Eigenvalues of non-Hermitian random matrices and Brown measure of non-normal operators: Hermitian reduction and linearization method

We study the Brown measure of certain non-Hermitian operators arising from Voiculescu's free probability theory. Usually those operators appear as the limit in star-moments of certain ensembles of non-Hermitian random matrices, and the Brown measure gives then a canonical candidate for the limit eigen-value distribution of the random matrices. A prominent class for our operators is given by polynomials in star-free variables. Other explicit examples include R-diagonal elements and elliptic elements, for which the Brown measure was already known, and a new class of triangular-elliptic elements. Our method for the calculation of the Brown measure is based on a rigorous mathematical treatment of the Hermitian reduction method, as considered in the physical literature, combined with subordination and the linearization trick. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.