Commutators with maximal Frobenius norm (Q1044607)

Let \(X\) and \(Y\) be real or complex \(n\times n\) matrices, and let \(\|.\|_F\) denote the Frobenius norm. The inequality \[ \|XY-YX\|_F\leq\sqrt{2}\|X\|_F\|Y\|_F\tag{1} \] conjectured for real matrices by \textit{A.~Böttcher} and \textit{D.~Wenzel}~[Linear Algebra Appl.~403, 216--228 (2005; Zbl 1077.15020)], was proved for real matrices by \textit{S.-W.~Vong} and \textit{X.-Q.~Jin}~[Oper. Matrices~2, 435--442 (2008; Zbl 1173.15013)] and \textit{Zhiqin~Lu}~[\url{http://arxiv.org/abs/0711.3510}], and for complex matrices by \textit{A. Böttcher} and \textit{D. Wenzel} [Linear Algebra Appl.~429, 1864--1885 (2008; Zbl 1173.15010)] and \textit{K.~Audenaert} [Linear Algebra Appl.~432, 1126--1143 (2010; Zbl 1194.60020)]. The present authors characterize equality in~(1) as follows: In the case~\(n=2\) equality holds for \(X,Y\neq O\) if and only if \(\mathrm{tr}\,X=\mathrm{tr}\,Y=\mathrm{tr}\,Y^*X=0\). In the case~\(n\geq 3\) this happens if and only if there is a unitary \(n\times n\) matrix~\(U\) such that \(X=U(X_0\oplus O)U^*\) and \(Y=U(Y_0\oplus O)U^*\) where \(X_0\) and \(Y_0\) are \(2\times 2\) matrices satisfying equality conditions. Related inequalities for certain other norms, discussed shortly by the authors, put forth further research.