English

Trace Diagrams, Matrix Minors, and Determinant Identities

Combinatorics 2010-11-30 v2

Abstract

Trace diagrams are structured graphs with edges labeled by matrices. Each diagram has an interpretation as a particular multilinear function. We provide a rigorous combinatorial definition of these diagrams using a notion of signed graph coloring, and prove that they may be efficiently represented in terms of matrix minors. Using this viewpoint, we provide new proofs of several standard determinant formulas and a new generalization of the Jacobi determinant theorem.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0903.1373,
  title  = {Trace Diagrams, Matrix Minors, and Determinant Identities},
  author = {Steven Morse and Elisha Peterson},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0903.1373},
  year   = {2010}
}

Comments

This updated version includes significantly expanded proofs and a new generalization of the Jacobi determinant theorem

R2 v1 2026-06-21T12:19:28.427Z