On the Variance of the Index for the Gaussian Unitary Ensemble

Abstract: We derive simple linear, inhomogeneous recurrences for the variance of the index by utilising the fact that the generating function for the distribution of the number of positive eigenvalues of a Gaussian unitary ensemble is a $\tau$-function of the fourth Painlev\'e equation. From this we deduce a simple summation formula, several integral representations and finally an exact hypergeometric function evaluation for the variance.