraph in which the in-degree of any vertex equals its out-degree is Eulerian, this baseline result is used as the basis of existence proofs for universal cycles (also known as generalized deBruijn cycles or U-cycles) of several combinatorial objects. We extend the body of known results by presenting new results on the existence of universal cycles of monotone, augmented onto, and Lipschitz functions in addition to universal cycles of certain types of lattice paths and random walks.