Linear maps on nonnegative symmetric matrices preserving the independence number

Abstract: The independence number of a square matrix $A$, denoted by $\alpha(A)$, is the maximum order of its principal zero submatrices. Let $S_n<sup>{+}$ be the set of $n\times n$ nonnegative symmetric matrices with zero trace. Denote by $J_n$ the $n\times n$ matrix with all entries equal to one. Given any integer $n$, we prove that a linear map $\phi: S_n^+\rightarrow S_n<sup>+$ satisfies $$\alpha(\phi(X))= \alpha(X) {\quad\rm for~ all\quad}X\in S_n<sup>+$$ if and only if there is a permutation matrix $P$ such that $$\phi(X)=H\circ(P^TXP)\quad { \rm for~ all\quad}X\in S_n<sup>+,$$ where $H=\phi(J_n-I_n)$ with all off-diagonal entries positive.