On determinants involving $(\frac{j+k}p)\pm(\frac{j-k}p)$

Abstract

Let $p=2n+1$ be an odd prime. In this paper, we mainly evaluate determinants involving $(\frac {j+k}p)\pm(\frac{j-k}p)$, where $(\frac{\cdot}p)$ denotes the Legendre symbol. When $p\equiv1\pmod4$, we determine the characteristic polynomials of the matrices $$\left[\left(\frac{j+k}p\right)+\left(\frac{j-k}p\right)\right]_{1\le j,k\le n}\ \ \text{and}\ \ \left[\left(\frac{j+k}p\right)-\left(\frac{j-k}p\right)\right]_{1\le j,k\le n},$$ and also prove that \begin{align*} &\ \left|x+\left(\frac{j+k}p\right)+\left(\frac{j-k}p\right)+\left(\frac jp\right)y+\left(\frac kp\right)z+\left(\frac{jk}p\right)w\right|_{1\le j,k\le n} \\=&\ (-p)^{(p-5)/4}\left(\left(\frac{p-1}2\right)^2wx-\left(\frac{p-1}2y-1\right)\left(\frac{p-1}2z-1\right)\right), \end{align*} which was previously conjectured by the second author.