Rook Theory of the Etzion-Silberstein Conjecture

DOI10.5802/ALCO.337arXiv2209.05114MaRDI QIDQ6410409FDOQ6410409

Authors: Anina Gruica, Alberto Ravagnani 

Publication date: 12 September 2022

Abstract: In 2009, Etzion and Siberstein proposed a conjecture on the largest dimension of a linear space of matrices over a finite field in which all nonzero matrices are supported on a Ferrers diagram and have rank bounded below by a given integer. Although several cases of the conjecture have been established in the past decade, proving or disproving it remains to date a wide open problem. In this paper, we take a new look at the Etzion-Siberstein Conjecture, investigating its connection with rook theory. Our results show that the combinatorics behind this open problem is closely linked to the theory of $q$-rook polynomials associated with Ferrers diagrams, as defined by Garsia and Remmel. In passing, we give a closed formula for the trailing degree of the $q$-rook polynomial associated with a Ferrers diagram in terms of the cardinalities of its diagonals. The combinatorial approach taken in this paper allows us to establish some new instances of the Etzion-Silberstein Conjecture using a non-constructive argument. We also solve the asymptotic version of the conjecture over large finite fields, answering a current open question.

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Permutations, words, matrices (05A05) Exact enumeration problems, generating functions (05A15) Asymptotic enumeration (05A16) Algebraic coding theory; cryptography (number-theoretic aspects) (11T71) Linear codes (general theory) (94B05) Geometric methods (including applications of algebraic geometry) applied to coding theory (94B27)

Cited In (1)

• A proof of the Etzion-Silberstein conjecture for monotone and MDS-constructible Ferrers diagrams

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