Lambda-determinants and domino-tilings
Combinatorics
2007-05-23 v1
Abstract
Consider the -by- matrix with for satisfying and for all other , consisting of a central diamond of 1's surrounded by 0's. When , the -determinant of the matrix (as introduced by Robbins and Rumsey) is not well-defined. However, if we replace the 0's by 's, we get a matrix whose -determinant is well-defined and is a polynomial in and . The limit of this polynomial as is a polynomial in whose value at is the number of domino tilings of a -by- square.
Cite
@article{arxiv.math/0406301,
title = {Lambda-determinants and domino-tilings},
author = {James Propp},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:math/0406301},
year = {2007}
}
Comments
4 pages; to appear in a special issue of Advances in Applied Mathematics honoring David P. Robbins