Constant Row-Column Sum Matrices – Algebraic Geometry and Combinatorics

ag.algebraic-geometryenumerative-combinatoricslinear algebramatrices

  1. Given an integer $T$ how many $n\times n$ matrices in $\mathbb Z_{\geq0}^{n\times n}$ we have such that every row and column sum to same $T$?

  2. Do the set of constant row and column sum matrices form any kind of algebraic structure (it is definitely definable by linear equations) by which I mean closedness, more than permutation invariance at least for special classes etc.)?

Best Answer

If you are looking for a simple formula, you are out of luck except for small $n$ or $T$. As Sam mentions in a comment, these are the integer points in a dilated Birkhoff polytope. Since the vertices of the polytope are lattice points, the number of matrices is a polynomial of degree $(n-1)^2$ in $T$ for any fixed $n$ (the Ehrhart polynomial) but the polynomial is only known up to $n=9$.

This paper and this paper have some stuff about asymptotics. Searching for these buzzwords will get you more interesting things, like this paper.

Related Question