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Suppose, two $n\times n$ binary matrices are $\it similar$ if one can be transformed to another by swapping any two rows or two columns any number of times.

My problem is: how many unique $n\times n$ binary matrices with a given number of 1s are there ? That is, those that are not $\it similar$ to any other matrix using the definition above?

For example, there are 7 unique $3\times 3$ matrices having 4 ones:

$\begin{array}{|ccc|}\hline 1 & 1 & .\\ 1 & 1 & .\\ . & . & .\\\hline\end{array} \begin{array}{|ccc|}\hline 1 & 1 & 1\\ 1 & . & .\\ . & . & .\\\hline\end{array} \begin{array}{|ccc|}\hline 1 & 1 & .\\ 1 & . & 1\\ . & . & .\\\hline\end{array}$

$\begin{array}{|ccc|}\hline 1 & 1 & .\\ 1 & . & .\\ 1 & . & .\\\hline\end{array} \begin{array}{|ccc|}\hline . & 1 & 1\\ 1 & . & .\\ 1 & . & .\\\hline\end{array}$

$\begin{array}{|ccc|}\hline 1 & 1 & .\\ 1 & . & .\\ . & 1 & .\\\hline\end{array} \begin{array}{|ccc|}\hline 1 & 1 & .\\ 1 & . & .\\ . & . & 1\\\hline\end{array}$

What I came up with is that two $\it similar$ matrices would have the same (sorted) column sums and row sums but, apparently, this is not enough. From the example above, one can see that the three last matrices:

$\begin{array}{|ccc|}\hline . & 1 & 1\\ 1 & . & .\\ 1 & . & .\\\hline\end{array} \begin{array}{|ccc|}\hline 1 & 1 & .\\ 1 & . & .\\ . & 1 & .\\\hline\end{array} \begin{array}{|ccc|}\hline 1 & 1 & .\\ 1 & . & .\\ . & . & 1\\\hline\end{array}$

would have $(2, 2, 1)$ rows sum and $(2, 2, 1)$ column sum.

There is some similarity with Young diagrams and conjugate/self-conjugate integer partitions.. but the idea how to count these matrices I do not understand, any help would be appreciated.

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    $\begingroup$ you can embedd the symmteric groups inside $GL(n,k)$ for a field $k$, these are the permutation matrices .. this being the case, seems like you are looking at the action of $S_n \times S_n$ on the matrices by $(P,Q) \cdot A = PAQ^{-1}$ .. so in principle you could use orbit stabilizer theorem to answer what you are looking for .. but perhaps there are cleverer ways to count .. we can wait for other answers $\endgroup$
    – skeptic
    Commented Jun 17, 2021 at 10:49
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    $\begingroup$ Duplicate of How many $n\times m$ binary matrices are there, up to row and column permutations? ? (See A002724.) $\endgroup$
    – Vepir
    Commented Jun 17, 2021 at 12:39
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    $\begingroup$ @asm, here is the answer $\endgroup$
    – garej
    Commented Jan 19, 2023 at 15:47

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