Power Hadamard matrices

We introduce power Hadamard matrices, in order to study the structure of (group) generalized Hadamard matrices, Butson (generalized) Hadamard matrices and other related orthogonal matrices, with which they share certain common characteristics. The new objects turn out to be as interesting, and perhaps as useful, as the objects that motivated them. We develop a basic theory of power Hadamard matrices, explore these relationships, and offer some new insights into old results. For example, we show that all 4×4ButsonHadamardmatrices are equivalent to circulant ones, and how tomove between equivalence classes. We provide, among other new things, an infinite family of circulant Butson Hadamard matrices that extends a known class to include one of each positive integer order. Dedication: In 1974 Jennifer Seberry (Wallis) introduced what was then a totally new structure, orthogonal designs, in order to study the existence and construction of Hadamard matrices. They have proved their worth for this purpose, and have also become an object of interest for their own sake and in applications (e.g., [H.J.V. Tarok, A.R. Calderbank, Space-time block codes from orthogonal designs, IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory 45 (1999) 1456–1467. [26]]). Since then many other generalizations of Hadamard matrices have been introduced, including some discussed herein. In the same spirit we introduce a new object showing this kind of promise. Seberry’s contributions to this field are not limited to her own work, of which orthogonal designs are but one example—she has mentored many young mathematicians who have expanded her legacy by making their own marks in this field. It is fitting, therefore, that our contribution to this volume is a collaboration between one who has worked in this field for over a decade and an undergraduate student who had just completed his third year of study at the time of the work. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.