arXiv subjects

Christoph Koutschan

Publications and source records attributed to Christoph Koutschan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Diagonally symmetric alternating sign matrices

The enumeration of diagonally symmetric alternating sign matrices (DSASMs) is studied, and a Pfaffian formula is obtained for the number of DSASMs of any fixed size, where the entries for the Pfaffian are positive integers given by simple binomial coefficient expressions. This result provides the first known case of an exact enumeration formula for an alternating sign matrix symmetry class in which a simple product formula does not seem to exist. Pfaffian formulae are also obtained for DSASM generating functions associated with several natural statistics, including the number of nonzero strictly upper triangular entries in a DSASM, the number of nonzero diagonal entries in a DSASM, and the column number of the unique 1 in the first row of a DSASM. The proofs of these results involve introducing a version of the six-vertex model whose configurations are in bijection with DSASMs of fixed size, and obtaining a Pfaffian expression for its partition function. Various related topics are also studied, involving diagonally symmetric permutation matrices, off-diagonally symmetric alternating sign matrices, certain natural involutions on DSASMs, and the asymptotic enumeration of DSASMs and other classes of alternating sign matrices.

math.CO↗

arXiv2026

Representing Piecewise-Linear Functions by Functions with Minimal Arity

Any continuous piecewise-linear function $F\colon \mathbb{R}^{n}\to \mathbb{R}$ can be represented as a linear combination of $\max$ functions of at most $n+1$ affine-linear functions. In our previous paper [``Representing piecewise linear functions by functions with small arity'', AAECC, 2023], we showed that this upper bound of $n+1$ arguments is tight. In the present paper, we extend this result by establishing a correspondence between the function $F$ and the minimal number of arguments that are needed in any such decomposition. We show that the tessellation of the input space $\mathbb{R}^{n}$ induced by the function $F$ has a direct connection to the number of arguments in the $\max$ functions.

cs.DM↗

arXiv2026

When Does the Dice Sum Become Prime?

Given a (possibly infinite) subset $A$ of the natural numbers, we ask how many times a fair six-sided die must be rolled until the rolled numbers add up to an element of $A$. Using a one-dimensional dynamic programming recursion together with truncation and rigorous error bounds, we compute the expected number of rolls efficiently and with very high accuracy. When $A$ is the set of prime numbers, the irregular distribution of primes makes it difficult to obtain explicit error estimates. Nevertheless, the density of primes implies that the associated survival probability decays exponentially fast, which enables highly accurate truncation estimates. As a result, our calculations yield significantly sharper estimates for this expectation and its higher moments than the original results of Conroy, Alon, and Malinovsky. In particular, we determine the expectation to more than $1000$ decimal places.

math.PR↗

arXiv2025

How to generate all possible rational Wilf-Zeilberger forms?

Wilf-Zeilberger pairs are fundamental in the algorithmic theory of Wilf and Zeilberger for computer-generated proofs of combinatorial identities. Wilf-Zeilberger forms are their high-dimensional generalizations, which can be used for proving and discovering convergence acceleration formulas. This paper presents a structural description of all possible rational such forms, which can be viewed as an additive analog of the classical Ore-Sato theorem. Based on this analog, we show a structural decomposition of so-called multivariate hyperarithmetic terms, which extend multivariate hypergeometric terms to the additive setting.

cs.SC↗

arXiv2025

Creative Telescoping

These notes on creative telescoping are based on a series of lectures at the Institut Henri Poincare in November and December 2023.

cs.SC↗

arXiv2025

Non-minimality of minimal telescopers explained by residues

Elaborating on an approach recently proposed by Mark van Hoeij, we continue to investigate why creative telescoping occasionally fails to find the minimal-order annihilating operator of a given definite sum or integral. We offer an explanation based on the consideration of residues.

cs.SC↗

arXiv2025

A Shape Lemma for Ideals of Differential Operators

We propose a version of the classical shape lemma for zero-dimensional ideals of a commutative multivariate polynomial ring to the noncommutative setting of zero-dimensional ideals in an algebra of differential operators.

cs.SC↗

arXiv2025

Quaternary Legendre pairs II

Quaternary Legendre pairs are pertinent to the construction of quaternary Hadamard matrices and have many applications, for example in coding theory and communications. In contrast to binary Legendre pairs, quaternary ones can exist for even length $\ell$ as well. It is conjectured that there is a quaternary Legendre pair for any even $\ell$. The smallest open case until now had been $\ell=28$, and $\ell=38$ was the only length $\ell$ with $28\le \ell\le 60$ resolved before. Here we provide constructions for $\ell=28,30,32$, and $34$. In parallel and independently, Jedwab and Pender found a construction of quaternary Legendre pairs of length $\ell=(q-1)/2$ for any prime power $q\equiv 1\bmod 4$, which in particular covers $\ell=30$, $36$, and $40$, so that now $\ell=42$ is the smallest unresolved case. The main new idea of this paper is a way to separate the search for the subsequences along even and odd indices which substantially reduces the complexity of the search algorithm. In addition, we use Galois theory for cyclotomic fields to derive conditions which improve the PSD test.

math.CO↗

arXiv2025

The (Symbolic and Numeric) Computational Challenges of Counting 0-1 Balanced Matrices

A chessboard has the property that every row and every column has as many white squares as black squares. In this mostly methodological note, we address the problem of counting such rectangular arrays with a fixed (numeric) number of rows, but an arbitrary (symbolic) number of columns. We first address the ``vanilla" problem where there are no restrictions, and then go on to discuss the still-more-challenging problem of counting such binary arrays that are not permitted to contain a specified (finite) set of horizontal patterns, and a specified set of vertical patterns. While we can rigorously prove that each such sequence satisfies some linear recurrence equation with polynomial coefficients, actually finding these recurrences poses major {\it symbolic}-computational challenges, that we can only meet in some small cases. In fact, just generating as many as possible terms of these sequences is a big {\it numeric}-computational challenge. This was tackled by computer whiz Ron H. Hardin, who contributed several such sequences, and computed quite a few terms of each. We extend Hardin's sequences quite considerably. We also talk about the much easier problem of counting such restricted arrays without balance conditions.

math.CO↗

arXiv2024

Legendre pairs of lengths $\ell\equiv0$ (mod 5)

By assuming a type of balance for length $\ell=87$ and non-trivial subgroups of multiplier groups of Legendre pairs (LPs) for length $\ell=85$, we find LPs of these lengths. We then study the power spectral density (PSD) values of m-compressions of LPs of length 5m. We also formulate a conjecture for Legendre pairs of lengths $\ell \equiv 0$ (mod 5) and demonstrate how it can be used to decrease the search space and storage requirements for finding such LPs. The newly found LPs decrease the number of integers in the range $\leq 200$ for which the existence question of LPs remains unsolved from 12 to 10.

math.CO↗

arXiv2024

Determinant evaluations inspired by Di Francesco's determinant for twenty-vertex configurations

In his work on the twenty vertex model, Di Francesco [Electron. J. Combin. 28(4) (2021), Paper No. 4.38] found a determinant formula for the number of configurations in a specific such model, and he conjectured a closed form product formula for the evaluation of this determinant. We prove this conjecture here. Moreover, we actually generalize this determinant evaluation to a one-parameter family of determinant evaluations, and we present many more determinant evaluations of similar type - some proved, some left open as conjectures.

math.CO↗

arXiv2023

Transcendence Certificates for D-finite Functions

Although in theory we can decide whether a given D-finite function is transcendental, transcendence proofs remain a challenge in practice. Typically, transcendence is certified by checking certain incomplete sufficient conditions. In this paper we propose an additional such condition which catches some cases on which other tests fail.

cs.SC↗

arXiv2023

Yay for Determinants!

In this {\it case study}, we hope to show why Sheldon Axler was not just wrong, but {\em wrong}, when he urged, in 1995: ``Down with Determinants!''. We first recall how determinants are useful in enumerative combinatorics, and then illustrate three versatile tools (Dodgson's condensation, the holonomic ansatz and constant term evaluations) to operate in tandem to prove a certain intriguing determinantal formula conjectured by the first author. We conclude with a postscript describing yet another, much more efficient, method for evaluating determinants: `ask determinant-guru, Christian Krattenthaler', but advise people only to use it as a last resort, since if we would have used this last method right away, we would not have had the fun of doing it all by ourselves.

math.CO↗

arXiv2023

Collisionless shock region of the KdV equation and an entry in Gradshteyn and Ryzhik

The long-time behavior of solutions to the initial value problem for the Korteweg-de Vries equation on the whole line, with general initial conditions has been described uniformly using five different asymptotic forms. Four of these asymptotic forms were expected: the quiescent behavior (for |x| very large), a soliton region (in which the solution behaves as a collection of isolated solitary waves), a self-similar region (in which the solution is described via a Painlevé transcendent), and a similarity region (where the solution behaves as a simple trigonometric function of the quantities t and x/t). A fifth asymptotic form, lying between the self-similar (Painlevé) and the similarity one, has been described in terms of classical elliptic functions. An integral of elliptic type, giving an explicit representation of the phase, has appeared in this context. The same integral has appeared in the table of integrals by Gradshteyn and Ryzhik. Our goal here is to confirm the validity of this entry.

math.CA↗

arXiv2023

A Unified Approach to Unimodality of Gaussian Polynomials

In 2013, Pak and Panova proved the strict unimodality property of $q$-binomial coefficients $\binom{\ell+m}{m}_q$ (as polynomials in $q$) based on the combinatorics of Young tableaux and the semigroup property of Kronecker coefficients. They showed it to be true for all $\ell,m\geq 8$ and a few other cases. We propose a different approach to this problem based on computer algebra, where we establish a closed form for the coefficients of these polynomials and then use cylindrical algebraic decomposition to identify exactly the range of coefficients where strict unimodality holds. This strategy allows us to tackle generalizations of the problem, e.g., to show unimodality with larger gaps or unimodality of related sequences. In particular, we present proofs of two additional cases of a conjecture by Stanley and Zanello.

cs.SC↗

arXiv2023

Representing Piecewise Linear Functions by Functions with Small Arity

A piecewise linear function can be described in different forms: as an arbitrarily nested expression of $\min$- and $\max$-functions, as a difference of two convex piecewise linear functions, or as a linear combination of maxima of affine-linear functions. In this paper, we provide two main results: first, we show that for every piecewise linear function there exists a linear combination of $\max$-functions with at most $n+1$ arguments, and give an algorithm for its computation. Moreover, these arguments are contained in the finite set of affine-linear functions that coincide with the given function in some open set. Second, we prove that the piecewise linear function $\max(0, x_{1}, \ldots, x_{n})$ cannot be represented as a linear combination of maxima of less than $n+1$ affine-linear arguments. This was conjectured by Wang and Sun in 2005 in a paper on representations of piecewise linear functions as linear combination of maxima.

cs.SC↗

arXiv2023

Some D-finite and Some Possibly D-finite Sequences in the OEIS

In an automatic search, we found conjectural recurrences for some sequences in the OEIS that were not previously recognized as being D-finite. In some cases, we are able to prove the conjectured recurrence. In some cases, we are not able to prove the conjectured recurrence, but we can prove that a recurrence exists. In some remaining cases, we do not know where the recurrence might come from.

cs.SC↗

arXiv2023

On Potentials Integrated by the Nikiforov-Uvarov Method

We discuss basic potentials of the nonrelativistic and relativistic quantum mechanics that can be integrated in the Nikiforov and Uvarov paradigm with the aid of a computer algebra system. This consideration may help the readers to study analytical methods of quantum physics.

quant-ph↗