Spherical functions and immanants

Let λ be an irreducible character of S_n corresponding to the partition (r,s) of n. Let A be a positive semidefinite Hermitian n × n matrix. Let d_λ(A) and per(A) be the immanants corresponding to λ and to the trivial character of S_n, respectively. A proof of the inequality dλ(A)≤λ(id)per(A) is given.     

Large spaces of symmetric matrices of bounded rank are decomposable

Let k and n be positive integers such that k≤n. Let S_n(F) denote the space of all n×n symmetric matrices over the field F with char F≠2. A subspace L of S_n(F) is said to be a k-subspace if rank A≤k for every AεL.

Now suppose that k is even, and write k=2r. We say a k∥-subspace of S_n(F) is decomposable if there exists in Fⁿ a subspace W of dimension n-r such that x^tAx=0 for every xεWAεL.

We show here, under some mild assumptions on kn and F, that every k∥-subspace of S_n(F) of sufficiently large dimension must be decomposable. This is an analogue of a result obtained by Atkinson and Lloyd for corresponding subspaces of F^m,n.     

Multiplicative properties of generalized matrix functions

We consider scalar-valued matrix functions for n×n matrices A=(a_ij) defined by Where G is a subgroup of S_n the group of permutations on n letters, and χ is a linear character of G. Two such functions are the permanent and the determinant. A function (1) is multiplicative on a semigroup S of n×n matrices if d(AB)=d(A)d(B) AB∈S.

With mild restrictions on the underlying scalar ring we show that every element of a semigroup containing the diagonal matrices on which (1) is multiplicative can have at most one nonzero diagonal(i.e., diagonal with all nonzero entries)and conversely, provided that χ is the principal character(χ≡1).     

The identity as a matrix commutator

If A is an n×n matrix over a field F of positive characteristic p, then I_n=AB-BA, for some matrix B, iff p divides the size of each Jordan block of A.     

Controllability completion problems of partial upper triangular matrices

The main result of this paper states sufficient conditions for the existence of a completion A_c of an n × n partial upper triangular matrix A, such that the pair (A_cB) has prescribed controllability indices, being B an n×m matrix. If A is a partial Hessenberg matrix some conditions may be dropped. An algorithm that obtains a completion A_c of A such that pair (A_ce_k) is completely controllable, where e_k is a unit vector, is used to proof the results.     

Additive Maps Preserving Moore-Penrose Inverses of Matrices on Symmetric Matrix Spaces

Suppose F is a field of characteristic not 2. Let M_nF and S_nF be the n × n full matrix space and symmetric matrix space over F, respectively. All additive maps from S_nF to S_nF (respectively, M_nF) preserving Moore-Penrose inverses of matrices are characterized. We first characterize all additive Moore-Penrose inverse preserving maps from S_nF to M_nF, and thereby, all additive Moore-Penrose inverse preserving maps from S_nF to itself are characterized by restricting the range of these additive maps into the symmetric matrix space.     

Linear mappings which are rank-k nonincreasing, II

We prove the following result. Let F be an infinite field of characteristic other than two. Let k be a positive integer. Let S_n(F) denote the space of all n × n symmetric matrices with entries in F, and let T:S_n(F)→S_n(F) be a linear operator. Suppose that T is rank-k nonincreasing and its image contains a matrix with rank higher than K. Then, there exist λεF and PεF^n,n such that T(A)=λPAP^t for all AεS_n(F). λ can be chosen to be 1 if F is algebraically closed and ±1 if F=R, the real field.     

Linear operators preserving unitarily invariant norms of matrices

Let F_{m × n} be the set of all m × n matrices over the field F = C or R Denote by U_n(F) the group of all n × n unitary or orthogonal matrices according as F = C or F-R. A norm N() on Fm ×n, is unitarily invariant if N(UAV) = N(A): for all A ∈ F _m×n U ∈ U_m(F). and V ∈ U_n(F). We characterize those linear operators TF_{m × n} → F_{m × n}which satisfy N (T(A)) = N(A)for all A ∈ F_{m × n}

for a given unitarily invariant norm N(). It is shown that the problem is equivalent to characterizing those operators which preserve certain subsets in F_{m × n} To develop the theory we prove some results concerning unitary operators on F_{m × n} which are of independent interest.     

A note on sign-solvability of linear system of equations

Given an n×(n+I) sign matrix (Ab). we are concerned with the condition that guarantees the solution to Ax=b be of a fixded sign pattern. It is shown that each factor of det (1) corresponds. in aone to one way to DM-component of the bipartite graph representation of A. This fact is used to supplement the proof of the graph-theoretic characterization of sign-solvability obtained by Bassett et al. [1] and subsequent authors.     

Flat portions on the boundary of the numerical ranges of certain Toeplitz matrices

We give criterions for a flat portion to exist on the boundary of the numerical range of a matrix. A special type of Teoplitz matrices with flat portions on the boundary of its numerical range are constructed. We show that there exist 2 × 2 nilpotent matrices A₁,A₂, an n  × n nilpotent Toeplitz matrix N_n, and an n  × n cyclic permutation matrix S_n(s) such that the numbers of flat portions on the boundaries of W(A₁⊕N_n) and W(A₂⊕S_n(s)) are, respectively, 2(n - 2) and 2n.