The Atiyah-Sutcliffe Determinant

Abstract

We present a general formula for the Atiyah-Sutcliffe determinant function, which holds for any integer $n \geq 2$, as a global factor times a sum of terms, with each term similar to a higher degree cross-ratio. The formula is to our knowledge new. We also conjecture that the Atiyah-Sutcliffe determinant is a rational linear combination of products of factors of only two simple types, each of them manifestly $SO(3)$-invariant. This allows us to obtain a conjectural purely angular formula for the determinant for $n=4$, as an illustration of how our conjecture can be applied.