Reachability of condensed forms via unitary congruence transformations

There are several well-known facts about unitary similarity transformations of complex n-by-n matrices: every matrix of order n = 3 can be brought to tridiagonal form by a unitary similarity transformation; if n ≥ 5, then there exist matrices that cannot be brought to tridiagonal form by a unitary similarity transformation; for any fixed set of positions (pattern) S whose cardinality exceeds n(n ? 1)/2, there exists an n-by-n matrix A such that none of the matrices that are unitarily similar to A can have zeros in all of the positions in S. It is shown that analogous facts are valid if unitary similarity transformations are replaced by unitary congruence ones.     

Simultaneous decomplexification of a pair of complex matrices by a similarity transformation

The following question is treated: Under what conditions can complex n-by-n matrices A and B be made real by the same similarity transformation? It is shown that if the algebra generated by A and B contains a matrix with a simple real spectrum, then the problem of the simultaneous decomplexification of a matrix pair can be reduced to the decomplexification of a single matrix by a diagonal similarity transformation. From this result, sufficient conditions are derived for the possibility of simultaneous decomplexification. An example illustrating these conditions is given.     

A note on complex matrices that are unitarily congruent to real matrices

Every square complex matrix is known to be consimilar to a real matrix. Unitary congruence is a particular type of consimilarity. We prove that a matrix A∈M_n(C) is unitarily congruent to a real matrix if and only if A is unitarily congruent to via a symmetric unitary matrix. It is shown by an example that there exist matrices that are congruent, but not unitarily congruent, to real matrices.     

On a constructive procedure for verifying whether a matrix can be made real by a unitary similarity transformation

There are well-known conditions under which a complex n × n matrix A can be made real by a similarity transformation. Under the additional assumption that A has a simple real spectrum, a constructive answer is given to the question whether this transformation can be realized via a unitary rather than arbitrary similarity.     

Quadratically normal and congruence-normal matrices

A matrix A ∈ C ^n×n is unitarily quasidiagonalizable if A can be brought by a unitary similarity transformation to a block diagonal form with 1 × 1 and 2 × 2 diagonal blocks. In particular, the square roots of normal matrices, i.e., the so-called quadratically normal matrices are unitarily quasidiagonalizable. A matrix A ∈ C ^n×n is congruence-normal if B = A[`(A)] B = A\overline A is a conventional normal matrix. We show that every congruence-normal matrix A can be brought by a unitary congruence transformation to a block diagonal form with 1 × 1 and 2 × 2 diagonal blocks. Our proof emphasizes andexploitsalikenessbetween theequations X <sup>2</sup> = B and X[`(X)] = B X\overline X = B for a normal matrix B. Bibliography: 13 titles.     

Effective algorithms for decomplexifying a matrix by unitary similarities or congruences

It is required to verify whether a given complex n × n matrix A can be made real by a similarity or a congruence transformation. Algorithms for solving these two problems are proposed and justified under the additional assumption that A is irreducible in the former case and $A_L = \bar AA$ is irreducible in the latter case. The irreducibility of a square complex matrix means that no unitary similarity transformation converts this matrix into a direct sum of smaller matrices. The proposed algorithms are effective in the sense that their implementation requires a finite number of arithmetic operations.     

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.     

Green’s matrices

Our goal is to identify and understand matrices A that share essential properties of the unitary Hessenberg matrices M that are fundamental for Szegö’s orthogonal polynomials. Those properties include: (i) Recurrence relations connect characteristic polynomials {r_k(x)} of principal minors of A. (ii) A is determined by generators (parameters generalizing reflection coefficients of unitary Hessenberg theory). (iii) Polynomials {r_k(x)} correspond not only to A but also to a certain “CMV-like” five-diagonal matrix. (iv) The five-diagonal matrix factors into a product BC of block diagonal matrices with 2 × 2 blocks. (v) Submatrices above and below the main diagonal of A have rank 1. (vi) A is a multiplication operator in the appropriate basis of Laurent polynomials. (vii) Eigenvectors of A can be expressed in terms of those polynomials.Conditions (v) connects our analysis to the study of quasi-separable matrices. But the factorization requirement (iv) narrows it to the subclass of “Green’s matrices” that share Properties (i)-(vii).The key tool is “twist transformations” that provide 2ⁿ matrices all sharing characteristic polynomials of principal minors with A. One such twist transformation connects unitary Hessenberg to CMV. Another twist transformation explains findings of Fiedler who noticed that companion matrices give examples outside the unitary Hessenberg framework. We mention briefly the further example of a Daubechies wavelet matrix. Infinite matrices are included.     

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.     

On complex matrices with simple spectrum that are unitarily similar to real matrices

Suppose that one should verify whether a given complex n × n matrix can be converted into a real matrix by a unitary similarity transformation. Sufficient conditions for this property to hold were found in an earlier publication of this author. These conditions are relaxed in the following way: as before, the spectrum is required to be simple, but pairs of complex conjugate eigenvalues $ \lambda ,\bar \lambda $ \lambda ,\bar \lambda are now allowed. However, the eigenvectors corresponding to such eigenvalues must not be orthogonal.     

Linear preservers of row-dense matrices

Let M_m,n be the set of all m × n real matrices. A matrix A ∈ M_m,n is said to be row-dense if there are no zeros between two nonzero entries for every row of this matrix. We find the structure of linear functions T: M_m,n → M_m,n that preserve or strongly preserve row-dense matrices, i.e., T(A) is row-dense whenever A is row-dense or T(A) is row-dense if and only if A is row-dense, respectively. Similarly, a matrix A ∈ M_n,m is called a column-dense matrix if every column of A is a column-dense vector. At the end, the structure of linear preservers (strong linear preservers) of column-dense matrices is found.     

On the reduction of pairs of hermitian or symmetric matrices to diagonal form by congruence

Let A₁, A₂ be given n-by-n Hermitian or symmetric matrices, and consider the simultaneous transformations A_i→SA_iS^* if A_i is Hermitian or A_i→SA_iS^T if A_i is symmetric. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a unitary S which reduces both A₁ and A₂ to diagonal form in this way. When at least one of A₁ or A₂ is nonsingular, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a reduction of this sort with a nonsingular S. These results are a generalization of the classical theorem from mechanics that a positive definite matrix and a Hermitian matrix can always be diagonalized simultaneously by a nonsingular congruence.     

On latently real matrices and block quaternions

Let a complex n × n matrix A be unitarily similar to its entrywise conjugate matrix [`(A)] \bar{A} . If in the relation [`(A)] = P^*AP \bar{A} = {P^*}AP the unitary matrix P can be chosen symmetric (skew-symmetric), then A is called a latently real matrix (respectively, a generalized block quaternion). The differences in the systems of elementary divisors of these two matrix classes are found that explain why latently real matrices can be made real via unitary similarities, whereas, in general, block quaternions cannot. Bibliography: 5 titles.     

On the Schur multiplier norm of matrices

The Schur product of two n×n complex matrices A=(a_ij), B=(b_ij) is defined by A°B=(a_ijb_ij. By a result of Schur [2], the algebra of n×n matrices with Schur product and the usual addition is a commutative Banach algebra under the operator norm (the norm of the operator defined on $\text{C}$ⁿ by the matrix). For a fixed matrix A, the norm of the operator B?A°B on this Banach algebra is called the Schur multiplier norm of A, and is denoted by ∥A∥^m. It is proved here that $\text{∥A∥=∥U}{}^1\text{AU∥}{}_{\mathrm{m}}$ for all unitary U (where ∥·∥ denotes the operator norm) iff A is a scalar multiple of a unitary matrix; and that ∥A∥_m=∥A∥ iff there exist two permutations P, Q, a p×p (1?p?n) unitary U, an (n?p)×(n?p)1 contraction C, and a nonnegative number λ such that

$\text{A=λP}\text{U}\text{0}\text{0}\text{C}\text{Q;}$

and this is so iff $\text{∥A°}\text{A}\text{?}\text{∥=∥A∥}{}^2$, where ā is the matrix obtained by taking entrywise conjugates of A.     

Linear transformations on symmetric matrices that preserve commutativity

It is shown that if a nonsingular linear transformation T on the space of n-square real symmetric matrices preserves the commutativity, where n ?3, then T(A) = λQAQ^t + Q(A)I_n for all symmetric matricesA, for some scalar λ, orthogonal matrix Q, and linear functional Q.     

Involutory matrices over finite commutative rings

An n × n matrix A is called involutory iff A²=I_n, where I_n is the n × n identity matrix. This paper is concerned with involutory matrices over an arbitrary finite commutative ring R with identity and with the similarity relation among such matrices. In particular the authors seek a canonical set $\text{C}$ with respect to similarity for the n × n involutory matrices over R—i.e., a set $\text{C}$ of n × n involutory matrices over R with the property that each n × n involutory matrix over R is similar to exactly on matrix in $\text{C}$. Because of the structure of finite commutative rings and because of previous research, they are able to restrict their attention to finite local rings of characteristic a power of 2, and although their main result does not completely specify a canonical set $\text{C}$ for such a ring, it does solve the problem for a special class of rings and shows that a solution to the general case necessarily contains a solution to the classically unsolved problem of simultaneously bringing a sequence A₁,…,A_v of (not necessarily involutory) matrices over a finite field of characteristic 2 to canonical form (using the same similarity transformation on each A_i). (More generally, the authors observe that a theory of similarity fot matrices over an arbitrary local ring, such as the well-known rational canonical theory for matrices over a field, necessarily implies a solution to the simultaneous canonical form problem for matrices over a field.) In a final section they apply their results to find a canonical set for the involutory matrices over the ring of integers modulo 2^m and using this canonical set they are able to obtain a formula for the number of n × n involutory matrices over this ring.     

A bandstructure-invariant deflation for real symmetric matrices

By means of an eigenvector and eigenvalue of a real symmetric matrix A, a unitary matrix U is constructed such that U¹AU deflates A and, moreover, the transformation preserves the bandstructure.     

Quadratically normal matrices of type 1 and unitary similarities between them

Verification of the unitary similarity between matrices having quadratic minimal polynomials is known to be much cheaper than the use of the general Specht-Pearcy criterion. Such an economy is possible due to the following fact: n × n matrices A and B with quadratic minimal polynomials are unitarily similar if and only if A and B have the same eigenvalues and the same singular values. It is shown that this fact is also valid for a subclass of matrices with cubic minimal polynomials, namely, quadratically normal matrices of type 1.     

On sufficient conditions for the existence of a unitary congruence transformation of a given complex matrix into a real one

A complex n × n matrix A is said to be nonderogatory if the degree of its minimal polynomial is equal to the degree of the characteristic polynomial. The aim of the paper is to prove the following assertion: Let A[`(A)] A\bar{A} be a nonderogatory matrix with real positive spectrum. Then A can be made real by a unitary congruence transformation if and only if A and [`(A)] \bar{A} are unitarily congruent. Bibliography: 5 titles.     

On a characterization of tridiagonal matrices by M. Fiedler

In this note two new proofs are given of the following characterization theorem of M. Fiedler: Let C_n, n?2, be the class of all symmetric, real matrices A of order n with the property that rank (A + D) ? n - 1 for any diagonal real matrix D. Then for any A ε C_n there exists a permutation matrix P such that PAP^T is tridiagonal and irreducible.