Combinatorics of Matrix Factorizations and Integrable Systems

We study relations between the eigenvectors of rational matrix functions on the Riemann sphere. Our main result is that for a subclass of functions that are products of two elementary blocks it is possible to represent these relations in a combinatorial–geometric way using a diagram of a cube. In this representation, vertices of the cube represent eigenvectors, edges are labeled by differences of locations of zeroes and poles of the determinant of our matrix function, and each face corresponds to a particular choice of a coordinate system on the space of such functions. Moreover, for each face this labeling encodes, in a neat and efficient way, a generating function for the expressions of the remaining four eigenvectors that label the opposing face of the cube in terms of the coordinates represented by the chosen face. The main motivation behind this work is that when our matrix is a Lax matrix of a discrete integrable system, such generating functions can be interpreted as Lagrangians of the system, and a choice of a particular face corresponds to a choice of the direction of the motion.