A compound matrix algorithm for the computation of the Smith form of a polynomial matrix

In the present paper is presented a numerical method for the exact reduction of a singlevariable polynomial matrix to its Smith form without finding roots and without applying unimodular transformations. Using the notion of compound matrices, the Smith canonical form of a polynomial matrixM(s)^nxns] is calculated directly from its definition, requiring only the construction of all thep-compound matricesC _p (M(s)) ofM(s), 1<pn. This technique produces a stable and accurate numerical algorithm working satisfactorily for any polynomial matrix of any degree.