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Algebra Difficulty 8.6 Shortlist Find the answer

Let nn be a positive integer. For ii and jj in {1,2,,n}\{1,2,\dots,n\}, let s(i,j)s(i,j) be the number of pairs (a,b)(a,b) of nonnegative integers satisfying ai+bj=nai +bj=n. Let SS be the nn-by-nn matrix whose (i,j)(i,j) entry is s(i,j)s(i,j). For example, when n=5n=5, we have S=[6322230101210012000121112]S = \begin{bmatrix} 6 & 3 & 2 & 2 & 2 \\ 3 & 0 & 1 & 0 & 1 \\ 2 & 1 & 0 & 0 & 1 \\ 2 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 1 \\ 2 & 1 & 1 & 1 & 2 \end{bmatrix}. Compute the determinant of SS.

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

The determinant equals (1)n/212n2(-1)^{\lceil n/2 \rceil-1} 2 \lceil \frac{n}{2} \rceil. To begin with, we read off the following features of SS. \begin{itemize} \item SS is symmetric: Sij=SjiS_{ij} = S_{ji} for all i,ji,j, corresponding to (a,b)(b,a)(a,b) \mapsto (b,a)). \item S11=n+1S_{11} = n+1, corresponding to (a,b)=(0,n),(1,n1),,(n,0)(a,b) = (0,n),(1,n-1),\dots,(n,0). \item If n=2mn = 2m is even, then Smj=3S_{mj} = 3 for j=1,mj=1,m, corresponding to (a,b)=(2,0),(1,n2j),(0,nj)(a,b) = (2,0),(1,\frac{n}{2j}),(0,\frac{n}{j}). \item For n2<in\frac{n}{2} < i \leq n, Sij=#(\ZZ{nij,nj})S_{ij} = \# (\ZZ \cap \{\frac{n-i}{j}, \frac{n}{j}\}), corresponding to (a,b)=(1,nij),(0,nj)(a,b) = (1, \frac{n-i}{j}), (0, \frac{n}{j}). \end{itemize} Let TT be the matrix obtained from SS by performing row and column operations as follows: for d=2,,n2d=2,\dots,n-2, subtract SndS_{nd} times row n1n-1 from row dd and subtract SndS_{nd} times column n1n-1 from column dd; then subtract row n1n-1 from row nn and column n1n-1 from column nn. Evidently TT is again symmetric and det(T)=det(S)\det(T) = \det(S). Let us examine row ii of TT for n2<i<n1\frac{n}{2} < i < n-1: \begin{align*} T_{i1} &= S_{i1} - S_{in} S_{(n-1)1} = 2-1\cdot 2 = 0 \\ T_{ij} &= S_{ij} - S_{in} S_{(n-1)j} - S_{nj}S_{i(n-1)}\\ & = \begin{cases} 1 & \mbox{if jj divides nin-i} \\ 0 & \mbox{otherwise}. \end{cases} \quad (1 < j < n-1) \\ T_{i(n-1)} &= S_{i(n-1)} - S_{in} S_{(n-1)(n-1)} = 0-1\cdot0 = 0 \\ T_{in} &= S_{in} - S_{in} S_{(n-1)n} - S_{i(n-1)} = 1 - 1\cdot1 - 0 = 0. \end{align*} Now recall (e.g., from the expansion of a determinant in minors) if a matrix contains an entry equal to 1 which is the unique nonzero entry in either its row or its column, then we may strike out this entry (meaning striking out the row and column containing it) at the expense of multiplying the determinant by a sign. To simplify notation, we do \emph{not} renumber rows and columns after performing this operation. We next verify that for the matrix TT, for i=2,,n2i=2,\dots,\lfloor \frac{n}{2} \rfloor in turn, it is valid to strike out (i,ni)(i,n-i) and (ni,i)(n-i, i) at the cost of multiplying the determinant by -1. Namely, when we reach the entry (ni,i)(n-i,i), the only other nonzero entries in this row have the form (ni,j)(n-i,j) where j>1j>1 divides nin-i, and those entries are in previously struck columns. We thus compute det(S)=det(T)\det(S) = \det(T) as: \begin{gather*} (-1)^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor-1} \det \begin{pmatrix} n+1 & -1 & 0 \\ -1 & 0 & 1 \\ 0 & 1 & 0 \end{pmatrix} \mbox{for nn odd,} \\ (-1)^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor-1} \det \begin{pmatrix} n+1 & -1 & 2 & 0 \\ -1 & -1 & 1 & -1 \\ 2 & 1 & 0 & 1 \\ 0 & -1 & 1 & 0 \end{pmatrix} \mbox{for nn even.} \end{gather*} In the odd case, we can strike the last two rows and columns (creating another negation) and then conclude at once. In the even case, the rows and columns are labeled 1,n2,n1,n1, \frac{n}{2}, n-1, n; by adding row/column n1n-1 to row/column n2\frac{n}{2}, we produce (1)n/2det(n+1120111021010010) (-1)^{\lfloor n/2 \rfloor} \det \begin{pmatrix} n+1 & 1 & 2 & 0 \\ 1 & 1 & 1 & 0 \\ 2 & 1 & 0 & 1 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 0 \end{pmatrix} and we can again strike the last two rows and columns (creating another negation) and then read off the result. \n\n\textbf{Remark.} One can use a similar approach to compute some related determinants. For example, let JJ be the matrix with Jij=1J_{ij} = 1 for all i,ji,j. In terms of an indeterminate qq, define the matrix TT by Tij=qSij. T_{ij} = q^{S_{ij}}. We then have det(TtJ)=(1)n/21q2(τ(n)1)(q1)n1fn(q,t) \det(T-tJ) = (-1)^{\lceil n/2 \rceil-1} q^{2(\tau(n)-1)} (q-1)^{n-1}f_n(q,t) where τ(n)\tau(n) denotes the number of divisors of nn and f_n(q,t) = \begin{cases} q^{n-1}t+q^2-2t & \mbox{for $n$ odd,} \\ q^{n-1}t +q^2-qt-t & \mbox{for $n$ even.} \end{cases} Taking t=1t=1 and then dividing by (q1)n(q-1)^n, this yields a \emph{qq-deformation} of the original matrix SS.

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