On the linear preservers of Schur matrix functionals (Q2418952)

Let \(F\) be a field and \(S_n\) the symmetric group of degree \(n\). Let \(f:S_n\rightarrow F\backslash\{0\} \) be an arbitrary map. The Schur matrix functional associated with \(f\) is defined as \(\tilde f:M\in M_n(F)\rightarrow \sum_{\sigma\in S_n}f(\sigma)\prod_{j=1}^n m_{\sigma(j),j},\) where \(M_n(F)\) denotes the algebra of all square \(n\) by \(n\) matrices with entries in \(F\). Standard examples of such functionals are the determinant (where \(f\) is the signature morphism) and the permanent (where \(f\) is constant with value \(1\)). Given two such maps \(f\) and \(g\), the endomorphisms \(U\) of the vector space \(M_n(F)\) that satisfy \(\tilde g(U(M))=\tilde f(M)\) for all \(M\in M_n(F)\) are investigated. A closed form for the linear preservers of the functional \(\tilde f\) when \(f\) is central is given. As a special case an extension to an arbitrary field, Botta's characterization of the linear preservers of the permanent is presented. Similar questions have been studied by other authors such as Dieudonné and Frobenius among others. Let \(F\) be a field and \(S_n\) the symmetric group of degree \(n\). Let \(f:S_n\rightarrow F\backslash\{0\} \) be an arbitrary map. The Schur matrix functional associated with \(f\) is defined as \(\tilde f:M\in M_n(F)\rightarrow \sum_{\sigma\in S_n}f(\sigma)\prod_{j=1}^n m_{\sigma(j),j},\) where \(M_n(F)\) denotes the algebra of all square \(n\) by \(n\) matrices with entries in \(F\). Standard examples of such functionals are the determinant (where \(f\) is the signature morphism) and the permanent (where \(f\) is constant with value \(1\)). Given two such maps \(f\) and \(g\), the endomorphisms \(U\) of the vector space \(M_n(F)\) that satisfy \(\tilde g(U(M))=\tilde f(M)\) for all \(M\in M_n(F)\) are investigated. A closed form for the linear preservers of the functional \(\tilde f\) when \(f\) is central is given. As a special case an extension to an arbitrary field, Botta's characterization of the linear preservers of the permanent is presented. Similar questions have been studied by other authors such as Dieudonné and Frobenius among others.