Applications of minor summation formula. III: Plücker relations, lattice paths and Pfaffian identities (Q817617)

[For part II see ibid. 88, No. 1, 136--157 (1999; Zbl 0947.15008).] The minor summation formulas of Pfaffians given by \textit{M. Ishikawa} and \textit{M. Wakayama} [Linear Multilinear Algebra 39, 285--305 (1995; Zbl 0830.15011)] are proved using the lattice path method combined with the Lewis Carroll formula for Pfaffians. This proof enables to provide a combinatorial interpretation of the minor summation formulas. Certain applications of the minor summation formulas to \(q\)-series are provided. It is shown that \textit{N. Kawasaka}'s \(q\)-Littlewood identity involving Schur functions [Osaka J. Math. 36, 157--176 (1999; Zbl 0915.05008)] is easily derived from the minor summation formulas and that \textit{N. Kawanaka}'s \(q\)-Cauchy identity [Osaka J. Math. 38, 775--810 (2001; Zbl 1057.20004)] is proved by the Binet-Cauchy formula using combinatorial methods. Finally, a certain variant of the formula of \textit{T. Sundquist} [J. Algebr. Combin. 5, 135--148 (1996; Zbl 0856.05094)], which is considered as a two variable Pfaffian identity, is given.