A generating function for all semi-magic squares and the volume of the Birkhoff polytope

Abstract

We present a multivariate generating function for all n×n nonnegative integral matrices with all row and column sums equal to a positive integer t, the so called semi-magic squares. As a consequence we obtain formulas for all coefficients of the Ehrhart polynomial of the polytope B n of n×n doubly-stochastic matrices, also known as the Birkhoff polytope. In particular we derive formulas for the volumes of B n and any of its faces. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.