Asymptotics of block Toeplitz determinants and the classical dimer model (Q2642293)

The present paper is devoted to the computation of the asymptotics of a block Toeplitz determinant which arises in the classical dimer model for the triangular lattice when considering the monomer-monomer correlation function. The model depends on a parameter interpolating between the square lattice (\(t = 0\)) and the triangular lattice (\(t = 1\)). In the paper, the determinant is computed asymptotically not only for all values of \(t\) between 0 and 1 but, in addition, the asymptotics for all complex parameters \(t\) with \(\text{Re} (t) > 0\) are determined. The used method is to convert the determinant of the block matrix that arises in the dimer problem into a determinant of a block Toeplitz matrix and then to find a way to explicitly compute the asymptotics of the block Toeplitz determinant. In the case \(0 < t < 1\), to find the asymptotics, the Szegő limit theorem for block Toeplitz determinants is applied. The main difficulty is to evaluate the constant term in the asymptotics, which is generally given only in a rather abstract form. Therefore, it is required to find a more explicit expression for the constant, which fortunately, in that case, can be done. For this purpose, the authors use an expression for the constant which holds in very special cases and which is due to \textit{H.\,Widom} [Adv.\ Math.\ 13, 284--322 (1974; Zbl 0281.47018)]. Moreover, they also make use of another determinantal identity by the help of which more general (yet special) cases can be reduced to the situation covered by Widom. A new proof of Widom's result using the Borodin--Okounkov--Case--Geronimo identity is also presented.