Sign-central matrices (Q1336413)

Let \(A = (a_{ij})\) be a real \(m \times n\) matrix. The sign pattern of \(A\) is the \(m \times n\) \((0,1, -1)\) matrix \(\text{sign} A = (\text{sign} a_{ij})\), where \(\text{sign} a = 0\) (if \(a = 0)\), \(+ 1\) (if \(a > 0)\), and \(- 1\) (if \(a < 0)\). The qualitative class of \(A\) is the set \(Q(A)\) of all real matrices with the same sign pattern as \(A\). Let \(C(B)\) be the convex polytope determined by the columns of \(B\). The matrix \(B\) is said to be central if the convex polytope \(C(B)\) contains the origin of \(\mathbb{R}^ m\). The matrix \(A\) is said to be sign-central, if each matrix \(B\) in \(Q(A)\) is central. An \(m \times (m + 1)\) matrix \(A\) is an \(S\)-matrix if for each matrix \(B\) in \(Q(A)\), \(C(B)\) is a simplex containing the origin in its interior relative to the real space \(\mathbb{R}^ m\). In this paper the authors give a more transparent and natural proof of the combinatorial characterization given by \textit{G. V. Davydov} and \textit{I. M. Davydova} [Izv. Vyssh. Uchebn. Zaved., Mat. 1990, No. 9(340), 85-88 (1990; Zbl 0725.90072)]. Under some minimality assumption, they investigate minimal sign-central matrices and given some methods for their construction. In particular, they show that the number of columns of a minimal sign-central matrix with \(m\) nonzero rows is between \(m + 1\) and \(2^ m\), and that those with \(m + 1\) columns are precisely the \(m \times (m + 1)\) \(S\)-matrices.