On the weighted enumeration of alternating sign matrices and descending plane partitions

We prove a conjecture of Mills, Robbins and Rumsey [Alternating sign matrices and descending plane partitions, J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 34 (3) (1983) 340-359] that, for any n, k, m and p, the number of n×n alternating sign matrices (ASMs) for which the 1 of the first row is in column k+1 and there are exactly m −1?s and m+p inversions is equal to the number of descending plane partitions (DPPs) for which each part is at most n and there are exactly k parts equal to n, m special parts and p nonspecial parts. The proof involves expressing the associated generating functions for ASMs and DPPs with fixed n as determinants of n×n matrices, and using elementary transformations to show that these determinants are equal. The determinants themselves are obtained by standard methods: for ASMs this involves using the Izergin-Korepin formula for the partition function of the six-vertex model with domain-wall boundary conditions, together with a bijection between ASMs and configurations of this model, and for DPPs it involves using the Lindström-Gessel-Viennot theorem, together with a bijection between DPPs and certain sets of nonintersecting lattice paths.     

Enumeration of symmetry classes of alternating sign matrices and characters of classical groups

An alternating sign matrix is a square matrix with entries 1, 0 and −1 such that the sum of the entries in each row and each column is equal to 1 and the nonzero entries alternate in sign along each row and each column. To some of the symmetry classes of alternating sign matrices and their variations, G. Kuperberg associate square ice models with appropriate boundary conditions, and give determinant and Pfaffian formulae for the partition functions. In this paper, we utilize several determinant and Pfaffian identities to evaluate Kuperberg's determinants and Pfaffians, and express the round partition functions in terms of irreducible characters of classical groups. In particular, we settle a conjecture on the number of vertically and horizontally symmetric alternating sign matrices (VHSASMs). Dedicated to the memory of David Robbins.     

A direct bijection between descending plane partitions with no special parts and permutation matrices

We present a direct bijection between descending plane partitions with no special parts and permutation matrices. This bijection has the desirable property that the number of parts of the descending plane partition corresponds to the inversion number of the permutation. Additionally, the number of maximum parts in the descending plane partition corresponds to the position of the one in the last column of the permutation matrix. We also discuss the possible extension of this approach to finding a bijection between descending plane partitions and alternating sign matrices.     

Linear relations of refined enumerations of alternating sign matrices

In recent papers we have studied refined enumerations of alternating sign matrices with respect to a fixed set of top and bottom rows. The present paper is a first step towards extending these considerations to alternating sign matrices where in addition some left and right columns are fixed. The main result is a simple linear relation between the number of n×n alternating sign matrices where the top row as well as the left and the right column is fixed and the number of n×n alternating sign matrices where the two top rows and the bottom row are fixed. This may be seen as a first indication for the fact that the refined enumerations of alternating sign matrices with respect to a fixed set of top and bottom rows as well as left and right columns can possibly be reduced to the refined enumerations where only some top and bottom rows are fixed. For the latter numbers we provide a system of linear equations that conjecturally determines them uniquely.     

An operator formula for the number of halved monotone triangles with prescribed bottom row

Monotone triangles are certain triangular arrays of integers, which correspond to n×n alternating sign matrices when prescribing (1,2,…,n) as bottom row of the monotone triangle. In this article we define halved monotone triangles, a specialization of which correspond to vertically symmetric alternating sign matrices. We derive an operator formula for the number of halved monotone triangles with prescribed bottom row which is analogous to our operator formula for the number of ordinary monotone triangles [I. Fischer, The number of monotone triangles with prescribed bottom row, Adv. in Appl. Math. 37 (2) (2006) 249-267].     

A new proof of the refined alternating sign matrix theorem

In the early 1980s, Mills, Robbins and Rumsey conjectured, and in 1996 Zeilberger proved a simple product formula for the number of n×n alternating sign matrices with a 1 at the top of the ith column. We give an alternative proof of this formula using our operator formula for the number of monotone triangles with prescribed bottom row. In addition, we provide the enumeration of certain 0-1-(−1) matrices generalizing alternating sign matrices.     

On Odd Symplectic Schur Functions

Proctor defined combinatorially a family of Laurent Polynomials, called odd symplectic Schur functions, indexed by pairs (λ, c), where λ is partition andcis a column length of λ. A conjecture of Proctor (Invent. Math.92,1988, 307–332) includes the statement that the odd symplectic Schur functions are actually characters ofSp(2n + 1, C). The purpose of the present note is to prove this.     

q-Enumeration of alternating sign matrices with exactly one −1

We enumerate the alternating sign matrices that contain exactly one −1 according to their number of inversions (possibly taking into account the position of the unique non-zero entry in the first row). In conformity with the Mills, Robbins and Rumsey conjectures, this is the same as the enumeration, according to the number of parts, of descending plane partitions with exactly one special part. This is shown by finding a determinantal expression for the generating function of descending plane partitions, transforming it algebraically and extracting recurrences for those with one special part. Finally, we show that the generating function of alternating sign matrices that contain exactly one −1 follows the same recurrences.RésuméOn énumère les matrices à signes alternants qui ne contiennent qu'un seul −1 selon leur nombre d'inversions (en tenant compte possiblement de la position de la seule entrée non nulle de la première ligne). Conformément aux conjectures de Mills, Robbins et Rumsey, ceci revient à l’énumération, selon le nombre de parts, des partitions planes descendantes qui n'ont qu'une seule part spéciale. Pour le démontrer, on obtient d'abord la fonction génératrice des partitions planes descendantes sous forme d'un déterminant qu'on transforme algébriquement pour en extraire des récurrences qui caractérisent celles n'ayant qu'une part spéciale. Finalement, on montre que la fonction génératrice des matrices à signes alternants vérifie les mêmes récurrences.     

平面分拆的矢量控制方法：列严格梯形平面分拆

作为移位平面分拆的自然拓广,本文引入了梯形平面分拆的概念.应用矢量控制技巧,建立了给定形状和行(列)分部约束的列严格梯形平面分拆集合之枚举函数的初等对称函数行列式表达式.其中之一的重要特例构成了关于循环对称平面分拆的Macdonald猜想的证明基础.     

Refined enumerations of alternating sign matrices: monotone (<Emphasis Type="Italic">d</Emphasis>,<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis>)-trapezoids with prescribed top and bottom row

Monotone triangles are plane integer arrays of triangular shape with certain monotonicity conditions along rows and diagonals. Their significance is mainly due to the fact that they correspond to n×n alternating sign matrices when prescribing (1,2,…,n) as bottom row of the array. We define monotone (d,m)-trapezoids as monotone triangles with m rows where the d−1 top rows are removed. (These objects are also equivalent to certain partial alternating sign matrices.) It is known that the number of monotone triangles with bottom row (k ₁,…,k _n ) is given by a polynomial α(n;k ₁,…,k _n ) in the k _i ’s. The main purpose of this paper is to show that the number of monotone (d,m)-trapezoids with prescribed top and bottom row appears as a coefficient in the expansion of a specialisation of α(n;k ₁,…,k _n ) with respect to a certain polynomial basis. This settles a generalisation of a recent conjecture of Romik et al. (Adv. Math. 222:2004–2035, 2009). Among other things, the result is used to express the number of monotone triangles with bottom row (1,2,…,i−1,i+1,…,j−1,j+1,…,n) (which is, by the standard bijection, also the number of n×n alternating sign matrices with given top two rows) in terms of the number of n×n alternating sign matrices with prescribed top and bottom row, and, by a formula of Stroganov for the latter numbers, to provide an explicit formula for the first numbers. (A formula of this type was first derived by Karklinsky and Romik using the relation of alternating sign matrices to the six-vertex model.)     

Intrinsic products and factorizations of matrices

We say that the product of a row vector and a column vector is intrinsic if there is at most one nonzero product of corresponding coordinates. Analogously we speak about intrinsic product of two or more matrices, as well as about intrinsic factorizations of matrices. Since all entries of the intrinsic product are products of entries of the multiplied matrices, there is no addition. We present several examples, together with important applications. These applications include companion matrices and sign-nonsingular matrices.     

Minimum positive determinant of integer matrices with constant row and column sums

The least possible positive determinant of zero-one matrices that have constant row and column sums is determined, thus proving a conjecture of Newman. The result is extended to n×n integer matrices.     

Symplectic resolutions for nilpotent orbits (II)

Based on our previous work, Fu (Invent. Math. 151 (2003) 167–186), we prove that, given any two projective symplectic resolutions Z₁ and Z₂ of a nilpotent orbit closure in a complex simple Lie algebra of classical type, Z₁ is deformation equivalent to Z₂. This provides support for a ‘folklore’ conjecture on symplectic resolutions for symplectic singularities. To cite this article: B. Fu, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 337 (2003).     

Special cohomology classes for modular Galois representations

Building on ideas of Vatsal [Uniform distribution of Heegner points, Invent. Math. 148(1) (2002) 1-46], Cornut [Mazur's conjecture on higher Heegner points, Invent. Math. 148(3) (2002) 495-523] proved a conjecture of Mazur asserting the generic nonvanishing of Heegner points on an elliptic curve E_/Q as one ascends the anticyclotomic Z_p-extension of a quadratic imaginary extension K/Q. In the present article, Cornut's result is extended by replacing the elliptic curve E with the Galois cohomology of Deligne's two-dimensional ?-adic representation attached to a modular form of weight 2k>2, and replacing the family of Heegner points with an analogous family of special cohomology classes.     

The Hillman-Grassl correspondence and the enumeration of reverse plane partitions

Hillman and Grassl have devised a correspondence between reverse plane partitions and nonnegative integer arrays of the same shape that allowed them to easily enumerate reverse plane partitions and provided a combinatorial connection between hook lengths and plane partitions. In this work, a collection of properties of this correspondence are presented, including two characterizations that relate this map to the familiar Schensted-Knuth correspondence. These properties are used to derive simple expressions for the generating functions of reverse plane partitions and symmetric reverse plane partitions with respect to sums along the diagonals. Equally general results are obtained for shifted reverse plane partitions using a new type of hook, thereby proving a conjecture of Stanley.     

Variations on the Theorem of Birkhoff – von Neumann and Extensions

 The theorem of Birkhoff – von Neumann concerns bistochastic matrices (i.e., matrices with nonnegative real entries such that all row sums and all column sums are equal to one). We consider here real matrices with entries unrestricted in sign and we extend the notion of permutation matrices (integral bistochastic matrices); some generalizations of the theorem are derived by using elementary properties of graph theory. Received: October 10, 2000 Final version received: April 11, 2002     

Transportation matrices with staircase patterns and majorization

We consider some questions concerning transportation matrices with a certain nonzero pattern. For a given staircase pattern we characterize those row sum vectors R and column sum vectors S such that the corresponding class of transportation matrices with the given row and column sums and the given pattern is nonempty. Two versions of this problem are considered. Algorithms for finding matrices in these matrix classes are introduced and, finally, a connection to the notion of majorization is discussed.     

A bijective proof of Kadell's conjecture on plane partitions

We give a weight-preserving bijection from _{r, µ} ^m to, where _{r, µ} ^m is the set of all plane partitions whose entries are m and whose entries below ther-th row form a column strict plane partition of type, and _µ ^m the set of all column strict plane partitions of type whose entries are m, and the set of all plane partitions with at mostr rows, whose entries are m. This confirms a conjecture of Kadell.     

Combinatorial proofs and generalizations of conjectures related to Euler’s partition theorem

In a recent work, Andrews gave analytic proofs of two conjectures concerning some variations of two combinatorial identities between partitions of a positive integer into odd parts and partitions into distinct parts discovered by Beck. Subsequently, using the same method as Andrews, Chern presented the analytic proof of another Beck’s conjecture relating the gap-free partitions and distinct partitions with odd length. However, the combinatorial interpretations of these conjectures are still unclear and required. In this paper, motivated by Glaisher’s bijection, we give the combinatorial proofs of these three conjectures directly or by proving more generalized results.     

A Generalization of Alternating Sign Matrices

In alternating sign matrices, the first and last nonzero entry in each row and column is specified to be +1. Such matrices always exist. We investigate a generalization by specifying independently the sign of the first and last nonzero entry in each row and column to be either a +1 or a ?1. We determine necessary and sufficient conditions for such matrices to exist whose proof contains an algorithm for their construction.