Symmetry in semidefinite programs

Abstract

This paper is a tutorial in a general and explicit procedure to simplify semidefinite programs which are invariant under the action of a symmetry group. The procedure is based on basic notions of representation theory of finite groups. As an example we derive the block diagonalization of the Terwilliger algebra of the binary Hamming scheme in this framework. Here its connection to the orthogonal Hahn and Krawtchouk polynomials becomes visible.