Proper $q$-caterpillars are distinguished by their Chromatic Symmetric Functions

Stanley's Tree Isomorphism Conjecture posits that the chromatic symmetric function can distinguish non-isomorphic trees. While already established for caterpillars and other subclasses of trees, we prove the conjecture's validity for a new class of trees that generalize proper caterpillars, thus confirming the conjecture for a broader class of trees.
Comment: 11 pages