Circularity of numerical ranges and block-shift matrices

Abstract

Let A be a square complex matrix. Several characterizations are found for A to be permutationally similar to a block-shift matrix. One interesting equivalent condition is that the numerical range of every matrix with the same zero pattern as A is a circular disk. Equivalent conditions for the characteristic polynomial of the hermitian part of the matrix e iθA to be the same for all real values θ are also obtained.Complex matrices of order four that are unitarily similar to a block-shift matrix are identified. A result of Marcus and Pesce [6] is extended, and an open question of Li and Tsing [4] is also answered partially.