Nonsingular almost strictly sign regular matrices

The class of nonsingular almost strictly totally positive matrices has been characterized [M. Gasca, J.M. Peña, Characterizations and decompositions of almost strictly positive matrices, SIAM J. Matrix Anal. Appl. 28 (2006) 1–8]. In this paper, we discuss the class of almost strictly sign regular matrices that includes almost strictly totally positive matrices. A characterization is provided for these matrices in terms of their nontrivial minors using consecutive rows and consecutive columns. In particular, we present a characterization of certain almost strictly sign regular matrices in terms of a very reduced number of boundary almost trivial minors.     

Torus-invariant prime ideals in quantum matrices, totally nonnegative cells and symplectic leaves

The algebra of quantum matrices of a given size supports a rational torus action by automorphisms. It follows from work of Letzter and the first named author that to understand the prime and primitive spectra of this algebra, the first step is to understand the prime ideals that are invariant under the torus action. In this paper, we prove that a family of quantum minors is the set of all quantum minors that belong to a given torus-invariant prime ideal of a quantum matrix algebra if and only if the corresponding family of minors defines a non-empty totally nonnegative cell in the space of totally nonnegative real matrices of the appropriate size. As a corollary, we obtain explicit generating sets of quantum minors for the torus-invariant prime ideals of quantum matrices in the case where the quantisation parameter q is transcendental over ${\mathbb{Q}}$ .     

Totally nonnegative cells and matrix Poisson varieties

We describe explicitly the admissible families of minors for the totally nonnegative cells of real matrices, that is, the families of minors that produce nonempty cells in the cell decompositions of spaces of totally nonnegative matrices introduced by A. Postnikov. In order to do this, we relate the totally nonnegative cells to torus orbits of symplectic leaves of the Poisson varieties of complex matrices. In particular, we describe the minors that vanish on a torus orbit of symplectic leaves, we prove that such families of minors are exactly the admissible families, and we show that the nonempty totally nonnegative cells are the intersections of the torus orbits of symplectic leaves with the spaces of totally nonnegative matrices.     

Characterizations of rectangular totally and strictly totally positive matrices

An n×m real matrix A is said to be totally positive (strictly totally positive) if every minor is nonnegative (positive). In this paper, we study characterizations of these classes of matrices by minors, by their full rank factorization and by their thin QR factorization.     

Loop-erased walks and total positivity

We consider matrices whose elements enumerate weights of walks in planar directed weighted graphs (not necessarily acyclic). These matrices are totally nonnegative; more precisely, all their minors are formal power series in edge weights with nonnegative coefficients. A combinatorial explanation of this phenomenon involves loop-erased walks. Applications include total positivity of hitting matrices of Brownian motion in planar domains.

     

Totally nonnegative and oscillatory elements in semisimple groups

We generalize the well known characterizations of totally nonnegative and oscillatory matrices, due to F. R. Gantmacher, M. G. Krein, A. Whitney, C. Loewner, M. Gasca, and J. M. Peña to the case of an arbitrary complex semisimple Lie group.     

Total Nonnegativity of Infinite Hurwitz Matrices of Entire and Meromorphic Functions

In this paper we completely describe functions generating the infinite totally nonnegative Hurwitz matrices. In particular, we generalize the well-known result by Asner and Kemperman on the total nonnegativity of the Hurwitz matrices of real stable polynomials. An alternative criterion for entire functions to generate a Pólya frequency sequence is also obtained. The results are based on a connection between a factorization of totally nonnegative matrices of the Hurwitz type and the expansion of Stieltjes meromorphic functions into Stieltjes continued fractions (regular $C$ -fractions with positive coefficients).     

Intervals of totally nonnegative matrices

Totally nonnegative matrices, i.e., matrices having all their minors nonnegative, and matrix intervals with respect to the checkerboard ordering are considered. It is proven that if the two bound matrices of such a matrix interval are nonsingular and totally nonnegative (and in addition all their zero minors are identical) then all matrices from this interval are also nonsingular and totally nonnegative (with identical zero minors).     

Controllability,inertia, and stability for tridiagonal matrices

Criteria are given for the controllability of certain pairs of tridiagonal matrices. These criteria may be used, with the Chen-Wimmer theorem, to obtain inertia results. Also, a characterization is given of those nonsingular tridiagonal matrices with certain principal minors nonnegative which are positive stable. This extends a previous characterization of the real D-stable tridiagonal matrices.     

Linear transformations that preserve certain positivity classes of matrices

For each of several S ? R^n,n, those linear transformations $\text{L}\text{: R}{}^{\mathrm{n,n}}\text{→ R}{}^{\mathrm{n,n}}$ which map S onto S are characterized. Each class is a familiar one which generalizes the notion of positivity to matrices. The classes include: the matrices with nonnegative principal minors, the M-matrices, the totally nonnegative matrices, the D-stable matrices, the matrices with positive diagonal Lyapunov solutions, and the H-matrices, as well as other related classes. The set of transformations is somewhat different from case to case, but the strategy of proof, while differing in detail, is similar.     

Intervals of Totally Nonnegative and Related Matrices

We consider the class of the totally nonnegative matrices, i.e., the matrices having all their minors nonnegative, and intervals of matrices with respect to the chequerboard partial ordering, which results from the usual entrywise partial ordering if we reverse the inequality sign in all components having odd index sum. For these intervals we study the following conjecture: If the left and right endpoints of an interval are nonsingular and totally nonnegative then all matrices taken from the interval are nonsingular and totally nonnegative. We present a new class of the totally nonnegative matrices for which this conjecture holds true. Similar results for classes of related matrices are also given.     

Monotone positive stable matrices

The class of real matrices which are both monotone (inverse positive) and positive stable is investigated. Such matrices, called N-matrices, have the well-known class of nonsingular M-matrices as a proper subset. Relationships between the classes of N-matrices, M-matrices, nonsingular totally nonnegative matrices, and oscillatory matrices are developed. Conditions are given for some classes of matrices, including tridiagonal and some Toeplitz matrices, to be N-matrices.     

On the spectra of matrices having nonnegative sums of principal minors

The localization of the eigenvalues of matrices with nonnegative sums of principal minors is studied. The discussion is carried out in particular for P-matrices. Such matrices for which almost all the eigenvalues lie on the left half plane are constructed.     

The LU-factorization of totally positive matrices

An n × n real matrix A is an STP (strictly totally positive) matrix if all its minors are strictly positive. An n × n real triangular matrix A is a ΔSTP matrix if all its nontrivial minors are strictly positive. It is proved that A is an STP matrix iff A = LU where L is a lower triangular matrix, U is an upper triangular matrix, and both L and U are ΔSTP matrices. Several related results are proved. These results lead to simple proofs of many of the determinantal properties of STP matrices.     

AlmostP 0-matrices and the classQ

This paper demonstrates that within the class of thosen × n real matrices, each of which has a negative determinant, nonnegative proper principal minors and inverse with at least one positive entry, the class ofQ-matrices coincides with the class of regular matrices. Each of these classes of matrices plays an important role in the theory of the linear complementarity problem. Lastly, analogous results are obtained for nonsingular matrices which possess only nonpositive principal minors.     

On the characterization of almost strictly totally positive matrices

A nonsingular matrix is called almost strictly totally positive when all its minors are nonnegative and, furthermore, these minors are strictly positive if and only if their diagonal entries are strictly positive. Almost strictly totally positive matrices are useful in Approximation Theory and Computer Aided Geometric Design to generate bases of functions with good shape preserving properties. In this paper we give an algorithmic characterization of these matrices. Moreover, we provide a determinantal characterization of them in terms of the positivity of a very reduced number of their minors and also in terms of their factorizations.     

On the characterization of almost strictly totally positive matrices

A nonsingular matrix is called almost strictly totally positive when all its minors are nonnegative and, furthermore, these minors are strictly positive if and only if their diagonal entries are strictly positive. Almost strictly totally positive matrices are useful in Approximation Theory and Computer Aided Geometric Design to generate bases of functions with good shape preserving properties. In this paper we give an algorithmic characterization of these matrices. Moreover, we provide a determinantal characterization of them in terms of the positivity of a very reduced number of their minors and also in terms of their factorizations. Both authors were partially supported by the DGICYT Spain Research Grant PB93-0310     

Subdirect sums of P(P0)-matrices and totally nonnegative matrices

In this paper, the problem of when the sub-direct sum of two strictly diagonally dominant P-matrices is a strictly diagonally dominant P-matrix is studied. In particular, it is shown that the subdirect sum of overlapping principal submatrices of strictly diagonally dominant P-matrices is a strictly diagonally dominant P-matrix. It is also established that the 2-subdirect sum of two totally nonnegative matrices is a totally nonnegative matrix under some conditions. It is obtained that a partial totally nonnegative matrix, whose graph of the specified entries is a monotonically labeled 2-chordal graph, has a totally nonnegative completion. Finally, a positive answer to the question (IV) in Fallat and Johnson [Shaun M. Fallat, C.R. Johnson, J.R. Torregrosa, A.M. Urbano, P-matrix completions under weak symmetry assumptions, Linear Algebra Appl. 312 (2000) 73-91] is given for P₀-matrices.     

A criterion for the convergence of the Mellin–Barnes integral for solutions to simultaneous algebraic equations

We obtain a criterion for the convergence of the Mellin–Barnes integral representing the solution to a general system of algebraic equations. This yields a criterion for a nonnegative matrix to have positive principal minors. The proof rests on the Nilsson–Passare–Tsikh Theorem about the convergence domain of the general Mellin–Barnes integral, as well as some theorem of a linear algebra on a subdivision of the real space into polyhedral cones.     

ALPS: Matrices with nonpositive off-diagonal entries

The purpose of this paper is to characterize and interrelate various degrees of stability and semipositivity for real square matrices having nonpositive off-diagonal entries. The major classes considered are the sets of diagonally stable, stable, and semipositive matrices, denoted respectively by $\text{A}$, $\text{L}$, and $\text{S}$. The conditions defining these classes are weakened, and the resulting classes are examined. Their relationship to the classes of real matrices $\text{P}$ and $\text{P}$₀, whose off-diagonal entries are nonpositive and whose principal minors are respectively all positive and all nonnegative, is also included.