Switching Checkerboards

TL;DR

This paper studies transformations of binary matrices with fixed row and column sums via checkerboard switches, analyzing the directed graph structure, and applying these insights to graph degree distributions to understand spectral radius behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a directed acyclic graph model for matrix transformations using checkerboard switches and explores their properties, including conditions for reachability and spectral radius implications.

Findings

G(R,C) is a directed acyclic graph with unique sinks and sources.

Necessary and sufficient conditions for matrix reachability via switches are established.

Applying positive switches to Erdős-Rényi graphs can significantly increase spectral radius.

Abstract

In order to study $\mathbf{M}(R,C)$, the set of binary matrices with fixed row and column sums $R$ and $C$, we consider sub-matrices of the form $\begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 \end{pmatrix}$ and $\begin{pmatrix} 0 & 1 \\ 1 & 0 \end{pmatrix}$, called positive and negative checkerboard respectively. We define an oriented graph of matrices $G(R,C)$ with vertex set $\mathbf{M}(R,C)$ and an arc from $\mathbf{A}$ to $\mathbf{A'}$ indicates you can reach $\mathbf{A'}$ by switching a negative checkerboard in $\mathbf{A}$ to positive. We show that $G(R,C)$ is a directed acyclic graph and identify classes of matrices which constitute unique sinks and sources of $G(R,C)$. Given $\mathbf{A},\mathbf{A'}\in\mathbf{M}(R,C)$, we give necessary conditions and sufficient conditions on $\mathbf{M}=\mathbf{A'}-\mathbf{A}$ for the existence of a directed path from $\mathbf{A}$ to $\mathbf{A'}$. We then consider the special case of $\mathbf{M}(\mathcal D)$, the set of adjacency matrices of graphs with fixed degree distribution $\mathcal D$. We define $G(\mathcal D)$ accordingly by switching negative checkerboards in symmetric pairs. We show that $Z_2$, an approximation of the spectral radius $\lambda_1$ based on the second Zagreb index, is non-decreasing along arcs of $G(\mathcal D)$. Also, $\ll$ reaches its maximum in $\mathbf{M}(\mathcal D)$ at a sink of $G(\mathcal D)$. We provide simulation results showing that applying successive positive switches to an Erd\H os-R\'enyi graph can significantly increase $\lambda_1$.