A Generalization of Euler Numbers to Finite Coxeter Groups

Abstract

It is known that Euler numbers, defined as the Taylor coefficients of the tangent and secant functions, count alternating permutations in the symmetric group. Springer defined a generalization of these numbers for each finite Coxeter group by considering the largest descent class, and computed the value in each case of the classification. We consider here another generalization of Euler numbers for finite Coxeter groups, building on Stanley’s result about the number of orbits of maximal chains of set partitions. We present a method to compute these integers and obtain the value in each case of the classification.