G-Varieties and the Principal Minors of Symmetric Matrices
Abstract
The variety of principal minors of nxn symmetric matrices, denoted Zn, can be
described naturally as a projection from the Lagrangian Grassmannian. Moreover, Zn
is invariant under the action of a group G C GL(2n) isomorphic to (SL(2)xn) x Sn.
One may use this symmetry to study the defining ideal of Zn as a G-module via a
coupling of classical representation theory and geometry. The need for the equations
in the defining ideal comes from applications in matrix theory, probability theory,
spectral graph theory and statistical physics.
I describe an irreducible G-module of degree 4 polynomials called the hyperdeterminantal
module (which is constructed as the span of the G-orbit of Cayley's
hyperdeterminant of format 2 x 2 x 2) and show that it that cuts out Zn set theoretically.
This result solves the set-theoretic version of a conjecture of Holtz and
Sturmfels and gives a collection of necessary and sufficient conditions for when it is
possible for a given vector of length 2n to be the principal minors of a symmetric
n x n matrix.
In addition to solving the Holtz and Sturmfels conjecture, I study Zn as a prototypical
G-variety. As a result, I exhibit the use of and further develop techniques
from classical representation theory and geometry for studying G-varieties.
Subject
G-varietiesPrincipal minors
symmetric matrices
inverse eigenvalue problem
Principal minor assignment problem
Relations among principal minors of symmetric matrices
Citation
Oeding, Luke (2009). G-Varieties and the Principal Minors of Symmetric Matrices. Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2009 -05 -526.