Math 2.0

Combinatorics Proof

Proof of the recurrence for derangements by the image of the last point

Builds on DerangementPermutationRule of sumBijection principle

Proof

We sort the derangements by the image of the last point and count each class by a bijection.

  1. Conjugating by a bijection between two sets with mm elements matches their derangements. So by the bijection principle, DmD_m depends only on mm.
  2. Let nn be a natural number, let X={1,…,n+2}X = \set{1, \dots, n + 2}, let z=n+2z = n + 2, and let Y=X∖{z}Y = X \setminus \set{z}. So ∣Y∣=n+1|Y| = n + 1.
  3. Let σ\sigma be a derangement of XX. Then σ(z)≠z\sigma(z) \ne z, so σ(z)∈Y\sigma(z) \in Y.
  4. Fix i∈Yi \in Y. Let EiE_i be the set of derangements σ\sigma of XX with σ(z)=i\sigma(z) = i. Split EiE_i into Ei′E_i', where σ(i)=z\sigma(i) = z, and Ei′′E_i'', where σ(i)≠z\sigma(i) \ne z.
  5. Count Ei′E_i'. Let Z=X∖{i,z}Z = X \setminus \set{i, z}, a set with nn elements. For σ∈Ei′\sigma \in E_i', σ\sigma maps {i,z}\set{i, z} onto itself, so its restriction to ZZ is a permutation of ZZ.
  6. This restriction has no fixed point, since σ\sigma has none. Conversely, a derangement of ZZ extended by i↦zi \mapsto z and z↦iz \mapsto i lies in Ei′E_i'.
  7. These two maps are inverse to each other. So ∣Ei′∣=Dn|E_i'| = D_n.
  8. Count Ei′′E_i''. For σ∈Ei′′\sigma \in E_i'', let j=σ−1(z)j = \sigma^{-1}(z). Then j≠zj \ne z because σ(z)=i≠z\sigma(z) = i \ne z, and j≠ij \ne i because σ(i)≠z\sigma(i) \ne z.
  9. Define τ:Y→Y\tau : Y \to Y by τ(j)=i\tau(j) = i and τ(x)=σ(x)\tau(x) = \sigma(x) for x∈Y∖{j}x \in Y \setminus \set{j}. These values lie in YY, since only jj is sent to zz by σ\sigma.
  10. The map τ\tau is a bijection of YY. Indeed, σ\sigma maps Y∖{j}Y \setminus \set{j} onto X∖{z,i}X \setminus \set{z, i}, since σ(j)=z\sigma(j) = z and σ(z)=i\sigma(z) = i. Adding τ(j)=i\tau(j) = i gives all of YY.
  11. The map τ\tau has no fixed point. For x≠jx \ne j, τ(x)=σ(x)≠x\tau(x) = \sigma(x) \ne x. Also τ(j)=i≠j\tau(j) = i \ne j by step 8.
  12. Conversely, let τ\tau be a derangement of YY, and let j=τ−1(i)j = \tau^{-1}(i). Define σ\sigma on XX by σ(z)=i\sigma(z) = i, σ(j)=z\sigma(j) = z, and σ(x)=τ(x)\sigma(x) = \tau(x) for the other xx.
  13. This σ\sigma is a permutation of XX, because τ\tau maps Y∖{j}Y \setminus \set{j} onto Y∖{i}Y \setminus \set{i}, and σ\sigma adds j↦zj \mapsto z and z↦iz \mapsto i. It has no fixed point: σ(z)=i≠z\sigma(z) = i \ne z, σ(j)=z≠j\sigma(j) = z \ne j, and σ(x)=τ(x)≠x\sigma(x) = \tau(x) \ne x otherwise.
  14. Moreover σ(i)≠z\sigma(i) \ne z. Otherwise i=ji = j, so τ(i)=i\tau(i) = i, which is false for a derangement. Thus σ∈Ei′′\sigma \in E_i''.
  15. The constructions of steps 9 and 12 are inverse to each other. Starting from σ\sigma, we get τ(j)=i\tau(j) = i, so step 12 recovers the same jj and then σ\sigma. Starting from τ\tau, we get σ−1(z)=j\sigma^{-1}(z) = j, so step 9 recovers τ\tau. Hence ∣Ei′′∣=Dn+1|E_i''| = D_{n+1}.
  16. By the rule of sum, ∣Ei∣=∣Ei′∣+∣Ei′′∣=Dn+Dn+1|E_i| = |E_i'| + |E_i''| = D_n + D_{n+1}.
  17. By step 3, the derangements of XX are the disjoint union of the sets EiE_i for the n+1n + 1 elements i∈Yi \in Y.
  18. By the rule of sum, Dn+2=(n+1)(Dn+1+Dn)D_{n+2} = (n + 1)(D_{n+1} + D_n).

Idea

Look at where the last point zz goes, say to ii. If σ\sigma also sends ii back to zz, removing the swap leaves a derangement of nn points. Otherwise, short-circuiting zz out of σ\sigma leaves a derangement of n+1n + 1 points.

Reading path

To understand this page from the ground up, read these 39 pages in order. The foundations come first. The path takes the proofs Proof that a composition of injections is injective, Proof that a function is bijective iff it has a two-sided inverse, Proof that a composition of surjections is surjective, Proof of the rule of sum, Proof of the bijection principle.

Show the path as a graph
Cardinality of a finite set, definition, no evidence levelCardinality of a fini…definitionElement, definition, no evidence levelElementdefinitionPermutation, definition, no evidence levelPermutationdefinitionProposition, concept, no evidence levelPropositionconceptSet, definition, no evidence levelSetdefinitionDerangement, definition, no evidence levelDerangementdefinitionConjunction, definition, no evidence levelConjunctiondefinitionImplication, definition, no evidence levelImplicationdefinitionPredicate, definition, no evidence levelPredicatedefinitionEmpty set, object, no evidence levelEmpty setobjectOrdered pair, definition, no evidence levelOrdered pairdefinitionIntersection, definition, no evidence levelIntersectiondefinitionExistential quantifier, definition, no evidence levelExistential quantifierdefinitionUniversal quantifier, definition, no evidence levelUniversal quantifierdefinitionCartesian product, definition, no evidence levelCartesian productdefinitionDisjoint sets, definition, no evidence levelDisjoint setsdefinitionSubset, definition, no evidence levelSubsetdefinitionUniqueness quantifier, definition, no evidence levelUniqueness quantifierdefinitionBinary relation, definition, no evidence levelBinary relationdefinitionFunction, definition, no evidence levelFunctiondefinitionCodomain, definition, no evidence levelCodomaindefinitionFunction composition, definition, no evidence levelFunction compositiondefinitionIdentity function, definition, no evidence levelIdentity functiondefinitionInjective function, definition, no evidence levelInjective functiondefinitionSurjective function, definition, no evidence levelSurjective functiondefinitionLeft inverse, definition, no evidence levelLeft inversedefinitionRight inverse, definition, no evidence levelRight inversedefinitionProof that a composition of injections is injective, proof, no evidence levelProof that a composit…proofProof that a composition of surjections is surjective, proof, no evidence levelProof that a composit…proofBijective function, definition, no evidence levelBijective functiondefinitionComposition of injections is injective, statement, no evidence levelComposition of inject…statementComposition of surjections is surjective, statement, no evidence levelComposition of surjec…statementProof of the rule of sum, proof, no evidence levelProof of the rule of …proofProof that a function is bijective iff it has a two-sided inverse, proof, no evidence levelProof that a function…proofRule of sum, statement, no evidence levelRule of sumstatementBijective iff it has a two-sided inverse, statement, no evidence levelBijective iff it has …statementProof of the bijection principle, proof, no evidence levelProof of the bijectio…proofBijection principle, statement, no evidence levelBijection principlestatementProof of the recurrence for derangements by the image of the last point, proof, no evidence levelProof of the recurren…proof
Each page uses the pages above it. The colour of the bar on a box shows how strong the evidence is, and the box also gives it as text. The list has the same pages.
  • no evidence level
  1. Cardinality of a finite set definition
  2. Element definition
  3. Permutation definition
  4. Proposition concept
  5. Set definition
  6. Derangement definition
  7. Conjunction definition
  8. Implication definition
  9. Predicate definition
  10. Empty set object
  11. Ordered pair definition
  12. Intersection definition
  13. Existential quantifier definition
  14. Universal quantifier definition
  15. Cartesian product definition
  16. Disjoint sets definition
  17. Subset definition
  18. Uniqueness quantifier definition
  19. Binary relation definition
  20. Function definition
  21. Codomain definition
  22. Function composition definition
  23. Identity function definition
  24. Injective function definition
  25. Surjective function definition
  26. Left inverse definition
  27. Right inverse definition
  28. Proof that a composition of injections is injective proof
  29. Proof that a composition of surjections is surjective proof
  30. Bijective function definition
  31. Composition of injections is injective statement
  32. Composition of surjections is surjective statement
  33. Proof of the rule of sum proof
  34. Proof that a function is bijective iff it has a two-sided inverse proof
  35. Rule of sum statement
  36. Bijective iff it has a two-sided inverse statement
  37. Proof of the bijection principle proof
  38. Bijection principle statement
  39. Proof of the recurrence for derangements by the image of the last point proof

Where this leads

1 page builds on this one.

Further reading

  1. Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derangement, Counting derangements
About this page
TagG1ST9Y1DEP
URIm2://G1ST9Y1DEP
Kindproof
WritingW0 stub
MSC05A05
ProvesRecurrence for derangements
UsesDerangement, Permutation, Rule of sum, Bijection principle
Changed4 November 2026

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