arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Yair Lavi.
We prove the Marcus-Minc conjecture: let n be any integer at least 2, and let A be a nonnegative n by n matrix whose row and column sums are all one. Form a new matrix by subtracting A from the n by n matrix of ones and dividing by n minus one. Then the permanent of A is at least the permanent of the new matrix. We also determine all equality cases.
Let $A$ be a stochastic $n\times n$ matrix with $\operatorname{rank}A\leq k$, where $1\leq k\leq n$. Write $n=qk+s$, where $0\leq s<k$. The author conjectured in 2018 that $\operatorname{per}A\leq (q!/q^q)^{k-s}((q+1)!/(q+1)^{q+1})^s$, with equality if and only if $A=P(J_q^{\oplus(k-s)}\oplus J_{q+1}^{\oplus s})Q$, where $P,Q$ are permutation matrices and $J_t$ is the $t\times t$ matrix with every entry $1/t$. We prove this conjecture in full.
The Foregger-Sinkhorn tie-point conjecture asserts that if a nearly decomposable doubly stochastic matrix minimizes the permanent on a face and the permanental cofactor at a prescribed zero is larger than its permanent, then that zero is a tie point. We give a counterexample in dimension eight.
Let $Ω_n$ denote the set of $n\times n$ doubly stochastic matrices. Kim and Roush conjectured in 1981 that, for $n=2k+1>1$, $ \max_{A\inΩ_{2k+1}}\operatorname{per}(I-A)=3\cdot 2^{k-2}$. They proposed the block construction $A_\star=\frac12(J_3-I_3)\oplus P_2^{\oplus(k-1)}$, where $P_2=\begin{pmatrix}0&1\\1&0\end{pmatrix}$. Here $J_3$ is the $3\times3$ all-ones matrix. They did not claim uniqueness. We fully prove their conjecture and classify equality: the maximizers are exactly the simultaneous-permutation conjugates of $A_\star$.
We formulate conjectures regarding the maximum value and maximizing matrices of the permanent and of diagonal products on the set of stochastic matrices with bounded rank. We formulate equivalent conjectures on upper bounds for these functions for nonnegative matrices based on their rank, row sums and column sums. In particular we conjecture that the permanent of a singular nonnegative matrix is bounded by 1/2 times the minimum of the product of its row sums and the product of its column sums, and that the product of the elements of any diagonal of a singular nonnegative matrix is bounded by 1/4 times the minimum of the product of its row sums and the product of its column sums.