Binomial determinants for tiling problems yield to the holonomic ansatz

DOI10.1016/J.EJC.2021.103437MaRDI QIDQ2237864zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Hao Du, Christoph Koutschan, Elaine Wong, Thotsaporn Thanatipanonda

Publication date 28 October 2021

Published in European Journal of Combinatorics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/2105.08539

zbMATH Keywords

binomial coefficientdeterminantholonomic ansatzrhombus tiling

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Factorials, binomial coefficients, combinatorial functions (05A10) Combinatorial aspects of matrices (incidence, Hadamard, etc.) (05B20) Combinatorial aspects of tessellation and tiling problems (05B45) Determinants, permanents, traces, other special matrix functions (15A15) Tilings in (2) dimensions (aspects of discrete geometry) (52C20)

Abstract: We present and prove closed form expressions for some families of binomial determinants with signed Kronecker deltas that are located along an arbitrary diagonal in the corresponding matrix. They count cyclically symmetric rhombus tilings of hexagonal regions with triangular holes. We extend a previous systematic study of these families, where the locations of the Kronecker deltas depended on an additional parameter, to families with negative Kronecker deltas. By adapting Zeilberger's holonomic ansatz to make it work for our problems, we can take full advantage of computer algebra tools for symbolic summation. This, together with the combinatorial interpretation, allows us to realize some new determinantal relationships. From there, we are able to resolve all remaining open conjectures related to these determinants, including one from 2005 due to Lascoux and Krattenthaler.

Review text

This paper concerns two related families of determinants, namely, \[ D_{s,t}^\mu(n)=\det\Big(\binom{\mu+i+j+s+t-4}{j+t-1}+\delta_{i+s,j+t}\Big)_{1\le i,j\le n}, \] and \[ E_{s,t}^\mu(n)=\det\Big(\binom{\mu+i+j+s+t-4}{j+t-1}-\delta_{i+s,j+t}\Big)_{1\le i,j\le n}, \] where \(\delta\) denotes the Kronecker delta. These determinants arise when counting cyclically symmetric rhombus tilings of a hexagonal region with triangular holes. They were the subject of the Problem 34 and the Conjectures 35, 36, 37 in [\textit{C. Krattenthaler}, Linear Algebra Appl. 411, 68--166 (2005; Zbl 1079.05008)]. The problem 34 and the Conjectures 35 and 36 had been settled earlier, whereas the Conjecture 37 is resolved in the present work. The authors also resolve some conjectures made by some of them in [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 166, 352--381 (2019; Zbl 1416.05039)]. The main techniques are Zeilberger's holonomic ansatz and a clever use of symbolic computation.

Recommendations

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Cites work

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Cited in

(10)

• A non-automatic (!) application of Gosper's algorithm evaluates a determinant from tiling enumeration
• A curious family of binomial determinants that count rhombus tilings of a holey hexagon
• An ensemble related to discrete orthogonal polynomials and its application to tilings of a half-hexagon
• Advanced computer algebra for determinants
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2221996 (Why is no real title available?)
• A Unified Approach to Unimodality of Gaussian Polynomials
• On λ-determinants and tiling problems
• Determinant evaluations inspired by Di Francesco's determinant for twenty-vertex configurations
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Describes a project that uses

Uses Software

• DODGSON
• DET
• HolonomicFunctions
• DLMF

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