Bijective linear rank preservers for spaces of matrices over antinegative semirings

We classify the bijective linear operators on spaces of matrices over antinegative commutative semirings with no zero divisors which preserve certain rank functions such as the symmetric rank, the factor rank and the tropical rank. We also classify the bijective linear operators on spaces of matrices over the max-plus semiring which preserve the Gondran-Minoux row rank or the Gondran-Minoux column rank.     

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.     

Varieties of idempotent semirings with commutative addition

The multiplicative reduct of an idempotent semiring with commutative addition is a regular band. Accordingly there are 13 distinct varieties consisting of idempotent semirings with commutative addition corresponding to the 13 subvarieties of the variety of regular bands. The lattice generated by the these 13 semiring varieties is described and models for the semirings free in these varieties are given. Received April 22, 2004; accepted in final form June 3, 2005.     

Noncommuting graphs of matrices over semirings

We study diameters and girths of noncommuting graphs of semirings. For a noncommutative semiring that is either multiplicatively or additively cancellative, we find the diameter and the girth of its noncommuting graph and prove that it is Hamiltonian. Moreover, we find diameters and girths of noncommuting graphs of all nilpotent matrices over a semiring, all invertible matrices over a semiring, all noninvertible matrices over a semiring, and the full matrix semiring. In nearly all cases we prove that diameters are less than or equal to 2 and girths are less than or equal to 3, except in the case of 2×2 nilpotent matrices.     

Commuting graphs of matrices over semirings

We calculate diameters and girths of commuting graphs of the set of all nilpotent matrices over a semiring, the group of all invertible matrices over a semiring, and the full matrix semiring.     

Bases in semilinear spaces over zerosumfree semirings

This paper investigates the cardinality of a basis and the characterizations of a basis in semilinear space of n-dimensional vectors over zerosumfree semirings. First, it discusses the cardinality of a basis and gives some necessary and sufficient conditions that each basis has the same number of elements. Then it presents some conditions that a set of vectors is a basis and that a set of linearly independent vectors can be extended to a basis. In the end, it shows a necessary and sufficient condition that two semilinear spaces are isomorphic.     

A class of commutative semirings with stable range 2

Abstract

The notion and some properties of B-rings, in a natural way, are extended to B- and B_J -semirings which is somewhat similar to the notion of rings having stable range 2. Besides some examples and other results, it is shown that a Gelfand semiring [in particular, a simple semiring] has stable range one and is also a B-semiring (consequently, a B_J -semiring). Finally, we study a class of B_J -semirings and as a counterexample to the case of finite rings, construct two finite semirings such that neither of them is a B_J -semiring.     

Derivations and right ideals of algebras

Let R be a K-algebra acting densely on V_D, where K is a commutative ring with unity and V is a right vector space over a division K-algebra D. Let ρ be a nonzero right ideal of R and let f(X₁,…,X_t) be a nonzero polynomial over K with constant term 0 such that μR≠0 for some coefficient μ of f(X₁,…,X_t). Suppose that d:R→R is a nonzero derivation. It is proved that if rankd(f(x₁,…,x_t))?m for all x₁,…,x_t∈ρ and for some positive integer m, then either ρ is generated by an idempotent of finite rank or d=ad(b) for some b∈End(V_D) of finite rank. In addition, if f(X₁,…,X_t) is multilinear, then b can be chosen such that rank(b)?2(6t+13)m+2.     

Fixed zeros in the model matching problem for systems over semirings

This paper studies “fixed zeros” of solutions to the model matching problem for systems over semirings. Such systems have been used to model queueing systems, communication networks, and manufacturing systems. The main contribution of this paper is the discovery of two fixed zero structures, which possess a connection with the extended zero semimodules of solutions to the model matching problem. Intuitively, the fixed zeros provides an essential component that is obtained from the solutions to the model matching problem. For discrete event dynamic systems modeled in max-plus algebra, a common Petri net component constructed from the solutions to the model matching problem can be discovered from the fixed zero structure.     

Nonsingularity of the difference and the sum of two idempotent matrices

Groß and Trenkler 1 pointed out that if a difference of idempotent matrices P and Q is nonsingular, then so is their sum, and Koliha et al2 expressed explicitly a condition, which combined with the nonsingularity of P+Q ensures the nonsingularity of P-Q. In the present paper, these results are strengthened by showing that the nonsingularity of P-Q is in fact equivalent to the nonsingularity of any combination aP+bQ-cPQ (where a≠0,b≠0,a+b=c), and the nonsingularity of P+Q is equivalent to the nonsingularity of any combination aP+bQ-cPQ (where a≠0,b≠0,a+b≠c).     

Note on cardinality of bases in semilinear spaces over zerosumfree semirings

A necessary and sufficient condition under which all bases in a semilinear space of n-dimensional vectors over zerosumfree semirings have exactly n elements is established.     

Invertible and nilpotent matrices over antirings

In this paper, we characterize invertible matrices over an arbitrary commutative antiring S with 1 and find the structure of GL_n(S). We find the number of nilpotent matrices over an entire commutative finite antiring. We prove that every nilpotent n×n matrix over an entire antiring can be written as a sum of ⌈log₂n⌉ square-zero matrices and also find the necessary number of square-zero summands for an arbitrary trace-zero matrix to be expressible as their sum.     

Maximum order-index of matrices over commutative inclines: an answer to an open problem

This paper proves that the maximum order-index of n × n matrices over an arbitrary commutative incline equals (n − 1)² + 1. This is an answer to an open problem “Compute the maximum order-index of a member of M_n(L)”, proposed by Cao, Kim and Roush in a monograph Incline Algebra and Applications, 1984, where M_n(L) is the set of all n × n matrices over an incline L.     

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.     

On nilpotent subsemigroups of the matrix semigroup over an antiring

In this paper, nilpotent subsemigroups in the matrix semigroup over a commutative antiring are discussed. Some basic properties and characterizations for the nilpotent subsemigroups are given, and some equivalent conditions for the matrix semigroup over a commutative antiring to have a maximal nilpotent subsemigroup are obtained. Also, the maximal nilpotent subsemigroups in the matrix semigroup are described.     

ACI-matrices all of whose completions have the same rank

We characterize the ACI-matrices all of whose completions have the same rank, determine the largest number of indeterminates in such partial matrices of a given size, and determine the partial matrices that attain this largest number.     

Minimum rank problems

A graph describes the zero-nonzero pattern of a family of matrices, with the type of graph (undirected or directed, simple or allowing loops) determining what type of matrices (symmetric or not necessarily symmetric, diagonal entries free or constrained) are described by the graph. The minimum rank problem of the graph is to determine the minimum among the ranks of the matrices in this family; the determination of maximum nullity is equivalent. This problem has been solved for simple trees [P.M. Nylen, Minimum-rank matrices with prescribed graph, Linear Algebra Appl. 248 (1996) 303-316, C.R. Johnson, A. Leal Duarte, The maximum multiplicity of an eigenvalue in a matrix whose graph is a tree, Linear and Multilinear Algebra 46 (1999) 139-144], trees allowing loops [L.M. DeAlba, T.L. Hardy, I.R. Hentzel, L. Hogben, A. Wangsness. Minimum rank and maximum eigenvalue multiplicity of symmetric tree sign patterns, Linear Algebra Appl. 418 (2006) 389-415], and directed trees allowing loops [F. Barioli, S. Fallat, D. Hershkowitz, H.T. Hall, L. Hogben, H. van der Holst, B. Shader, On the minimum rank of not necessarily symmetric matrices: a preliminary study, Electron. J. Linear Algebra 18 (2000) 126-145]. We survey these results from a unified perspective and solve the minimum rank problem for simple directed trees.     

On a subspace metric based on matrix rank

The metric between subspaces M,N⊆C_n,1, defined by δ(M,N)=rk(P_M-P_N), where rk(·) denotes rank of a matrix argument and P_M and P_N are the orthogonal projectors onto the subspaces M and N, respectively, is investigated. Such a metric takes integer values only and is not induced by any vector norm. By exploiting partitioned representations of the projectors, several features of the metric δ(M,N) are identified. It turns out that the metric enjoys several properties possessed also by other measures used to characterize subspaces, such as distance (also called gap), Frobenius distance, direct distance, angle, or minimal angle.     

On the graph complement conjecture for minimum semidefinite rank

In this note, we combine a number of recent ideas to give new results on the graph complement conjecture for minimum semidefinite rank.