Joint Distributions for Movements of Elements in Sattolo’s and the Fisher-yates Algorithm

Abstract. Sattolo’s algorithm creates a random cyclic permutation by interchanging pairs of elements in an appropriate manner; the Fisher-Yates algorithm produces random (not necessarily cyclic) permutations in a very similar way. The distributions of the movements of the elements in these two algorithms have already been treated quite extensively in past works. In this paper, we are interested in the joint distribution of two elements j and k; we are able to compute the bivariate generating functions explicitly, although it is quite involved. From it, moments and limiting distributions can be deduced. Furthermore, we compute the probability that elements i and j ever change places in both algorithms.