Depth of almost strictly sign regular matrices

The concept of depth of an almost strictly sign regular matrix is introduced and used to simplify some algorithmic characterizations of these matrices.     

Sign patterns for eigenmatrices of nonnegative matrices

For a square (0,?1,??1) sign pattern matrix S, denote the qualitative class of S by Q(S). In this article, we investigate the relationship between sign patterns and matrices that diagonalize an irreducible nonnegative matrix. We explicitly describe the sign patterns S such that every matrix in Q(S) diagonalizes some irreducible nonnegative matrix. Further, we characterize the sign patterns S such that some member of Q(S) diagonalizes an irreducible nonnegative matrix. Finally, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for a multiset of real numbers to be realized as the spectrum of an irreducible nonnegative matrix M that is diagonalized by a matrix in the qualitative class of some S ² NS sign pattern.     

Idempotent sign patterns of special types

In this paper, we characterize idempotent Toeplitz sign patterns and idempotent Hankel sign patterns. Our work extends some existing results.     

± sign pattern matrices that allow orthogonality

A sign pattern A is a ± sign pattern if A has no zero entries. A allows orthogonality if there exists a real orthogonal matrix B whose sign pattern equals A. Some sufficient conditions are given for a sign pattern matrix to allow orthogonality, and a complete characterization is given for ± sign patterns with n − 1 ⩽ N₋(A) ⩽ n + 1 to allow orthogonality.     

On parametrization of totally nonpositive matrices and applications

The problem of accurate computations for totally non‐negative matrices has been studied; however, it remains open for other sign regular matrices. One major obstacle is that there is no known parametrization of these matrices. The main contribution of the present work is that we provide such parametrization of nonsingular totally nonpositive matrices. A useful application of our results is that these parameters can determine accurately the entries of the inverse of a nonsingular totally nonpositive matrix. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Primitive non-powerful sign pattern matrices with base 2

A sign pattern matrix M with zero trace is primitive non-powerful if for some positive integer k, M ^k ?=?J _#. The base l(M) of the primitive non-powerful matrix M is the smallest integer k. By considering the signed digraph S whose adjacent matrix is the primitive non-powerful matrix M, we will show that if l(M)?=?2, the minimum number of non-zero entries of M is 5n???8 or 5n???7 depending on whether n is even or odd.     

Full rank factorization in echelon form of totally nonpositive (negative) rectangular matrices

An n×m real matrix A is said to be totally nonpositive (negative) if every minor is nonpositive (negative). In this paper, we study the full rank factorization in echelon form of a totally nonpositive (negative) matrix. This characterization allows us to significantly reduce the number of minors to be checked in order to decide the total negativity of a matrix.     

Enumeration of symmetry classes of alternating sign matrices and characters of classical groups

An alternating sign matrix is a square matrix with entries 1, 0 and −1 such that the sum of the entries in each row and each column is equal to 1 and the nonzero entries alternate in sign along each row and each column. To some of the symmetry classes of alternating sign matrices and their variations, G. Kuperberg associate square ice models with appropriate boundary conditions, and give determinant and Pfaffian formulae for the partition functions. In this paper, we utilize several determinant and Pfaffian identities to evaluate Kuperberg's determinants and Pfaffians, and express the round partition functions in terms of irreducible characters of classical groups. In particular, we settle a conjecture on the number of vertically and horizontally symmetric alternating sign matrices (VHSASMs). Dedicated to the memory of David Robbins.     

Uniform diagonalisation of matrices over regular rings

The fundamental Separativity Problem for von Neumann regular rings is shown to be equivalent to a linear algebra problem: for a field F, is there a ``uniform formula' for diagonalising a matrix A over , independently of n? Here P and Q are required to be invertible matrices whose entries are fixed regular algebra expressions in the entries of A. Received July 10, 2000; accepted in final form September 26, 2000.     

New enumeration formulas for alternating sign matrices and square ice partition functions

The refined enumeration of alternating sign matrices (ASMs) of given order having prescribed behavior near one or more of their boundary edges has been the subject of extensive study, starting with the Refined Alternating Sign Matrix Conjecture of Mills–Robbins–Rumsey (1983) [25], its proof by Zeilberger (1996) [31], and more recent work on doubly-refined and triply-refined enumerations by several authors. In this paper we extend the previously known results on this problem by deriving explicit enumeration formulas for the “top–left–bottom” (triply-refined) and “top–left–bottom–right” (quadruply-refined) enumerations. The latter case solves the problem of computing the full boundary correlation function for ASMs. The enumeration formulas are proved by deriving new representations, which are of independent interest, for the partition function of the square ice model with domain wall boundary conditions at the “combinatorial point” η=2π/3$\eta =2\pi /3$.     

More refined enumerations of alternating sign matrices

We study a further refinement of the standard refined enumeration of alternating sign matrices (ASMs) according to their first two rows instead of just the first row, and more general “d-refined” enumerations of ASMs according to the first d rows. For the doubly-refined case of d=2, we derive a system of linear equations satisfied by the doubly-refined enumeration numbers A_n,i,j that enumerate such matrices. We give a conjectural explicit formula for A_n,i,j and formulate several other conjectures about the sufficiency of the linear equations to determine the A_n,i,j's and about an extension of the linear equations to the general d-refined enumerations.     

A direct bijection between descending plane partitions with no special parts and permutation matrices

We present a direct bijection between descending plane partitions with no special parts and permutation matrices. This bijection has the desirable property that the number of parts of the descending plane partition corresponds to the inversion number of the permutation. Additionally, the number of maximum parts in the descending plane partition corresponds to the position of the one in the last column of the permutation matrix. We also discuss the possible extension of this approach to finding a bijection between descending plane partitions and alternating sign matrices.     

Possible numbers of positive entries of imprimitive nonnegative matrices

Zhan, X., Extremal numbers of positive entries of imprimitive nonnegative matrix, Linear Algebra Appl. (in press) has determined the maximum and minimum numbers of positive entries of imprimitive irreducible nonnegative matrices with a given imprimitivity index. Let σ( A ) denote the number of positive entries of a matrix A. Let M(n,?k) and m(n,?k) denote the maximum and minimum numbers of positive entries of imprimitive irreducible nonnegative matrices of order n with a given imprimitivity index k, respectively. In this article, we prove that for any positive integer d with m(n,k)≤ d?≤?M(n,k), there exists an n?×?n irreducible nonnegative matrix A with imprimitivity index k such that?σ?(A)=d.     

Multiply-refined enumeration of alternating sign matrices

Four natural boundary statistics and two natural bulk statistics are considered for alternating sign matrices (ASMs). Specifically, these statistics are the positions of the 1’s in the first and last rows and columns of an ASM, and the numbers of generalized inversions and −1’s in an ASM. Previously-known and related results for the exact enumeration of ASMs with prescribed values of some of these statistics are discussed in detail. A quadratic relation which recursively determines the generating function associated with all six statistics is then obtained. This relation also leads to various new identities satisfied by generating functions associated with fewer than six of the statistics. The derivation of the relation involves combining the Desnanot–Jacobi determinant identity with the Izergin–Korepin formula for the partition function of the six-vertex model with domain-wall boundary conditions.     

Linear relations of refined enumerations of alternating sign matrices

In recent papers we have studied refined enumerations of alternating sign matrices with respect to a fixed set of top and bottom rows. The present paper is a first step towards extending these considerations to alternating sign matrices where in addition some left and right columns are fixed. The main result is a simple linear relation between the number of n×n alternating sign matrices where the top row as well as the left and the right column is fixed and the number of n×n alternating sign matrices where the two top rows and the bottom row are fixed. This may be seen as a first indication for the fact that the refined enumerations of alternating sign matrices with respect to a fixed set of top and bottom rows as well as left and right columns can possibly be reduced to the refined enumerations where only some top and bottom rows are fixed. For the latter numbers we provide a system of linear equations that conjecturally determines them uniquely.