A Gale-Berlekamp permutation-switching problem in higher dimensions

Abstract

Let an $n\times n$ array $\left(a_{ij}\right)$ of lights be given, each either on (when $a_{ij}=1$) or off (when $a_{ij}=-1$). For each row and each column there is a switch so that if the switch is pulled ($x_i=-1$ for row $i$ and $y_j=-1$ for column $j$) all of the lights in that line are switched: on to off or off to on. The unbalancing lights problem (Gale-Berlekamp switching game) consists in maximizing the difference between the lights on and off. We obtain the exact parameters for a generalization of the unbalancing lights problem in higher dimensions.