Determinant evaluations inspired by Di Francesco's determinant for twenty-vertex configurations

Abstract: In his work on the twenty vertex model, Di Francesco [Electron. J. Combin. 28(4) (2021), Paper No. 4.38] found a determinant formula for the number of configurations in a specific such model, and he conjectured a closed form product formula for the evaluation of this determinant. We prove this conjecture here. Moreover, we actually generalize this determinant evaluation to a one-parameter family of determinant evaluations, and we present many more determinant evaluations of similar type - some proved, some left open as conjectures.