Kalman varieties of tensors are algebraic varieties consisting of tensors whose singular vector k-tuples lay on prescribed subvarieties. They were first studied by Ottaviani and Sturmfels in the context of matrices. We extend recent results of Ottaviani and the first author to the partially symmetric setting. We describe a generating function whose coefficients are the degrees of these varieties and we analyze its asymptotics, providing analytic results à la Zeilberger and Pantone. We emphasize the special role of isotropic vectors in the spectral theory of tensors and describe the totally isotropic Kalman variety as a dual variety.

Abstract We prove that the border rank of the Kronecker square of the little Coppersmith–Winograd tensor $$T_{cw,q}$$ T c w , q is the square of its border rank for $$q > 2$$ q > 2 and that the border rank of its Kronecker cube is the cube of its border rank for $$q > 4$$ q > 4 . This answers questions raised implicitly by Coppersmith & Winograd (1990, §11) and explicitly by Bläser (2013, Problem 9.8) and rules out the possibility of proving new upper bounds on the exponent of matrix multiplication using the square or cube of a little Coppersmith–Winograd tensor in this range. In the positive direction, we enlarge the list of explicit tensors potentially useful for Strassen's laser method, introducing a skew-symmetric version of the Coppersmith–Winograd tensor, $$T_{skewcw,q}$$ T s k e w c w , q . For $$q = 2$$ q = 2 , the Kronecker square of this tensor coincides with the $$3\times 3$$ 3 × 3 determinant polynomial, $$\det_{3} \in \mathbb{C}^{9} \otimes \mathbb{C}^{9} \otimes \mathbb{C}^{9}$$ det 3 ∈ C 9 ⊗ C 9 ⊗ C 9 , regarded as a tensor. We show that this tensor could potentially be used to show that the exponent of matrix multiplication is two. We determine new upper bounds for the (Waring) rank and the (Waring) border rank of $$\det_3$$ det 3 , exhibiting a strict submultiplicative behaviour for $$T_{skewcw,2}$$ T s k e w c w , 2 which is promising for the laser method. We establish general results regarding border ranks of Kronecker powers of tensors, and make a detailed study of Kronecker squares of tensors in $$\mathbb{C}^{3} \otimes \mathbb{C}^{3} \otimes \mathbb{C}^{3}$$ C 3 ⊗ C 3 ⊗ C 3 .

We answer a question, posed implicitly in [P. Bürgisser et al., 1997] and explicitly in [M. Bläser, 2013], showing the border rank of the Kronecker square of the little Coppersmith-Winograd tensor is the square of the border rank of the tensor for all q>2, a negative result for complexity theory. We further show that when q>4, the analogous result holds for the Kronecker cube. In the positive direction, we enlarge the list of explicit tensors potentially useful for the laser method. We observe that a well-known tensor, the 3 × 3 determinant polynomial regarded as a tensor, det_3 ∈ C^9 ⊗ C^9 ⊗ C^9, could potentially be used in the laser method to prove the exponent of matrix multiplication is two. Because of this, we prove new upper bounds on its Waring rank and rank (both 18), border rank and Waring border rank (both 17), which, in addition to being promising for the laser method, are of interest in their own right. We discuss "skew" cousins of the little Coppersmith-Winograd tensor and indicate why they may be useful for the laser method. We establish general results regarding border ranks of Kronecker powers of tensors, and make a detailed study of Kronecker squares of tensors in C^3 ⊗ C^3 ⊗ C^3.

We study the partially ordered set $P(a_1,\ldots, a_n)$ of all multidegrees $(b_1,\dots,b_n)$ of monomials $x_1^{b_1}\cdots x_n^{b_n}$, which properly divide $x_1^{a_1}\cdots x_n^{a_n}$. We prove that the order complex $\Delta(P(a_1,\dots,a_n))$ of $P(a_1,\ldots a_n)$ is (nonpure) shellable by showing that the order dual of $P(a_1,\ldots,a_n)$ is $CL$-shellable. Along the way, we exhibit the poset $P(4,4)$ as a new example of a poset with $CL$-shellable order dual that is not $CL$-shellable itself. For $n = 2$, we provide the rank of all homology groups of the order complex $\Delta ( P(a_1,a_2) )$. Furthermore, we give a succinct formula for the Euler characteristic of $\Delta ( P(a_1,a_2) )$.