Integer Partition

In number theory and combinatorics, a partition of a positive integer n, also called an integer partition, is a way of writing n as a sum of positive integers.

Two sums that differ only in the order of their summands are considered the same partition. For example, 4 can be partitioned in five distinct ways:

  1. 4
  2. 3 + 1
  3. 2 + 2
  4. 2 + 1 + 1
  5. 1 + 1 + 1 + 1

The order-dependent composition 1 + 3 is the same partition as 3 + 1, while the two distinct compositions 1 + 2 + 1 and 1 + 1 + 2 represent the same partition 2 + 1 + 1.

Young diagrams associated to the partitions of the positive integers 1 through 8. They are arranged so that images under the reflection about the main diagonal of the square are conjugate partitions.

Integer Partition

References