Abstract. We investigate certain measures induced by families of nonintersecting paths in domino tilings of the Aztec diamond, rhombus tilings of an abc-hexagon, a dimer model on a cylindrical brick lattice and a growth model. The measures obtained, e.g. the Krawtchouk and Hahn ensembles, have the same structure as the eigenvalue measures in random matrix theory like GUE, which can in fact can be obtained from non-intersecting Brownian motions. The derivations of the measures are based on the Karlin-McGregor or Lindström-Gessel-Viennot method. We use the measures to show some asymptotic results for the models. 1.

Abstract. This is a complement to my previous article “Advanced Determinant Calculus ” (Séminaire Lotharingien Combin. 42 (1999), Article B42q, 67 pp.). In the present article, I share with the reader my experience of applying the methods described in the previous article in order to solve a particular problem from number theory (G. Almkvist, J. Petersson and the author, Experiment. Math. 12 (2003), 441– 456). Moreover, I add a list of determinant evaluations which I consider as interesting, which have been found since the appearance of the previous article, or which I failed to mention there, including several conjectures and open problems. 1.

We give an overview of how a huge class of multisum identities can be proven and discovered with the summation package Sigma implemented in the computer algebra system Mathematica. General principles of symbolic summation are discussed. We illustrate the usage of Sigma by showing how one can find and prove a multisum identity that arose in the enumeration of rhombus tilings of a symmetric hexagon. Whereas this identity has been derived alternatively with the help of highly involved transformations of special functions, our tools enable to find and prove this identity completely automatically with the computer.

Dedicated to the memory of Gian-Carlo Rota who encouraged me to write this paper in the present style Abstract. In this paper we derive many infinite families of explicit exact formulas involving either squares or triangular numbers, two of which generalize Jacobi’s 4 and 8 squares identities to 4n 2 or 4n(n + 1) squares, respectively, without using cusp forms. In fact, we similarly generalize to infinite families all of Jacobi’s explicitly stated degree 2, 4, 6, 8 Lambert series expansions of classical theta functions. In addition, we extend Jacobi’s special analysis of 2 squares, 2 triangles, 6 squares, 6 triangles to 12 squares, 12 triangles, 20 squares, 20 triangles, respectively. Our 24 squares identity leads to a different formula for Ramanujan’s tau function τ(n), when n is odd. These results, depending on new expansions for powers of various products of classical theta functions, arise in the setting of Jacobi elliptic functions, associated continued fractions, regular C-fractions, Hankel or Turánian determinants, Fourier series, Lambert series, inclusion/exclusion, Laplace expansion formula for determinants, and Schur functions. The Schur function form of these infinite families of identities are analogous to the η-function identities of Macdonald. Moreover, the powers 4n(n + 1), 2n 2 + n, 2n 2 − n that appear in Macdonald’s work also arise at appropriate places in our analysis. A special case of our general methods yields a proof of the two Kac–Wakimoto conjectured identities involving representing

The purpose of this article is threefold. First, it provides the reader with a few useful and efficient tools which should enable her/him to evaluate nontrivial determinants for the case such a determinant should appear in her/his research. Second, it lists a number of such determinants that have been already evaluated, together with explanations which tell in which contexts they have appeared. Third, it points out references where further such determinant evaluations can be found.

We present symbolic summation tools in the context of difference fields that help scientists in practical problem solving. Throughout this article we present multi-sum examples which are related to combinatorial problems.

Abstract. Motivated by the enumeration of a class of plane partitions studied by Proctor and by considerations about symmetry classes of plane partitions, we consider the problem of enumerating lozenge tilings of a hexagon with “maximal staircases ” removed from some of its vertices. The case of one vertex corresponds to Proctor’s problem. For two vertices there are several cases to consider, and most of them lead to nice enumeration formulas. For three or more vertices there do not seem to exist nice product formulas in general, but in one special situation a lot of factorization occurs, and we pose the problem of finding a formula for the number of tilings in this case.

Implementations of the celebrated Gosper algorithm (1978) for indefinite summation are available on almost any computer algebra platform. We report here about an implementation of an algorithm by Karr, the most general indefinite summation algorithm known. Karr’s algorithm is, in a sense, the summation counterpart of Risch’s algorithm for indefinite integration. This is the first implementation of this algorithm in a major computer algebra system. Our version contains new extensions to handle also definite summation problems. In addition we provide a feature to find automatically appropriate difference field extensions in which a closed form for the summation problem exists. These new aspects are illustrated by a variety of examples. 1

Abstract. We compute the number of rhombus tilings of a hexagon with side lengths a,b,c,a,b,c which contain the central rhombus and the number of rhombus tilings of a hexagon with side lengths a,b,c,a,b,c which contain the ‘almost central ’ rhombus above the centre.

Abstract. We show how to count tilings of Aztec diamonds and hexagons with defects using determinants. In several cases these determinants can be evaluated in closed form. In particular, we obtain solutions to open problems 1, 2, and 10 in James Propp’s list of problems on enumeration of matchings [21]. 1.