Hessenberg-Toeplitz matrix determinants with Schröder and Fine number entries

Abstract

In this paper, we find determinant formulas of several Hessenberg-Toeplitz matrices whose nonzero entries are derived from the small and large Schröder and Fine number sequences. Algebraic proofs of these results can be given which make use of Trudi's formula and the generating function of the associated sequence of determinants. We also provide direct arguments of our results that utilize various counting techniques, among them sign-changing involutions, on combinatorial structures related to classes of lattice paths enumerated by the Schröder and Fine numbers. As a consequence of our results, we obtain some new formulas for the Schröder and Catalan numbers as well as for some additional sequences from the OEIS in terms of determinants of certain Hessenberg-Toeplitz matrices.