Numerical ranges of weighted shift matrices (Q2431187)

The aim of the paper is to study the numerical range of an \(n\times n~(n \geq 2)\) weighted shift matrix of the form \(A=\left [ \begin{matrix} 0 & a_1 & & \\ & 0& \ddots & \\ & & \ddots & a_{n-1}\\ a_n& & & 0 \end{matrix} \right ],\) where the \(a_j\)'s, the weights of \(A\), are complex numbers. It is shown that the boundary of the numerical range of such matrix contains a line segment if and only if the \(a_j\)'s are nonzero and the numerical ranges of the \((n-1)\times (n-1)\) principal submatrices of \(A\) are all equal. The authors give a characterization of such a matrix \(A\) of size \(4\) with line segments on \(\partial W(A)\) purely in terms of its weights. See \textit{B.-S. Tam} and \textit{S. Yang} [Linear Algebra Appl. 302--303, 193--221 (1999; Zbl 0951.15022)] for other results.