On the extreme eigenvalues of hermitian (block) toeplitz matrices

We are concerned with the behavior of the minimum (maximum) eigenvalue λ₀⁽ⁿ⁾ (λ_n⁽ⁿ⁾) of an (n + 1) × (n + 1) Hermitian Toeplitz matrix T_n(ƒ) where ƒ is an integrable real-valued function. Kac, Murdoch, and Szegö, Widom, Parter, and R. H. Chan obtained that λ₀⁽ⁿ⁾ — min ƒ = O(1/n^2k) in the case where ƒ C^2k, at least locally, and ƒ — inf ƒ has a zero of order 2k. We obtain the same result under the second hypothesis alone. Moreover we develop a new tool in order to estimate the extreme eigenvalues of the mentioned matrices, proving that the rate of convergence of λ₀⁽ⁿ⁾ to inf ƒ depends only on the order ρ (not necessarily even or integer or finite) of the zero of ƒ — inf ƒ. With the help of this tool, we derive an absolute lower bound for the minimal eigenvalues of Toeplitz matrices generated by nonnegative L¹ functions and also an upper bound for the associated Euclidean condition numbers. Finally, these results are extended to the case of Hermitian block Toeplitz matrices with Toeplitz blocks generated by a bivariate integrable function ƒ.