The nullity and rank of linear combinations of idempotent matrices

Baksalary and Baksalary [J.K. Baksalary, O.M. Baksalary, Nonsingularity of linear combinations of idempotent matrices, Linear Algebra Appl. 388 (2004) 25-29] proved that the nonsingularity of P₁ + P₂, where P₁ and P₂ are idempotent matrices, is equivalent to the nonsingularity of any linear combinations c₁P₁ + c₂P₂, where c₁, c₂ ≠ 0 and c₁ + c₂ ≠ 0. In the present note this result is strengthened by showing that the nullity and rank of c₁P₁ + c₂P₂ are constant. Furthermore, a simple proof of the rank formula of Groß and Trenkler [J. Groß, G. Trenkler, Nonsingularity of the difference of two oblique projectors, SIAM J. Matrix Anal. Appl. 21 (1999) 390-395] is obtained.     

On linear combinations of two idempotent matrices over an arbitrary field

Given an arbitrary field K and non-zero scalars α and β, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a matrix A∈M_n(K) to be a linear combination of two idempotents with coefficients α and β. This extends results previously obtained by Hartwig and Putcha in two ways: the field K considered here is arbitrary (possibly of characteristic 2), and the case α≠±β is taken into account.     

Simultaneous solutions of Sylvester equations and idempotent matrices separating the joint spectrum

We investigate simultaneous solutions of the matrix Sylvester equations A_iX-XB_i=C_i,i=1,2,…,k, where {A₁,…,A_k} and {B₁,…,B_k} are k-tuples of commuting matrices of order m×m and p×p, respectively. We show that the matrix Sylvester equations have a unique solution X for every compatible k-tuple of m×p matrices {C₁,…,C_k} if and only if the joint spectra σ(A₁,…,A_k) and σ(B₁,…,B_k) are disjoint. We discuss the connection between the simultaneous solutions of Sylvester equations and related questions about idempotent matrices separating disjoint subsets of the joint spectrum, spectral mapping for the differences of commuting k-tuples, and a characterization of the joint spectrum via simultaneous solutions of systems of linear equations.     

The Drazin invertibility of the difference and the sum of two idempotent operators

In this note, some equivalents are established of the Drazin invertibility of differences and sums of idempotent operators on a Hilbert space.     

Characterizations of EP matrices and weighted-EP matrices

A square complex matrix A is said to be EP if A and its conjugate transpose A^∗ have the same range. In this paper, we first collect a group of known characterizations of EP matrix, and give some new characterizations of EP matrices. Then, we define weighted-EP matrix, and present a wealth of characterizations for weighted-EP matrix through various rank formulas for matrices and their generalized inverses.     

On sums of idempotent matrices over a field of positive characteristic

We study which square matrices are sums of idempotents over a field of positive characteristic; in particular, we prove that any such matrix, provided it is large enough, is actually a sum of five idempotents, and even of four when the field is a prime one.     

Polynomials satisfied by two linked matrices

Polynomials in two variables, evaluated at A and with A being a square complex matrix and being its transform belonging to the set {A⁼, A^†, A^∗}, in which A⁼, A^†, and A^∗ denote, respectively, any reflexive generalized inverse, the Moore-Penrose inverse, and the conjugate transpose of A, are considered. An essential role, in characterizing when such polynomials are satisfied by two matrices linked as above, is played by the condition that the column space of A is the column space of . The results given unify a number of prior, isolated results.     

Idempotency of linear combinations of three idempotent matrices, two of which are commuting

The considerations of the present paper were inspired by Baksalary [O.M. Baksalary, Idempotency of linear combinations of three idempotent matrices, two of which are disjoint, Linear Algebra Appl. 388 (2004) 67-78] who characterized all situations in which a linear combination P=c₁P₁+c₂P₂+c₃P₃, with c_i, i=1,2,3, being nonzero complex scalars and P_i, i=1,2,3, being nonzero complex idempotent matrices such that two of them, P₁ and P₂ say, are disjoint, i.e., satisfy condition P₁P₂=0=P₂P₁, is an idempotent matrix. In the present paper, by utilizing different formalism than the one used by Baksalary, the results given in the above mentioned paper are generalized by weakening the assumption expressing the disjointness of P₁ and P₂ to the commutativity condition P₁P₂=P₂P₁.     

Inequalities for Gondran-Minoux rank and idempotent semirings

The rank-sum, rank-product, and rank-union inequalities for Gondran-Minoux rank of matrices over idempotent semirings are considered. We prove these inequalities for matrices over quasi-selective semirings without zero divisors, which include matrices over the max-plus semiring. Moreover, it is shown that the inequalities provide the linear algebraic characterization for the class of quasi-selective semirings. Namely, it is proven that the inequalities hold for matrices over an idempotent semiring S without zero divisors if and only if S is quasi-selective. For any idempotent semiring which is not quasi-selective it is shown that the rank-sum, rank-product, and rank-union inequalities do not hold in general. Also, we provide an example of a selective semiring with zero divisors such that the rank-sum, rank-product, and rank-union inequalities do not hold in general.     

Construction and nonnegativity of sign idempotent sign pattern matrices

In this paper, we modify Eschenbach’s algorithm for constructing sign idempotent sign pattern matrices so that it correctly constructs all of them. We find distinct classes of sign idempotent sign pattern matrices that are signature similar to an entrywise nonnegative sign pattern matrix. Additionally, if for a sign idempotent sign pattern matrix A there exists a signature matrix S such that SAS is nonnegative, we prove such S is unique up to multiplication by -1 if the signed digraph D(A) is not disconnected.     

Products of idempotent matrices over integral domains

We say that a ring R has the idempotent matrices property if every square singular matrix over R is a product of idempotent matrices. It is known that every field, and more generally, every Euclidean domain has the idempotent matrices property. In this paper we show that not every integral domain has the idempotent matrices property and that if a projective free ring has the idempotent matrices property then it must be a Bezout domain. We also show that a principal ideal domain has the idempotent matrices property if and only if every fraction a/b with b≠0 has a finite continued fraction expansion. New proofs are also provided for the results that every field and every Euclidean domain have the idempotent matrices property.     

Determinant and Pfaffian of sum of skew symmetric matrices

We completely describe the determinants of the sum of orbits of two real skew symmetric matrices, under similarity action of orthogonal group and the special orthogonal group respectively. We also study the Pfaffian case and the complex case.     

Dominant matrices and max algebra

We study the class of so-called totally dominant matrices in the usual algebra and in the max algebra in which the sum is the maximum and the multiplication is usual. It turns out that this class coincides with the well known class of positive matrices having positive the determinants of all 2×2 submatrices. The closure of this class is closed not only with respect to the usual but also with respect to the max multiplication. Further properties analogous to those of totally positive matrices are proved and some connections to Monge matrices are mentioned.     

Congruence of Hermitian matrices by Hermitian matrices

Two Hermitian matrices A,B∈M_n(C) are said to be Hermitian-congruent if there exists a nonsingular Hermitian matrix C∈M_n(C) such that B=CAC. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for two nonsingular simultaneously unitarily diagonalizable Hermitian matrices A and B to be Hermitian-congruent. Moreover, when A and B are Hermitian-congruent, we describe the possible inertias of the Hermitian matrices C that carry the congruence. We also give necessary and sufficient conditions for any 2-by-2 nonsingular Hermitian matrices to be Hermitian-congruent. In both of the studied cases, we show that if A and B are real and Hermitian-congruent, then they are congruent by a real symmetric matrix. Finally we note that if A and B are 2-by-2 nonsingular real symmetric matrices having the same sign pattern, then there is always a real symmetric matrix C satisfying B=CAC. Moreover, if both matrices are positive, then C can be picked with arbitrary inertia.     

Subspaces of matrices with special rank properties

Let K be a field and let M_m×n(K) denote the space of m×n matrices over K. We investigate properties of a subspace M of M_m×n(K) of dimension n(m-r+1) in which each non-zero element of M has rank at least r and enumerate the number of elements of a given rank in M when K is finite. We also provide an upper bound for the dimension of a constant rank r subspace of M_m×n(K) when K is finite and give non-trivial examples to show that our bound is optimal in some cases. We include a similar a bound for the maximum dimension of a constant rank subspace of skew-symmetric matrices over a finite field.     

Identities for minors of the Laplacian, resistance and distance matrices

It is shown that if L and D are the Laplacian and the distance matrix of a tree respectively, then any minor of the Laplacian equals the sum of the cofactors of the complementary submatrix of D, up to sign and a power of 2. An analogous, more general result is proved for the Laplacian and the resistance matrix of any graph. A similar identity is proved for graphs in which each block is a complete graph on r vertices, and for q-analogues of such matrices of a tree. Our main tool is an identity for the minors of a matrix and its inverse.     

Additive mappings on symmetric matrices

Additive mappings, which do not increase the minimal rank of symmetric matrices are classified in characteristic two or three.     

Partial matrices whose completions have ranks bounded below

A partial matrix over a field F is a matrix whose entries are either elements of F or independent indeterminates. A completion of such a partial matrix is obtained by specifying values from F for the indeterminates. We determine the maximum possible number of indeterminates in a partial m×n matrix whose completions all have rank at least equal to a particular k, and we fully describe those examples in which this maximum is attained. Our main theoretical tool, which is developed in Section 2, is a duality relationship between affine spaces of matrices in which ranks are bounded below and affine spaces of matrices in which the (left or right) nullspaces of elements possess a certain covering property.