Conjecture on determinants of trimidiation matrices

From papers

Let Bd\mathcal{B}_{d} be the trimidiation matrix defined in Theorem.

Determinant conjecture.

detBn=3n(n+1)/2.\det \mathcal{B}_{n}=3^{n(n+1)/2}.

The conjecture proposes a general formula for the determinants of the trimidiation matrices, extending the observed pattern that these determinants are powers of three.

Progress summary

Open

No public discussion or published progress on this determinant conjecture was found.

No public discussion or published progress was found for the conjecture.

Current status (as of August 2026): The conjecture appears open, with no recorded public activity or verified proof.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Andrew Alaniz and Tim Huber, “On cubic multisections of Eisenstein series”, arXiv:1304.0693 (2013).

Solutions 1

Proof

Let BdB_d be the trimidiation matrix defined by equation (3.18) in the source. That defining formula, also confirmed by the displayed matrices for d=1,2,3d=1,2,3, can be written as

(Bd)r,j=[arcdr](a+2c)dj(ac)j,0r,jd.(1)(B_d)_{r,j} = [a^r c^{d-r}] (a+2c)^{d-j}(a-c)^j, \qquad 0\le r,j\le d. \tag{1}

Consider the linear substitution

xa+2c,yac,x\longmapsto a+2c,\qquad y\longmapsto a-c,

whose matrix is

T=(1121),detT=3.T= \begin{pmatrix} 1&1\\ 2&-1 \end{pmatrix}, \qquad \det T=-3.

In the standard descending monomial basis

(ad,ad1c,,cd),(a^d,a^{d-1}c,\ldots,c^d),

the induced substitution on homogeneous polynomials of degree dd is Symd(T)\operatorname{Sym}^d(T). However, equation (1) orders its output coefficients in the reverse basis

(cd,acd1,,ad).(c^d,ac^{d-1},\ldots,a^d).

Writing JdJ_d for the coordinate-reversal matrix, we therefore have

Bd=JdSymd(T).(2)B_d=J_d\operatorname{Sym}^d(T). \tag{2}

Put

h=(d+12)=d(d+1)2.h=\binom{d+1}{2}=\frac{d(d+1)}2.

The reversal of d+1d+1 coordinates has hh inversions, and hence

detJd=(1)h.\det J_d=(-1)^h.

The eigenvalues of TT are 3\sqrt3 and 3-\sqrt3. Consequently the eigenvalues of Symd(T)\operatorname{Sym}^d(T) are

(3)dj(3)j,j=0,,d,(\sqrt3)^{d-j}(-\sqrt3)^j, \qquad j=0,\ldots,d,

and their product is

detSymd(T)=(detT)h=(3)h.\det\operatorname{Sym}^d(T) = (\det T)^h = (-3)^h.

Taking determinants in (2) yields

detBd=(1)h(3)h=3d(d+1)/2\boxed{\det B_d=(-1)^h(-3)^h = 3^{d(d+1)/2}}

for every d0d\ge0, exactly as conjectured.

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Shivam Patel ·