English

Square-root cancellation for the signs of Latin squares

Combinatorics 2014-12-25 v1

Abstract

Let L(n)L(n) be the number of Latin squares of order nn, and let Leven(n)L^{\textrm{even}}(n) and Lodd(n)L^{\textrm{odd}}(n) be the number of even and odd such squares, so that L(n)=Leven(n)+Lodd(n)L(n) = L^{\textrm{even}}(n) + L^{\textrm{odd}}(n). The Alon-Tarsi conjecture states that Leven(n)Lodd(n)L^{\textrm{even}}(n)\neq L^{\textrm{odd}}(n) when nn is even (when nn is odd the two are equal for very simple reasons). In this short note we prove that Leven(n)Lodd(n)L(n)12+o(1),|L^{\textrm{even}}(n) - L^{\textrm{odd}}(n)|\leq L(n)^{\frac{1}{2} + o(1)}, thus establishing the conjecture that the number of even and odd Latin squares, while conjecturally not equal in even dimensions, are equal to leading order asymptotically. Two proofs are given: both proceed by applying a differential operator to an exponential integral over SU(n)\mathrm{SU}(n). The method is inspired by a recent result of Kumar-Landsberg.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1412.7574,
  title  = {Square-root cancellation for the signs of Latin squares},
  author = {Levent Alpoge},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1412.7574},
  year   = {2014}
}

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4 pages