Equality of higher numerical ranges of matrices and a conjecture of Kippenhahn on Hermitian pencils

Let M_n be the algebra of all n × n complex matrices. For 1 k n, the kth numerical range of A M_n is defined by W_k(A) = (1/k)∑_j^k=1x_j^*Ax_j : x₁, …, x_k is an orthonormal set in ⁿ]. It is known that tr A/n = W_n(A) W_n−1(A) W₁(A). We study the condition on A under which W_m(A) = W_k(A) for some given 1 m < k n. It turns out that this study is closely related to a conjecture of Kippenhahn on Hermitian pencils. A new class of counterexamples to the conjecture is constructed, based on the theory of the numerical range.     

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.     

Computer generated numerical ranges and some resulting theorems

The numerical rangeW(A), of an arbitrary n-square matrix A is the union of the numerical ranges of all 2-square real compressions of A. As a result, a simple graphics program is written that accurately exhibits W(A) for real A, and suggests several conjectures relating the geometry of W(A) to algebraic properties of A. Some of these conjectures are analyzed in the final sections of the paper.     

Alternative proofs of a theorem of Moyls and Marcus on the numerical range of a square matrix

Moyls and Marcus [4] showed that for n≤4,n×n an complex matrix A is normal if and only if the numerical range of A is the convex hull of the eigenvalues of A. When n≥5, there exist matrices which are not normal, but such that the numerical range is still the convex hull of the eigenvalues. Two alternative proofs of this fact are given. One proof uses the known structure of the numerical range of a 2×2 matrix. The other relies on a theorem of Motzkin and Taussky stating that a pair of Hermitian matrices with property L must commute.     

Note on a paper of thompson: the congruence numerical range

Given n×n Complex matrices A, Cdefine the C-congruence numerical range of A to be the set [ILM0001]. R.C. Thompson has characterized R_C(A) when [ILM0002] are fixed complex numbers. In this note. we obtain some analogous results about R_t(A) when C is skew symmmetric and a simple proof of the result of Thompson is given.Moreover, we characterize a certain set of partial off diagonals under congruence unitary transformation.     

Numerical approximation of the product of the square root of a matrix with a vector

Given an n×n symmetric positive definite matrix A and a vector , two numerical methods for approximating are developed, analyzed, and computationally tested. The first method applies a Newton iteration to a specific nonlinear system to approximate while the second method applies a step-control method to numerically solve a specific initial-value problem to approximate . Assuming that A is first reduced to tridiagonal form, the first method requires O(n²) operations per iteration while the second method requires O(n) operations per iteration. In contrast, numerical methods that first approximate A^1/2 and then compute generally require O(n³) operations per iteration.     

An inequality for M-matrices

If AB are n × n M matrices with dominant principal diagonal, we show that 3[det(A + B)]^1/n ≥ (det A)^1/n + (det B)^1/n.     

Irreducible matrices with reducible principal submatrices

Let A be a (0, 1)-matrix of order n 3 and let s_i⁰(A), i = 1, …, n, be the number of the off diagonal 0's in row and column i of A. We prove that if A is irreducible, and if all its principal submatrices of order (n − 1) are reducible, then s_i⁰(A) n − 1; i = 1, …, n. This establishes the validity of a conjecture by B. Schwarz concerning strongly connected graphs and their primal subgraphs.     

Proof of a conjecture of Fiedler and Markham

Let A be an n×n nonsingular M-matrix. For the Hadamard product AA⁻¹, M. Fiedler and T.L. Markham conjectured in [Linear Algebra Appl. 10l (1988) 1] that q(AA⁻¹)2/n, where q(AA⁻¹) is the smallest eigenvalue (in modulus) of AA⁻¹. We considered this conjecture in [Linear Algebra Appl. 288 (1999) 259] having observed an incorrect proof in [Linear Algebra Appl. 144 (1991) 171] and obtained that q(AA⁻¹)(2/n)(n−1)/n. The present paper gives a proof for this conjecture.     

The Best Lower Bound for the Permanent of a Correlation Matrix of Rank Two

If 1≤k≤n, then Cor(n,k) denotes the set of all n×n real correlation matrices of rank not exceeding k. Grone and Pierce have shown that if A∈Cor (n, n-1), then per(A)≥n/(n-1). We show that if A∈Cor(n,2), then , and that this inequality is the best possible.     

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.     

On a conjecture of C. Johnson

Given a pair of n×n matricesA and B, one may form a polynomial P(A,B,λ) which generalizes the characteristic polynomial of BP(B,λ). In particular, when A=I (identity), P(A, B,λ) = P(B,λ), the characteristic polynomial of B. C. Johnson has conjectured [1] (among other things) that when A and B are hermitian and A is positive definite, then P(A,B,λ) has real roots. The case n=2 can be done by hand. In this paper we verify the conjecture for n=3.     

The growth of laguerre matrix polynomials on bounded intervals

Let A be a matrix in ^r×r such that Re(z) > −1/2 for all the eigenvalues of A and let {π_n^(A,1/2) (x)} be the normalized sequence of Laguerre matrix polynomials associated with A. In this paper, it is proved that π_n^(A,1/2) (x) = O(n^(A)/2ln^r−1(n)) and π_n+1^(A,1/2) (x) − π_n^(A,1/2) (x) = O(n^((A)−1)/2ln^r−1(n)) uniformly on bounded intervals, where (A) = max{Re(z); z eigenvalue of A}.     

On a commutator theorem of robert c. thompson

A very short proof of the following special case of R. C. Thompson's Theorem is presented. If A is an n × n mairix over a field with more than n elements and if det A = 1. then Ais a multiplicative commutator.     

On k-spaces of real matrices

It is shown that if W is a linear subspace of real n × n matrices, such that rank (A) = k for all 0 ≠ A ∈ W, then dim W≤ n. If dim W = n.5≤ n is prime, and 2 is primitive modulo n then k =1.     

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 formula for the number of Latin squares

We establish an explicit formula for the number of Latin squares of order n:

, where B_n is the set of n×n(0,1) matrices, σ₀(A is the number of zero elements of the matrix A and per A is the permanent of the matrix A.     

A result about determinantal divisors

Let Rbe a principal ideal ringR_n the ring of n× nmatrices over R, and d_k(A) the kth determinantal divisor of Afor 1 ≤ k≤ n, where Ais any element of R_n, It is shown that if A,BεR_n, det(A) det(B:) ≠ 0, then d_k(AB) ≡ 0 mod d_k(A) d_k(B). If in addition (det(A), det(B)) = 1, then it is also shown that d_k(AB) = d_k(A) d_k(B). This provides a new proof of the multiplicativity of the Smith normal form for matrices with relatively prime determinants.     

The rank of the difference of matrices with prescribed similarity classes

Let F be a field and let A,B be n × n matrices over I. We study the rank of A' - B' when A and B run over the set of matrices similar to A and B, respectively.     

A note on the relation between the determinant and the permanent

In this note we prove that there is no linear mapping T on the space of n-square symmetric matrices over any subfield of real field such that the determinant of A is equal to the permanent of T(A) for all symmetric matrices A if n≥3.