Elements of Finite Order in the Riordan Group and Their Eigenvectors

TL;DR

This paper characterizes finite order elements in the Riordan group, classifies them up to conjugation, and derives eigenvectors, leading to new combinatorial identities and solutions to open questions.

Contribution

It provides a complete classification of finite order Riordan group elements and their eigenvectors, extending previous work and solving open problems in the field.

Findings

Classified finite order elements up to conjugation.

Derived explicit eigenvectors for finite order Riordan arrays.

Connected group-theoretic results to combinatorial identities.

Abstract

We consider elements of finite order in the Riordan group $\cal R$ over a field of characteristic $0$. Viewing $\cal R$ as a semi-direct product of groups of formal power series, we solve, for all $n \geq 2$, two foundational questions posed by L. Shapiro for the case $n = 2$ (`involutions'): Given a formal power series $F(x)$ of finite compositional order and an integer $n\geq 2$, Theorem 1 states, exactly which $g(x)$ make $\big(g(x), F(x)\big)$ a Riordan element of order $n$. Theorem 2 classifies finite-order Riordan group elements up to conjugation in $\cal R$. Viewing $\cal R$ as a group of infinite lower triangular matrices, we interpret Theorem 1 in terms of existence of eigenvectors and Theorem 2 as a normal form for finite order Riordan arrays under similarity. These lead to Theorem 3, a formula for all eigenvectors of finite order Riordan arrays; and we show how this can lead to interesting combinatorial identities. We then relate our work to papers of Cheon and Kim which motivated this paper and we solve the Open question which they posed. Finally, this circle of ideas gives a new proof of C. Marshall's theorem, which finds the unique $F(x)$, given bi-invertible $g(x)$, such that $\big(g(x), F(x))$ is an involution.