Exact enumeration of lozenge tilings of a triangular region

Abstract

We prove that the number of lozenge tilings of a certain triangular region ${\mathcal{T}}_n$ is given by the formula \[T_n=\prod_{\substack{1\leq a<b\leq 3n+2\\(a,b)\not=(n+1,2n+2)}}\left|1+ζ^a+ζ^b\right|^{1/3},\] where $\zeta =e^{2\pi i/(3n+3)}$. This answers a question of Ciucu and Krattenthaler, both by finding the exact formula and by explaining why $T_n$ has many prime factors. The proof reduces the lozenge tiling enumeration problem to evaluating the determinant of the bipartite adjacency matrix $M_n$ of the dual graph of ${\mathcal{T}}_n$, and then evaluates this determinant by diagonalising $M_n$.

12 pages, 5 figures. Corrected error in the statement of Corollary 1.3