Additive mappings on symmetric matrices

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

Rank properties of subspaces of symmetric and hermitian matrices over finite fields

We investigate constant rank subspaces of symmetric and hermitian matrices over finite fields, using a double counting method related to the number of common zeros of the corresponding subspaces of symmetric bilinear and hermitian forms. We obtain optimal bounds for the dimensions of constant rank subspaces of hermitian matrices, and good bounds for the dimensions of subspaces of symmetric and hermitian matrices whose non-zero elements all have odd rank.     

Absolutely indecomposable symmetric matrices

Let A be a symmetric matrix of size n×n with entries in some (commutative) field K. We study the possibility of decomposing A into two blocks by conjugation by an orthogonal matrix T∈Mat_n(K). We say that A is absolutely indecomposable if it is indecomposable over every extension of the base field. If K is formally real then every symmetric matrix A diagonalizes orthogonally over the real closure of K. Assume that K is a not formally real and of level s. We prove that in Mat_n(K) there exist symmetric, absolutely indecomposable matrices iff n is congruent to 0, 1 or −1 modulo 2s.     

Bounded distance preserving surjections in the projective geometry of matrices

We examine surjective maps which preserve a fixed bounded distance in both directions on some classical dual polar spaces.     

Equalities and inequalities for inertias of hermitian matrices with applications

The inertia of a Hermitian matrix is defined to be a triplet composed of the numbers of the positive, negative and zero eigenvalues of the matrix counted with multiplicities, respectively. In this paper, we show some basic formulas for inertias of 2×2 block Hermitian matrices. From these formulas, we derive various equalities and inequalities for inertias of sums, parallel sums, products of Hermitian matrices, submatrices in block Hermitian matrices, differences of outer inverses of Hermitian matrices. As applications, we derive the extremal inertias of the linear matrix expression A-BXB^∗ with respect to a variable Hermitian matrix X. In addition, we give some results on the extremal inertias of Hermitian solutions to the matrix equation AX=B, as well as the extremal inertias of a partial block Hermitian matrix.     

A result on integral symmetric matrices

Let A be an integral matrix such that det A = 1 mod mA ≡ A^T mod m, where m is odd. It is shown that a symmetric integral matrix B of determinant 1 exists such that B ≡ A mod m. The result is false if m is even.     

Singular points of cyclic weighted shift matrices

Let S be an n-by-n   cyclic weighted shift matrix, and _FS(t,x,y)=det(tI+xℜ(S)+yℑ(S))$F_S(t,x,y)=\det (tI+x\Re (S)+y\Im (S))$ be a ternary form associated with S  . We investigate the number of singular points of the curve _FS(t,x,y)=0$F_S(t,x,y)=0$, and show that the number of singular points of _FS(t,x,y)=0$F_S(t,x,y)=0$ associated with a cyclic weighted shift matrix whose weights are neither 1-periodic nor 2-periodic is less than or equal to n(n−3)/2$n(n-3)/2$. Furthermore, we verify the upper bound n(n−3)/2$n(n-3)/2$ is sharp for 4?n?7$4?n?7$.     

Convergence preserving mappings on topological groups

It is well known that a mapping is convergence preserving, that is, whenever an infinite series ∑an converges, the series ∑φ(an) converges, if and only if there exists m∈R such that φ(x)=mx in some neighborhood of 0. We explore convergence preserving mappings on Hausdorff topological groups, showing in particular, that if G×G is a Fréchet group, and H has no small subgroups, then a mapping is convergence preserving if and only if there is a neighborhood of the identity in G on which φ is a sequentially continuous homomorphism.     

A note on Cartan matrices for symmetric groups

Using generating functions, a very simple explicit formula for the determinants of the p-Cartan matrices of symmetric groups is given. Our method works also when p is a composite number.Received: 5 September 2001     

The scrambling index of symmetric primitive matrices

A nonnegative square matrix A is primitive if some power A^k>0 (that is, A^k is entrywise positive). The least such k is called the exponent of A. In [2], Akelbek and Kirkland defined the scrambling index of a primitive matrix A, which is the smallest positive integer k such that any two rows of A^k have at least one positive element in a coincident position. In this paper, we give a relation between the scrambling index and the exponent for symmetric primitive matrices, and determine the scrambling index set for the class of symmetric primitive matrices. We also characterize completely the symmetric primitive matrices in this class such that the scrambling index is equal to the maximum value.     

Extremal numbers of positive entries of imprimitive nonnegative matrices

We determine the maximum and minimum numbers of positive entries of imprimitive nonnegative matrices with a given imprimitivity index. One application of the results is to estimate the imprimitivity index by the number of positive entries. The proofs involve the study of a cyclic quadratic form. This completes a research initiated by Lewin in 1990.     

Stochastic matrices arising from genetic inheritance

We establish a connection between two different approaches that can be used to describe the same genetic situation. We focus on the notion of coalgebra with genetic realization introduced by Tian and Li and show how their structure constants can be used to characterize different stochastic processes related to the genetic inheritance.     

On the numbers of positive entries of reducible nonnegative matrices

Let RM(n,d) be the class {A∣A is an n×n reducible nonnegative matrix and the greatest common divisor of the lengths of all cycles in D(A) is d}, where D(A) is the associated digraph of A. In this paper we determine the set of numbers of positive entries of A for A∈RM(n,d). We also characterize the reducible nonnegative matrices with the maximum and minimum numbers of positive entries.     

Even and odd diagonals in doubly stochastic matrices

The existence of even or odd diagonals in doubly stochastic matrices depends on the number of positive elements in the matrix. The optimal general lower bound in order to guarantee the existence of such diagonals is determined, as well as their minimal number for given number of positive elements. The results are related to the characterization of even doubly stochastic matrices in connection with Birkhoff's algorithm.     

Linear spaces with many projective planes

We assume that in a linear space there is a non-empty set M of points with the property that every plane containing a point of M is a projective plane. In section 3 an example is given that in general is not a projective space. But if M can be completed by two points to a generating set of P, then is a projective space.