English

Polynomial relations among principal minors of a 4x4-matrix

Algebraic Geometry 2009-06-22 v3 Symbolic Computation Commutative Algebra

Abstract

The image of the principal minor map for n x n-matrices is shown to be closed. In the 19th century, Nansen and Muir studied the implicitization problem of finding all relations among principal minors when n=4. We complete their partial results by constructing explicit polynomials of degree 12 that scheme-theoretically define this affine variety and also its projective closure in \PP15\PP^{15}. The latter is the main component in the singular locus of the 2 x 2 x 2 x 2-hyperdeterminant.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0812.0601,
  title  = {Polynomial relations among principal minors of a 4x4-matrix},
  author = {Shaowei Lin and Bernd Sturmfels},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0812.0601},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

16 pages, v2: Remark 14