Trace identities for quiver representations

Abstract

We give an expression for the determinant of the twisted Laplacian associated with any linear representation of a finite quiver in terms of traces of the holonomy of its cycles. To establish this expression, we prove a general identity for the determinant of a block matrix in terms of traces of products of its blocks. We give two proofs, one purely enumerative and one using generating series. In the special case of a finite graph equipped with a vector bundle and a connection, the twisted Laplacian determinant admits a combinatorial interpretation as a weighted count of tuples of oriented cycle-rooted spanning forests, where the weights involve traces of holonomies along cycles formed by combining the edges of the forests.