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Problem 2

Posted 03/02/2015 and updated 06/01/2016
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`a(n)` is the number of lattice paths from `(0,0)` to `(3n-2,3n-2)` not above some special barrier. Exercise L is a similar but simpler exercise.

In this problem, the barriers (in red) are discontinuous diagonals. The barriers of `n=2`, `n=3` and `n=4` are illustrated in the following picture, according to which one can figure out what the barrier looks like for `n=k`.


In the following picture, we randomly draw some feasible paths for `n=2`, `n=3` and `n=4`.


Find `a(n)`.




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Updated 06/01/2016 and contributed by Emily Sergel Leven

`a(n)` could be found by the determinant-type formula of Theorem 1.1 in the recent paper Multi-cores, posets, and lattice paths by Tewodros Amdeberhan and Emily Sergel Leven.



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