English

Lambda-determinants and domino-tilings

Combinatorics 2007-05-23 v1

Abstract

Consider the 2n2n-by-2n2n matrix M=(mi,j)i,j=12nM=(m_{i,j})_{i,j=1}^{2n} with mi,j=1m_{i,j} = 1 for i,ji,j satisfying 2i2n1+2j2n12n|2i-2n-1|+|2j-2n-1| \leq 2n and mi,j=0m_{i,j} = 0 for all other i,ji,j, consisting of a central diamond of 1's surrounded by 0's. When n4n \geq 4, the λ\lambda-determinant of the matrix MM (as introduced by Robbins and Rumsey) is not well-defined. However, if we replace the 0's by tt's, we get a matrix whose λ\lambda-determinant is well-defined and is a polynomial in λ\lambda and tt. The limit of this polynomial as t0t \to 0 is a polynomial in λ\lambda whose value at λ=1\lambda=1 is the number of domino tilings of a 2n2n-by-2n2n square.

Keywords

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