Spectral determinant on quantum graphs (Q1588733)

The authors study the spectral determinant of the Laplacian on finite graphs characterized by their number of vertices \( V \) and bounds \(B\). They present a path integral derivation which leads to two equivalent expressions of the spectral determinant of the Laplacian in terms of either a \(V \times V\) vertex matrix or a \(2B \times 2B\) link matrix that couples the arcs together. This latter expression allows them to rewrite the spectral determinant as an infinite product of contributions of periodic orbits on the graph. They also present a diagrammatic method that permits them to write the spectral determinant in terms of a finite number of periodic orbit constructions. All these results are generalized then to the case of graphs in a magnetic field. Several examples are also nicely pointed out.