\( \pm 1\)-matrices with vanishing permanent (Q2202846)

Let \(\Omega_n\) denote the set of \(n\times n\) matrices in which every entry is \(-1\) or \(+1\). It is known that \(\Omega_n\) contains a matrix on which the permanent vanishes if and only if \(n+1\) is not a power of \(2\) (for a proof, see [\textit{I. M. Wanless}, Linear Multilinear Algebra 53, No. 6, 427--433 (2005; Zbl 1085.15006)]). This paper is concerned with classifying matrices in \(\Omega_n\) that have zero permanent. Two matrices in \(\Omega_n\) are equivalent if one can be transformed into the other by negating rows and columns, permuting the rows and columns and/or transposing. Equivalent matrices have the same permanent, up to sign. In the present paper, the author gives some simple necessary conditions for a matrix to have zero permanent. These are then used in a case analysis to find 3 matrices in \(\Omega_4\) and 11 matrices in \(\Omega_5\), such that any \((\pm1)\)-matrix with vanishing permanent must be equivalent to one of the given matrices. It would have been nice to see an argument that no pair of the given matrices are equivalent.