On the efficient and accurate determinant evaluation of periodic tridiagonal Toeplitz matrices (Q6173944)

A periodic tridiagonal matrix is a matrix of the form \[ A_{n}= \left( \begin{array}{ccccc} a_1 & b_1 & & c_n\\ c_{1} & \ddots & \ddots \\ & \ddots & \ddots & b_{n-1} \\ b_n & & c_{n-1} & a_{n} \end{array}\right). \] These matrices are relatively well studied and several spectral properties and inverse problems have been considered in the literature, see, e.g., [\textit{W. Ferguson}, Math. Comput. 35, 1203--1220 (1980; Zbl 0457.65020); \textit{R. Fernandes} and \textit{C. M. da Fonseca}, Linear Multilinear Algebra 57, No. 7, 673--682 (2009; Zbl 1180.15020)]. In this paper, the authors provide a straightforward approach for evaluating the determinant of \(A_n\) when this matrix is a Toeplitz matrix. An algorithm is established and some simple examples are considered.