On a polynomial identity for n\(\times n\) matrices (Q1825930)

The authors prove the following remarkable result: the polynomial \[ h_ k=\sum_{\sigma,\tau \in S_ k}(sgn \sigma \tau)x_{\sigma (1)}y_{\tau (1)}...x_{\sigma (k)}y\quad_{\tau (k)} \] is an identity of the ring of \(n\times n\) matrices over a commutative ring with 1 for \(k=2n\) and for no smaller value of k. It is an answer to a question of E. Formanek.