On factorization of biinfinite totally positive block Toeplitz matrices (Q1088144): Difference between revisions

The work of Aissen, Schoenberg, Whitney and Edrei, who characterized the symbol \(\sum_{j\in {\mathbb{Z}}}a_ jz^{-1}\) of a totally positive (t.p.) (biinfinite) Toeplitz matrix \((a_{i-j})_{i,j\in {\mathbb{Z}}}\), is extended to characterizing the determinant of the symbol of a t.p. block Toeplitz matrix \(A=(A_{i-j})_{i,j\in {\mathbb{Z}}}\), where the \(A_ k\) are \(N\times N\) matrices. To this end, the symbol \(A(z)=\sum_{j\in {\mathbb{Z}}}A_ jz^{-1}\) is factored by directly factoring the associated matrix A. Since up to certain ''trivial cases'' A can be written as a product of a lower and an upper triangular t.p. block Toeplitz matrix it suffices to investigate factorizations of lower triangular matrices. This leads finally to a factorization of A(z) in terms of a product of symbols of one-banded block Toeplitz matrices of inverses of one-banded Toeplitz matrices, and a certain remaining symbol C(z). For \(N=1\) this symbol is known to be an exponential. For \(N>1\), C(z) as well as its inverse is entire and has determinant identically one. Consequently, one obtains a complete factorization of the determinant of the symbol A(z) which gives a useful criterion for the invertibility of t.p. block Toeplitz matrices over sequence spaces. However it turns out that the remaining symbol C(z) itself is not just a (matrix) exponential. In fact the richer class of symbols which arise as solutions of certain biinfinite systems of ordinary differential equations is shown to exhibit the above mentioned properties of C(z). It is conjectured that this class comprises all non- factorable symbols of lower triangular t.p. block Toeplitz matrices and that the remaining symbol in the factorization of A(z) has this form.