Remarks on the \(\alpha\)-permanent (Q2275735)

The \(\alpha\)-permanent of a \(n\times n\) matrix \(A=[a_{ij}]\) is defined by \[ \text{per}_\alpha A=\sum_{\pi\in S_n}\alpha^{\nu(\pi)} \prod_{i=1}^n a_{i,\pi(i)} \] where \(S_n\) is the symmetric group and \(\nu(\pi)\) is the number of disjoint cycles in the permutation \(\pi\). For \(\alpha=1\) this is the ordinary permanent and for \(\alpha=-1\) it is, up to sign, the determinant. The present paper begins by proving an ``essentially known'' connection between the \((1/2)\)-permanent and Hafnian for real symmetric matrices. In the second section, expansion formulae are given for the \(\alpha\)-permanent in terms of set partitions. The final section is devoted to a conjecture by \textit{T. Shirai} [Kyushu J. Math. 61, No. 1, 169--189 (2007; Zbl 1136.15005)] that \(\text{per}_\alpha\,A \geq0\) if \(\alpha\geq1\) and \(A\) is any positive semi-definite Hermitian matrix. A proof of this conjecture for orders \(\leq5\) is given, and a somewhat stronger version of the conjecture is proposed.