Characterizations of inverse M-matrices with special zero patterns

In this paper, we provide some characterizations of inverse M-matrices with special zero patterns. In particular, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for k-diagonal matrices and symmetric k-diagonal matrices to be inverse M-matrices. In addition, results for triadic matrices, tridiagonal matrices and symmetric 5-diagonal matrices are presented as corollaries.     

On zero-pattern invariant properties of structured matrices

It is interesting that inverse M-matrices are zero-pattern (power) invariant. The main contribution of the present work is that we characterize some structured matrices that are zero-pattern (power) invariant. Consequently, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for these structured matrices to be inverse M-matrices. In particular, to check if a given circulant or symmetric Toeplitz matrix is an inverse M-matrix, we only need to consider its pattern structure and verify that one of its principal submatrices is an inverse M-matrix.     

On a generalized Fan inequality

It is shown that the ω- and τ-matrices, the weakly sign symmetric matrices, the R- and V-matrices, and the matrices c-equivalent to an M-matrix or to a real matrix with nonpositive off-diagonal elements, can all be characterized by the same determinantal inequality, which we call a generalized Fan inequality.     

On classes of matrices containing M-matrices and hermitian positive semidefinite matrices

Two new classes of matrices are introduced, containing hermitian positive semi-definite matrices and M-matrices. The relation to other well-known classes such as ω and τ-matrices and weakly sign symmetric matrices is examined, and invariance properties are shown.     

LU decomposition of M-matrices by elimination without pivoting

It is shown that if A or ?A is a singular M-matrix satisfying the generalized diagonal dominance condition y^TA?0 for some vector y? 0, then A can be factored into A = LU by a certain elimination algorithm, where L is a lower triangular M-matrix with unit diagonal and U is an upper triangular M-matrix. The existence of LU decomposition of symmetric permutations of A and for irreducible M-matrices and symmetric M-matrices follow as colollaries. This work is motivated by applications to the solution of homogeneous systems of linear equations Ax = 0, where A or ?A is an M-matrix. These applications arise, e.g., in the analysis of Markov chains, input-output economic models, and compartmental systems. A converse of the theorem metioned above can be established by considering the reduced normal form of A.     

Classes of general H-matrices

Let M(A) denote the comparison matrix of a square H-matrix A, that is, M(A) is an M-matrix. H-matrices such that their comparison matrices are nonsingular are well studied in the literature. In this paper, we study characterizations of H-matrices with either singular or nonsingular comparison matrices. The spectral radius of the Jacobi matrix of M(A) and the generalized diagonal dominance property are used in the characterizations. Finally, a classification of the set of general H-matrices is obtained.     

Incomplete blockwise factorizations of (block) H-matrices

The use of incomplete blockwise factorizations as preconditioners in conjugate gradient like methods has become more and more popular in recent years. Most of the theory concerning existence and applicability of these factorizations has been limited to M-matrices so far. Here we introduce a more general definition of block H-matrices (Robert [8]) and we extend the theory to this class of matrices.     

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.     

Characterization of symmetric M-matrices as resistive inverses

We aim here at characterizing those nonnegative matrices whose inverse is an irreducible Stieltjes matrix. Specifically, we prove that any irreducible Stieltjes matrix is a resistive inverse. To do this we consider the network defined by the off-diagonal entries of the matrix and we identify the matrix with a positive definite Schrödinger operator whose ground state is determined by the lowest eigenvalue of the matrix and the corresponding positive eigenvector. We also analyze the case in which the operator is positive semidefinite which corresponds to the study of singular irreducible symmetric M-matrices.     

The inverse positivity of perturbed tridiagonal M-matrices

A well-known property of an M-matrix M is that the inverse is element-wise non-negative, which we write as M^-1?0. In this paper, we consider element-wise perturbations of non-symmetric tridiagonal M-matrices and obtain sufficient bounds on the perturbations so that the non-negative inverse persists. These bounds improve the bounds recently given by Kennedy and Haynes [Inverse positivity of perturbed tridiagonal M-matrices, Linear Algebra Appl. 430 (2009) 2312-2323]. In particular, when perturbing the second diagonals (elements (l,l+2) and (l,l-2)) of M, these sufficient bounds are shown to be the actual maximum allowable perturbations. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of our estimates.     

Generalizations of M-matrices which may not have a nonnegative inverse

Generalizations of M-matrices are studied, including the new class of GM-matrices. The matrices studied are of the form sI-B with B having the Perron-Frobenius property, but not necessarily being nonnegative. Results for these classes of matrices are shown, which are analogous to those known for M-matrices. Also, various splittings of a GM-matrix are studied along with conditions for their convergence.     

Matrices with a transitive graph and inverse M-matrices

The relationship between inverse M-matrices and matrices whose graph is transitive is studied. The results are applied to obtain a new proof of the characterization, due to M. Lewin and M. Neumann, of (0,1) inverse M-matrices.     

Q-matrices and spherical geometry

A real n × n matrix M is a Q-matrix if the linear complementarity problem w ? Mz=q, w ? 0, z ? 0, w^tz=0 has a solution for all real n-vectors q. M is nondegenerate if all its principal minors are nonzero. Spherical geometry is applied to the problem of characterizing nondegenerate Q-matrices. The stability of 3 × 3 nondegenerate Q-matrices and a generalization of the partitioning property of P-matrices are rather easily proved using spherical geometry. It is also proved that the set of 4 × 4 nondegenerate Q-matrices is not open.     

Inverse M-matrices

This is an attempt at a comprehensive expository study of those nonnegative matrices which happen to be inverses of M-matrices and is aimed at an audience conversant with basic ideas of matrix theory. A theme is the parallels (anddifferences) between the class of M-matrices and the class of inverse M-matrices. Among the primary tools used are diagonal multiplications, the Neumann expansion, and the form of the inverse of a partitioned matrix. Some of the results seem not to have appeared before, and several unsolved problems are mentioned.     

Extreme positive operators on minimal and almost minimal cones

Fiedler and Pták called a cone minimal if it is n-dimensional and has n+1 extremal rays. We call a cone almost minimal if it is n-dimensional and has n+2 extremal rays. Duality properties stemming from the use of Gale pairs lead to a general technique for identifying the extreme cone-preserving (positive) operators between polyhedral cones. This technique is most effective for cones with dimension not much smaller than the number of their extreme rays. In particular, the Fiedler-Pták characterization of extreme positive operators between minimal cones is extended to the following cases: (i) operators from a minimal cone to an arbitrary polyhedral cone, (ii) operators from an almost minimal cone to a minimal cone.     

A trace inequality for M-matrices and the symmetrizability of a real matrix by a positive diagonal matrix

The question of whether a real matrix is symmetrizable via multiplication by a diagonal matrix with positive diagonal entries is reduced to the corresponding question for M-matrices and related to Hadamard products. In the process, for a nonsingular M-matrix A, it is shown that tr(A^-1A^T) ? n, with equality if and only if A is symmetric, and that the minimum eigenvalue of A^-1 ° A is ? 1 with equality in the irreducible case if and only if A is positive diagonally symmetrizable.     

On the LU decomposition of V-matrices

We show that the class of V-matrices, introduced by Mehrmann [6], which contains the M-matrices and the Hermitian positive semidefinite matrices, is invariant under Gaussian elimination.     

New bounds for the minimum eigenvalue of the fan product of two M-matrices

In this paper, we mainly use the properties of the minimum eigenvalue of the Fan product of M-matrices and Cauchy-Schwarz inequality, and propose some new bounds for the minimum eigenvalue of the Fan product of two M-matrices. These results involve the maximum absolute value of off-diagonal entries of each row. Hence, the lower bounds for the minimum eigenvalue are easily calculated in the practical examples. In theory, a comparison is given in this paper. Finally, to illustrate our results, a simple example is also considered.     

On Poincaré's isoperimetric problem for simple closed geodesics

We show in the context of integral currents that Poincaré's isoperimetric variational problem for simple closed geodesics on ovaloids has a smooth extremal C without self-intersection. Provided the smooth Riemannian metric on the ovaloid M in question does not deviate too far from constant curvature, we further show that (i) this extremal C is connected and so is the desired non-trivial geodesic of shortest length on M and (ii) C is close (in the sense of Hausdorff distance) to a great circle.     

On the inverse M-matrix problem for (0,1)-matrices

A graph-theoretic approach is used to characterize (0,1)-matrices which are inverses of M-matrices. Our main results show that a (0,1)-matrix is an inverse of an M-matrix if and only if its graph induces a partial order on its set of vertices and does not contain a certain specific subgraph.