  Let $D(G)$ and $D^Q(G)= Diag(Tr) + D(G)$ be the distance matrix and distance
signless Laplacian matrix of a simple strongly connected digraph $G$,
respectively, where $Diag(Tr)=\textrm{diag}(D_1,D_2,$ $\ldots,D_n)$ be the
diagonal matrix with vertex transmissions of the digraph $G$. To track the
gradual change of $D(G)$ into $D^Q(G)$, in this paper, we propose to study the
convex combinations of $D(G)$ and $Diag(Tr)$ defined by $$D_\alpha(G)=\alpha
Diag(Tr)+(1-\alpha)D(G), \ \ 0\leq \alpha\leq1.$$ This study reduces to merging
the distance spectral and distance signless Laplacian spectral theories. The
eigenvalue with the largest modulus of $D_\alpha(G)$ is called the $D_\alpha$
spectral radius of $G$, denoted by $\mu_\alpha(G)$. We determine the digraph
which attains the maximum (or minimum) $D_\alpha$ spectral radius among all
strongly connected digraphs. Moreover, we also determine the digraphs which
attain the minimum $D_\alpha$ spectral radius among all strongly connected
digraphs with given parameters such as dichromatic number, vertex connectivity
or arc connectivity.

Combinatorics