  We show that the permanent of a matrix can be written as the expectation
value of a function of random variables each with zero mean and unit variance.
This result is used to show that Glynn's theorem and a simplified MacMahon
theorem extend from a common probabilistic interpretation of the permanent.
Combining the methods in these two proofs, we prove a new result that relates
the permanent of a matrix to the expectation value of a product of hyperbolic
trigonometric functions, or, equivalently, the partition function of a spin
system. We conclude by discussing how the main theorem can be generalized and
how the techniques used to prove it can be applied to more general problems in
combinatorics.
