English

Abstract matrix-tree theorem

Combinatorics 2017-03-02 v3

Abstract

The classical matrix-tree theorem discovered by G.Kirchhoff in 1847 relates the principal minor of the nxn Laplace matrix to a particular sum of monomials of matrix elements indexed by directed trees with n vertices and a single sink. In this paper we consider a generalization of this statement: for any k \ge n we define a degree k polynomial det_{n,k} of matrix elements and prove that this polynomial applied to the Laplace matrix gives a sum of monomials indexed by acyclic graphs with n vertices and k edges.

Cite

@article{arxiv.1612.03873,
  title  = {Abstract matrix-tree theorem},
  author = {Yurii Burman},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1612.03873},
  year   = {2017}
}

Comments

Version 2: added an application to the topology of 3-manifolds. A section about undirected graphs is completely rewritten. Many errors corrected. Version 3: an important reference is added

R2 v1 2026-06-22T17:21:20.698Z