Integrable Combinatorics

We review various combinatorial problems with underlying classical or quantum integrable structures. (Plenary talk given at the International Congress of Mathematical Physics, Aalborg, Denmark, August 10, 2012.)Comment: 21 pages, 16 figures, proceedings of ICMP1

Truncated determinants and the refined enumeration of Alternating Sign Matrices and Descending Plane Partitions

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.Comment: 25 pages, 8 figure

Difference equations for graded characters from quantum cluster algebra

We introduce a new set of $q$-difference operators acting as raising operators on a family of symmetric polynomials which are characters of graded tensor products of current algebra ${\mathfrak g}[u]$ KR-modules \cite{FL} for ${\mathfrak g}=A_r$. These operators are generalizations of the Kirillov-Noumi \cite{kinoum} Macdonald raising operators, in the dual $q$-Whittaker limit $t\to\infty$. They form a representation of the quantum $Q$-system of type $A$ \cite{qKR}. This system is a subalgebra of a quantum cluster algebra, and is also a discrete integrable system whose conserved quantities, analogous to the Casimirs of $U_q({\mathfrak sl}_{r+1})$, act as difference operators on the above family of symmetric polynomials. The characters in the special case of products of fundamental modules are class I $q$-Whittaker functions, or characters of level-1 Demazure modules or Weyl modules. The action of the conserved quantities on these characters gives the difference quantum Toda equations \cite{Etingof}. We obtain a generalization of the latter for arbitrary tensor products of KR-modules.Comment: 35 page

Positivity of the T-system cluster algebra

We give the path model solution for the cluster algebra variables of the $A_r$ $T$-system with generic boundary conditions. The solutions are partition functions of (strongly) non-intersecting paths on weighted graphs. The graphs are the same as those constructed for the $Q$-system in our earlier work, and depend on the seed or initial data in terms of which the solutions are given. The weights are "time-dependent" where "time" is the extra parameter which distinguishes the $T$-system from the $Q$-system, usually identified as the spectral parameter in the context of representation theory. The path model is alternatively described on a graph with non-commutative weights, and cluster mutations are interpreted as non-commutative continued fraction rearrangements. As a consequence, the solution is a positive Laurent polynomial of the seed data.Comment: 30 pages, 10 figure

T-systems with boundaries from network solutions

In this paper, we use the network solution of the $A_r$ $T$-system to derive that of the unrestricted $A_\infty$ $T$-system, equivalent to the octahedron relation. We then present a method for implementing various boundary conditions on this system, which consists of picking initial data with suitable symmetries. The corresponding restricted $T$-systems are solved exactly in terms of networks. This gives a simple explanation for phenomena such as the Zamolodchikov periodicity property for $T$-systems (corresponding to the case $A_\ell\times A_r$) and a combinatorial interpretation for the positive Laurent property of the variables of the associated cluster algebra. We also explain the relation between the $T$-system wrapped on a torus and the higher pentagram maps of Gekhtman et al.Comment: 63 pages, 67 figure

Quantum Q systems: From cluster algebras to quantum current algebras

In this paper, we recall our renormalized quantum Q-system associated with representations of the Lie algebra $A_r$, and show that it can be viewed as a quotient of the quantum current algebra $U_q({\mathfrak n}[u,u^{-1}])\subset U_q(\widehat{\mathfrak sl}_2)$ in the Drinfeld presentation. Moreover, we find the interpretation of the conserved quantities in terms of Cartan currents at level 0, and the rest of the current algebra, in a non-standard polarization in terms of generators in the quantum cluster algebra.Comment: 38 pages, 2 figure

Arctic curves of the octahedron equation

We study the octahedron relation (also known as the $A_{\infty}$ $T$-system), obeyed in particular by the partition function for dimer coverings of the Aztec Diamond graph. For a suitable class of doubly periodic initial conditions, we find exact solutions with a particularly simple factorized form. For these, we show that the density function that measures the average dimer occupation of a face of the Aztec graph, obeys a system of linear recursion relations with periodic coefficients. This allows us to explore the thermodynamic limit of the corresponding dimer models and to derive exact "arctic" curves separating the various phases of the system.Comment: 39 pages, 21 figures; typos fixed, four references and an appendix adde

Noncommutative integrability, paths and quasi-determinants

In previous work, we showed that the solution of certain systems of discrete integrable equations, notably $Q$ and $T$-systems, is given in terms of partition functions of positively weighted paths, thereby proving the positive Laurent phenomenon of Fomin and Zelevinsky for these cases. This method of solution is amenable to generalization to non-commutative weighted paths. Under certain circumstances, these describe solutions of discrete evolution equations in non-commutative variables: Examples are the corresponding quantum cluster algebras [BZ], the Kontsevich evolution [DFK09b] and the $T$-systems themselves [DFK09a]. In this paper, we formulate certain non-commutative integrable evolutions by considering paths with non-commutative weights, together with an evolution of the weights that reduces to cluster algebra mutations in the commutative limit. The general weights are expressed as Laurent monomials of quasi-determinants of path partition functions, allowing for a non-commutative version of the positive Laurent phenomenon. We apply this construction to the known systems, and obtain Laurent positivity results for their solutions in terms of initial data.Comment: 46 pages, minor typos correcte