Tutte matrix

In graph theory, the Tutte matrix A of a graph G = (V, E) is a matrix used to determine the existence of a perfect matching: that is, a set of edges which is incident with each vertex exactly once.

If the set of vertices is ${\displaystyle V=\{1,2,\dots ,n\}}$ then the Tutte matrix is an n-by-n matrix A with entries

${\displaystyle A_{ij}={\begin{cases}x_{ij}\;\;{\mbox{if}}\;(i,j)\in E{\mbox{ and }}i<j\\-x_{ji}\;\;{\mbox{if}}\;(i,j)\in E{\mbox{ and }}i>j\\0\;\;\;\;{\mbox{otherwise}}\end{cases}}}$

where the x_ij are indeterminates. The determinant of this skew-symmetric matrix is then a polynomial (in the variables x_ij, i < j ): this coincides with the square of the pfaffian of the matrix A and is non-zero (as a polynomial) if and only if a perfect matching exists. (This polynomial is not the Tutte polynomial of G.)

The Tutte matrix is named after W. T. Tutte, and is a generalisation of the Edmonds matrix for a balanced bipartite graph.