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 kernels of irreducible representations of the general linear group

A derivation for the kernel of the irreducible representation T_(λ) of the general linear group GL_n(C) is given. This is then applied to the problem of determining necessary and sufficient conditions under which T_(λ)(A) = T_(λ)(B), where A and B are linear transformations, not necessarily invertible. Finally, conditions are obtained under which normality of T_(λ)(A) implies normality of A.     

A theorem of the alternatives for the equation Ax + B|x| = b

The following theorem is proved: given square matrices A, D of the same size, D nonnegative, then either the equation Ax + B|x| = b has a unique solution for each B with |B| ≤ D and for each b, or the equation Ax + B₀|x| = 0 has a nontrivial solution for some matrix B₀ of a very special form, |B₀| ≤ D; the two alternatives exclude each other. Some consequences of this result are drawn. In particular, we define a λ to be an absolute eigenvalue of A if |Ax| = λ|x| for some x ≠ 0, and we prove that each square real matrix has an absolute eigenvalue.     

Perturbation theory and derivatives of matrix eigensystems

We sketch some recent results in the perturbation theory of the matrix eigenvalue problems Ax = λx and Ax = λBx for multiple eigenvalues. Two quite different approaches — generalizing the Bauer-Fike Theorem and differentiating the eigensystems — have been used.     

Convexoid and generalized derivations

Let E,F be two Banach spaces and let S be a symmetric norm ideal of L(E,F). For AL(F) and BL(E) the generalized derivation δ_S,A,B is the operator on S that sends X to AX−XB. A bounded linear operator is said to be convexoid if its (algebraic) numerical range coincides with the convex hull of its spectrum. We show that δ_S,A,B is convexoid if and only if A and B are convexoid.     

Some results on symplectic matrices

The principal results are that if A is an integral matrix such that AA^T is symplectic then A = CQ, where Q is a permutation matrix and C is symplectic; and that if A is a hermitian positive definite matrix which is symplectic, and B is the unique hermitian positive definite pth.root of A, where p is a positive integer, then B is also symplectic.     

The range of the p-Laplacian

We prove that for λ ≥ 0, p ≥ 3, there exists an open ball B L²(0,1) such that the problem

− (|u′|^p−2 u′)′ − λ|u|^p−2u = f, in (0,1)

, subject to certain separated boundary conditions on (0,1), has a solution for f B.     

Characterizations of minimal semipositivity

A real m×n matrix A is said to be semipositive if there is a nonnegative vector λ such that Ax exists and is componentwise positive. A is said to be minimally semipositive if it is semipositive and no proper m×p submatrix of A is semipositive. Minimal semipositivity is characterized in this paper and is related to rectangular monotonicity and weak r-monotonicity. P-matrices and nonnegative matrices will also be considered.     

The minimal polynomial of a matrix

Let Rbe a finite dimensional central simple algebra over a field FA be any n× n matrix over R. By using the method of matrix representation, this paper obtains the structure formula of the minimal polynomial q_A(λ) of A over F. By using q_A(λ), this paper discusses the structure of right (left) eigenvalues set of A, and obtains the necessary and sufficient condition that a matrix over a finite dimensional central division algebra is similar to a diagonal matrix.     

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.     

Some involutory similarities

Matrices A,B over an arbitrary field F, when given to be similar to each other, are shown to be involutorily similar (over F) to each other (i.e.B = CAC^-1for some C = C^-1over F) in the following cases: (1)B= aI - Afor some a ε F and (2) B = A^-1. Result (2) for the cases where char F ≠ 2 is essentially a 1966 result of Wonenburger.     

Flawless 0-sequences and Hilbert functions of Cohen-Macaulay integral domains

Let A = A₀A₁ be a commutative graded ring such that (i) A₀ = k a field, (ii) A = k[A₁] and (iii) dim_k A₁ < ∞. It is well known that the formal power series ∑^∞_{n = 0} (dim_kA_n)λ ⁿ is of the form (h₀ + h₁λ + + h_sλ^s)/(1 − λ)^dimA with each h_iε . We are interested in the sequence (h₀, h₁,…,h_s), called the h-vector of A, when A is a Cohen–Macaulay integral domain. In this paper, after summarizing fundamental results (Section 1), we study h-vectors of certain Gorenstein domains (Section 2) and find some examples of h-vectors arising from integrally closed level domains (Sections 3 and 4).     

Jacobi-Sobolev-type orthogonal polynomials: Second-order differential equation and zeros

We obtain an explicit expression for the Sobolev-type orthogonal polynomials {Q_n} associated with the inner product

, where p(x) = (1 − x)(1 + x)^β is the Jacobi weight function, ,β> − 1, A₁,B₁,A₂,B₂0 and p, q P, the linear space of polynomials with real coefficients. The hypergeometric representation (₆F₅) and the second-order linear differential equation that such polynomials satisfy are also obtained. The asymptotic behaviour of such polynomials in [−1, 1] is studied. Furthermore, we obtain some estimates for the largest zero of Q_n(x). Such a zero is located outside the interval [−1, 1]. We deduce his dependence of the masses. Finally, the WKB analysis for the distribution of zeros is presented.     

On the limit of a product of matrix exponentials

The existence of the limit as ε→0 exp[(A+B/ε)t] exp[-Bt/ε]is studied for n×n matrices A,B. Necessary and sufficient conditions on B that the limit exist for all A are given.     

A new class of fuzzy implications. Axioms of fuzzy implication revisited

Many different fuzzy implication operators have been proposed; most of them fit into one of the two classes: implication operations that are based on an explicit representation of implication A → B in terms of &, , and ¬ (e.g., S-implications that are based on the formula B ¬ A), and R-implications that are based on an implicit representation of implication A → B as the weakest C for which C&B implies A. However, some fuzzy implication operations (such as b^a) cannot be naturally represented in this form. To describe such operations, we propose a new (third) class of implication operations called A-implications whose relation to &, , and ¬ is described by (implicit) axioms.     

Linear operators that preserve pairs of matrices which satisfy extreme rank properties

A pair of m×n matrices (A,B) is called rank-sum-maximal if rank(A+B)=rank(A)+rank(B), and rank-sum-minimal if rank(A+B)=|rank(A)−rank(B)|. We characterize the linear operators that preserve the set of rank-sum-minimal matrix pairs, and the linear operators that preserve the set of rank-sum-maximal matrix pairs over any field with at least min(m,n)+2 elements and of characteristic not 2.     

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.