On sums of idempotent matrices over a field of positive characteristic (Q979020): Difference between revisions

Let \(\mathbb{K}\) be a field of characteristic \(p\neq 0\). The author investigates when a square matrix is a sum of idempotents. Among other things he shows that a matrix \(A\in M_n(\mathbb{K})\) is a sum of idempotents if and only if the trace of \(A\) is an element in the prime subfield of \(\mathbb{K}\). He also shows that many matrices are sums of \(5\) or fewer idempotents.