Moving zeros among matrices (Q884412)

The authors investigate the zero-patterns that can be created by unitary similarity in a given matrix, and the zero-patterns that can be created by simultaneous unitary similarity in a given sequence of matrices. Section 2 is concerned with tridiagonal and simultaneous Hessenberg forms. In Section 3 they consider some feasibility problems that may be answered by means of some standard results on the dimensions of complex projective varieties. In Section 4 they survey some more challenging problems, including certain conjectures about feasible zero patterns and the experimental evidence that supports them. They also mention problems that arise when commutativity of the matrix sequence is assumed.