[Math] Determinant of identity matrix plus Hilbert matrix

determinantshankel-matriceslinear algebramatricesra.rings-and-algebras

I am looking for the determinant

$$ \det(I_n + H_n) $$

where $I_n$ is the $n \times n$ identity matrix and $H_n$ is the $n \times n$ Hilbert matrix, whose entries are given by

$$ [H_n]_{ij} = \frac{1}{i+j-1}, \qquad\qquad 1 \le i,j \le n $$

Is anything known about this determinant for finite $n$ or about its asymptotic behaviour for $n \rightarrow \infty$?

More generally, are there results about the determinant of "identity plus Hankel" matrices or their asymptotic behaviour?

Best Answer

One thing you can say is that your determinant is the sum of determinants of the Cauchy matrices $C_S$ for subsets $S$ of $\{1,\ldots, n\}$, where $(C_S)_{i,j} = 1/(S_i + S_j - 1)$ for $1 \le i,j \le |S|$ (in the case $S = \emptyset$ we take the determinant to be $1$). This means $$ \det(I_n + H_n) = \sum_{S \subseteq \{1\ldots n\}} \frac{\prod_{1 \le i < j \le |S|} (S_i - S_j)^2}{\prod_{i,j=1}^{|S|} (S_i + S_j -1)}$$ For $n=1$ to $8$ your determinants are $$ 2,{\frac{29}{12}},{\frac{2927}{1080}},{\frac{659251}{224000}},{\frac{ 46508430817}{14817600000}},{\frac{616473989937916861}{ 186313420339200000}},{\frac{3577562384224548869428843}{ 1033954523962885324800000}},{\frac{1314142513507030576449489451528961} {365356847125734485878112256000000}} $$ I don't see an apparent pattern, nor does Maple's gfun package. The numerators and denominators don't seem to be in the OEIS.

EDIT: They are now. A295426 and A295427

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