We introduce a new family $\mathcal{A}_{n,k}$ of Schur positive symmetric functions, which are defined as sums over totally symmetric plane partitions. In the first part, we show that, for $k=1$, this family is equal to a multivariate generating function involving $n+3$ variables of objects that extend alternating sign matrices (ASMs), which have recently been introduced by the authors. This establishes a new connection between ASMs and a class of plane partitions, thereby complementing the fact that ASMs are equinumerous with totally symmetric self-complementary plane partitions as well as with descending plane partitions. The proof is based on a new antisymmetrizer-to-determinant formula for which we also provide a bijective proof. In the second part, we relate three specialisation of $\mathcal{A}_{n,k}$ to a weighted enumeration of certain well-known classes of column strict shifted plane partitions that generalise descending plane partitions.
We prove the equality of doubly refined enumerations of Alternating Sign Matrices and of Totally Symmetric Self-Complementary Plane Partitions using integral formulae originating from certain solutions of the quantum Knizhnik--Zamolodchikov equation.
We present multiresidue formulae for partial sums in the basis of link patterns of the polynomial solution to the level 1 U_q(\hat sl_2) quantum Knizhnik--Zamolodchikov equation at generic values of the quantum parameter q. These allow for rewriting and generalizing a recent conjecture [Di Francesco '06] connecting the above to generating polynomials for weighted Totally Symmetric Self-Complementary Plane Partitions. We reduce the corresponding conjectures to a single integral identity, yet to be proved.
We study the Schur polynomial expansion of a family of symmetric polynomials related to the refined enumeration of alternating sign matrices with respect to their inversion number, complementary inversion number and the position of the unique $1$ in the top row. We prove that the expansion can be expressed as a sum over totally symmetric plane partitions and we are also able to determine the coefficients. This establishes a new connection between alternating sign matrices and a class of plane partitions, thereby complementing the fact that alternating sign matrices are equinumerous with totall…
In this paper we settle a weak version of a conjecture (i.e. Conjecture 6) by Mills, Robbins and Rumsey in the paper "Self-complementary totally symmetric plane partitions" (J. Combin. Theory Ser. A 42, 277-292). In other words we show that the number of shifted plane partitions invariant under an involution is equal to the number of alternating sign matrices invariant under the vertical flip. We also give a determinantal formula for the general conjecture (Conjecture 6), but this determinant is still hard to evaluate. In this paper we introduce two new classes of domino plane partitions, one …
Alternating sign matrices and totally symmetric self-complementary plane partitions are equinumerous sets of objects for which no explicit bijection is known. In this paper, we identify a subset of totally symmetric self-complementary plane partitions corresponding to permutations by giving a statistic-preserving bijection to permutation matrices, which are a subset of alternating sign matrices. We use this bijection to define a new partial order on permutations, and prove this new poset contains both the Tamari lattice and the Catalan distributive lattice as subposets. We also study a new par…
It is known that for a totally positive (TP) matrix, the eigenvalues are positive and distinct and the eigenvector associated with the smallest eigenvalue is totally nonzero and has an alternating sign pattern. Here, a certain weakening of the TP hypothesis is shown to yield a similar conclusion.
Alternating sign matrices (ASMs) are square matrices with entries 0, 1, or -1 whose rows and columns sum to 1 and whose nonzero entries alternate in sign. We put ASMs into a larger context by studying the order ideals of subposets of a certain poset, proving that they are in bijection with a variety of interesting combinatorial objects, including ASMs, totally symmetric self--complementary plane partitions (TSSCPPs), Catalan objects, tournaments, semistandard Young tableaux, and totally symmetric plane partitions. We use this perspective to prove an expansion of the tournament generating funct…
Alternating sign matrices (ASMs) are square matrices with entries 0, 1, or -1 whose rows and columns sum to 1 and whose nonzero entries alternate in sign. We present a unifying perspective on ASMs and other combinatorial objects by studying a certain tetrahedral poset and its subposets. We prove the order ideals of these subposets are in bijection with a variety of interesting combinatorial objects, including ASMs, totally symmetric self-complementary plane partitions (TSSCPPs), staircase shaped semistandard Young tableaux, Catalan objects, tournaments, and totally symmetric plane partitions. …
Descending plane partitions, alternating sign matrices, and totally symmetric self-complementary plane partitions are equinumerous combinatorial sets for which no explicit bijection is known. In this paper, we isolate a subset of descending plane partitions counted by the Catalan numbers. The proof follows by constructing a generating tree on these descending plane partitions that has the same structure as the generating tree for 231-avoiding permutations. We hope this result will provide insight on the search for a bijection with alternating sign matrices and/or totally symmetric self-complem…
Alternating sign matrices are known to be equinumerous with descending plane partitions, totally symmetric self-complementary plane partitions and alternating sign triangles, but no bijective proof for any of these equivalences has been found so far. In this paper we provide the first bijective proof of the operator formula for monotone triangles, which has been the main tool for several non-combinatorial proofs of such equivalences. In this proof, signed sets and sijections (signed bijections) play a fundamental role.
We describe an approach to finding a bijection between Alternating Sign Matrices and Totally Symmetric Self-Complementary Plane Partitions, which is based on the Schutzenberger involution. In particular we give an explicit bijection between Gog and Magog trapezoids with two diagonals.
We extend the Razumov-Stroganov conjecture relating the groundstate of the O(1) spin chain to alternating sign matrices, by relating the groundstate of the monodromy matrix of the O(1) model to the so-called refined alternating sign matrices, i.e. with prescribed configuration of their first row, as well as to refined fully-packed loop configurations on a square grid, keeping track both of the loop connectivity and of the configuration of their top row. We also conjecture a direct relation between this groundstate and refined totally symmetric self-complementary plane partitions, namely, in th…
Zeilberger proved the Refined Alternating Sign Matrix Theorem, which gives a product formula, first conjectured by Mills, Robbins and Rumsey, for the number of alternating sign matrices with given top row. Stroganov proved an explicit formula for the number of alternating sign matrices with given top and bottom rows. Fischer and Romik considered a different kind of "doubly-refined enumeration" where one counts alternating sign matrices with given top two rows, and obtained partial results on this enumeration. In this paper we continue the study of the doubly-refined enumeration with respect to…
It was shown by Kuperberg that the partition function of the square-ice model related to half-turn symmetric alternating-sign matrices of even order is the product of two similar factors. We propose a square-ice model whose states are in bijection with half-turn symmetric alternating-sign matrices of odd order. The partition function of the model is expressed via the above mentioned factors. The contributions to the partition function of the states corresponding to the alternating-sign matrices having 1 or -1 as the central entry are found and the related enumerations are obtained.
We prove refined enumeration results on several symmetry classes as well as related classes of alternating sign matrices with respect to classical boundary statistics, using the six-vertex model of statistical physics. More precisely, we study vertically symmetric, vertically and horizontally symmetric, vertically and horizontally perverse, off-diagonally and off-antidiagonally symmetric, vertically and off-diagonally symmetric, quarter turn symmetric as well as quasi quarter turn symmetric alternating sign matrices. Our results prove conjectures of Fischer, Duchon and Robbins.
Lecture notes for the proceedings of the workshop "Algebraic Combinatorics related to Young diagram and statistical physics", Aug. 6-10 2012, I.I.A.S., Nara, Japan.
We define a higher spin alternating sign matrix to be an integer-entry square matrix in which, for a nonnegative integer r, all complete row and column sums are r, and all partial row and column sums extending from each end of the row or column are nonnegative. Such matrices correspond to configurations of spin r/2 statistical mechanical vertex models with domain-wall boundary conditions. The case r=1 gives standard alternating sign matrices, while the case in which all matrix entries are nonnegative gives semimagic squares. We show that the higher spin alternating sign matrices of size n are …
In this paper we study the Rotor Model of Martins and Nienhuis. After introducing spectral parameters, a combined use of integrability, polynomiality of the ground state wave function and a mapping into the fully-packed O(1)-model allows us to determine the sum rule and a family of maximally nested components for different boundary conditions. We see in this way the appearance of 3-enumerations of Alternating Sign Matrices.
We study a one-parameter family of vector-valued polynomials associated to each simple Lie algebra. When this parameter $q$ equals -1 one recovers Joseph polynomials, whereas at $q$ cubic root of unity one obtains ground state eigenvectors of some integrable models with boundary conditions depending on the Lie algebra; in particular, we find that the sum of its entries is related to numbers of Alternating Sign Matrices and/or Plane Partitions in various symmetry classes.
The integrable loop model with mixed boundary conditions based on the 1-boundary extended Temperley--Lieb algebra with loop weight 1 is considered. The corresponding qKZ equation is introduced and its minimal degree solution described. As a result, the sum of the properly normalized components of the ground state in size L is computed and shown to be equal to the number of Horizontally and Vertically Symmetric Alternating Sign Matrices of size 2L+3. A refined counting is also considered.
We prove a conjecture of Cohn and Propp, which refines a conjecture of Bosley and Fidkowski about the symmetry of the set of alternating sign matrices (ASMs). We examine data arising from the representation of an ASM as a collection of paths connecting 2n vertices and show it to be invariant under the dihedral group D_{2n} rearranging those vertices, which is much bigger than the group of symmetries of the square. We also generalize conjectures of Propp and Wilson relating some of this data for different values of n.
The problem of the limit shape of large alternating sign matrices (ASMs) is addressed by studying the emptiness formation probability (EFP) in the domain-wall six-vertex model. Assuming that the limit shape arises in correspondence to the `condensation' of almost all solutions of the saddle-point equations for certain multiple integral representation for EFP, a conjectural expression for the limit shape of large ASMs is derived. The case of 3-enumerated ASMs is also considered.
We show that there is the same number of (n,l)-alternating sign trapezoids as there is of column strict shifted plane partitions of class l-1 with at most n parts in the top row, thereby proving a result that was conjectured independently by Behrend and Aigner. The first objects generalize alternating sign triangles, which have recently been introduced by Ayyer, Behrend and the author who showed that they are counted by the same formula as alternating sign matrices. Column strict shifted plane partitions of a fixed class were introduced in a slightly different form by Andrews, and they essenti…
We study a further refinement of the standard refined enumeration of alternating sign matrices (ASMs) according to their first two rows instead of just the first row, and more general "d-refined" enumerations of ASMs according to the first d rows. For the doubly-refined case of d=2, we derive a system of linear equations satisfied by the doubly-refined enumeration numbers A_{n,i,j} that enumerate such matrices. We give a conjectural explicit formula for A_{n,i,j} and formulate several other conjectures about the sufficiency of the linear equations to determine the A_{n,i,j}'s and about an exte…
The appearance of numbers enumerating alternating sign matrices in stationary states of certain stochastic processes is reviewed. New conjectures concerning nest distribution functions are presented as well as a bijection between certain classes of alternating sign matrices and lozenge tilings of hexagons with cut off corners.
In a previous article [math.CO/9712207], we derived the alternating-sign matrix (ASM) theorem from the Izergin-Korepin determinant for a partition function for square ice with domain wall boundary. Here we show that the same argument enumerates three other symmetry classes of alternating-sign matrices: VSASMs (vertically symmetric ASMs), even HTSASMs (half-turn-symmetric ASMs), and even QTSASMs (quarter-turn-symmetric ASMs). The VSASM enumeration was conjectured by Mills; the others by Robbins [math.CO/0008045]. We introduce several new types of ASMs: UASMs (ASMs with a U-turn side), UUASMs (t…
The aim of this note is to prove that fluctuations of uniformly random alternating sign matrices (equivalently, configurations of the six-vertex model with domain wall boundary conditions) near the boundary are described by the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble and the GUE-corners process.
An explicit expression for the numbers $A(n,r;3)$ describing the refined 3-enumeration of alternating sign matrices is given. The derivation is based on the recent results of Stroganov for the corresponding generating function. As a result, $A(n,r;3)$'s are represented as 1-fold sums which can also be written in terms of terminating ${}_4F_3$ series of argument 1/4.
We prove and conjecture some new symmetric function identities, which equate the generating series of 1. Plane partitions, subject to certain restrictions and weightings, and 2. Alternating sign matrices, subject to certain symmetry properties. The left hand side of each of our identities is a simple refinement of a relevant Cauchy or Littlewood identity, allowing them to be interpreted as generating series for plane partitions. The right hand side of each identity is a partition function of the six-vertex model, on a relevant domain. These can be interpreted as generating series for alternati…
We obtain a new expression for the partition function of the 8VSOS model with domain wall boundary conditions, which we consider to be the natural extension of the Izergin-Korepin formula for the six-vertex model. As applications, we find dynamical (in the sense of the dynamical Yang-Baxter equation) generalizations of the enumeration and 2-enumeration of alternating sign matrices. The dynamical enumeration has a nice interpretation in terms of three-colourings of the square lattice.
Alternating sign triangles were introduced by Carroll and Speyer in relation to cube recurrence, by analogy to alternating sign matrices for octahedron recurrence. In this paper, we prove the connectivity of alternating sign triangles, which is analogous to the connectivity of alternating sign matrices.
Alternating sign triangles were introduced by Carroll and Speyer in relation to cube recurrence, by analogy to alternating sign matrices for octahedron recurrence. Permutation triangles are the alternating sign triangles whose entries are either 0 or 1, by analogy with permutation matrices. In this paper, we prove a simple characterization of permutation triangles, originally conjectured by Glick. We will also prove some properties of alternating sign triangles.
This article introduces and investigates a refinement of alternating sign trapezoids by means of Catalan objects and Motzkin paths. Alternating sign trapezoids are a generalisation of alternating sign triangles, which were recently introduced by Ayyer, Behrend and Fischer. We show that the number of alternating sign trapezoids associated with a Catalan object (resp. Motzkin path) is a polynomial function in the length of the shorter base of the trapezoid. We also study the rational roots of the polynomials and formulate several conjectures and derive some partial results. Lastly, we deduce a c…
We initiate a study of the zero-nonzero patterns of n by n alternating sign matrices. We characterize the row (column) sum vectors of these patterns and determine their minimum term rank. In the case of connected alternating sign matrices, we find the minimum number of nonzero entries and characterize the case of equality. We also study symmetric alternating sign matrices, in particular, those with only zeros on the main diagonal. These give rise to alternating signed graphs without loops, and we determine the maximum number of edges in such graphs. We also consider n by n alternating sign mat…
We extend the author's formula (2011) of weighted counting of inversions on permutations to the one on alternating sign matrices. The proof is based on the sequential construction of alternating sign matrices from the unit matrix recently shown by Brualdi-Schroeder and the author (both 2017) independently.
The refined enumeration of alternating sign matrices (ASMs) of given order having prescribed behavior near one or more of their boundary edges has been the subject of extensive study, starting with the Refined Alternating Sign Matrix Conjecture of Mills-Robbins-Rumsey, its proof by Zeilberger, and more recent work on doubly-refined and triply-refined enumeration by several authors. In this paper we extend the previously known results on this problem by deriving explicit enumeration formulas for the "top-left-bottom" (triply-refined) and "top-left-bottom-right" (quadruply-refined) enumerations.…
Alternating sign trapezoids have recently been introduced as a generalisation of alternating sign triangles. Fischer established a threefold refined enumeration of alternating sign trapezoids and provided three statistics on column strict shifted plane partitions with the same joint distribution. In this paper, we are able to add a new pair of statistics to these results. More precisely, we consider the number of $-1$s on alternating sign trapezoids and introduce a corresponding statistic on column strict shifted plane partitions that has the same distribution. More generally, we show that the…
The alternating-runs polynomial enumerates alternating runs in the symmetric group. There are three formulae for the number of permutations, $R_{n,k}$ in $\mathfrak{S}_n$ with $k$ alternating runs, but all of them are complicated. We show that when enumerated with sign taken into account, one gets a {\it neat formula}. As a consequence, we get a near refinement of a result of Wilf on the exponent of $(1+t)$ when it divides the alternating-runs polynomial in the alternating group $\mathcal{A}_n$. Other applications include a moment-type identity and enumeration of alternating permutations in $\…
In the early 1980s, Mills, Robbins and Rumsey conjectured, and in 1996 Zeilberger proved a simple product formula for the number of $n \times n$ alternating sign matrices with a 1 at the top of the $i$-th 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.
The aim of this work is to enumerate alternating sign matrices (ASM) that are quasi-invariant under a quarter-turn. The enumeration formula (conjectured by Duchon) involves, as a product of three terms, the number of unrestricted ASM's and the number of half-turn symmetric ASM's.
A conjugacy class $C$ of a finite group $G$ is a sign conjugacy class if every irreducible character of $G$ takes value 0, 1 or -1 on $C$. In this paper we classify the sign conjugacy classes of alternating groups.
Lascoux and Schützenberger introduced a notion of key associated to any Young tableau. More recently Lascoux defined the key of an alternating sign matrix by recursively removing all -1's in such matrices. But alternating sign matrices are in bijection with monotone triangles, which form a subclass of Young tableaux. We show that in this case these two notions of keys coincide. Moreover we obtain an elegant and direct way to compute the key of any Young tableau, and discuss consequences of our result.
We prove a determinantal identity concerning Schur functions for 2-staircase diagrams lambda=(ln+l',ln,l(n-1)+l',l(n-1),...,l+l',l,l',0). When l=1 and l'=0 these functions are related to the partition function of the 6-vertex model at the combinatorial point and hence to enumerations of Alternating Sign Matrices. A consequence of our result is an identity concerning the doubly-refined enumerations 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.
The aim of this work is to enumerate alternating sign matrices (ASM) that are quasi-invariant under a quarter-turn. The enumeration formula (conjectured by Duchon) involves, as a product of three terms, the number of unrestricted ASM's and the number of half-turn symmetric ASM's.
Robbins conjectured, and Zeilberger recently proved, that there are 1!4!7!...(3n-2)!/n!/(n+1)!/.../(2n-1)! alternating sign matrices of order n. We give a new proof of this result using an analysis of the six-vertex state model (also called square ice) based on the Yang-Baxter equation.
We define the alternating sign matrix polytope as the convex hull of nxn alternating sign matrices and prove its equivalent description in terms of inequalities. This is analogous to the well known result of Birkhoff and von Neumann that the convex hull of the permutation matrices equals the set of all nonnegative doubly stochastic matrices. We count the facets and vertices of the alternating sign matrix polytope and describe its projection to the permutohedron as well as give a complete characterization of its face lattice in terms of modified square ice configurations. Furthermore we prove t…
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 a number of left and right columns are fixed. The main result is a simple linear relation between the number of $n \times n$ alternating sign matrices where the top row as well as the left and the right column is fixed and the number of $n \times n$ alternating sign matrices where the two top rows and the bottom row is fixed. This may be seen …
