Set-systems with signed solutions (Q1863549)

A linear system \(Ax=b\), when the entries of \(A\) and \(b\) belong to some non-empty real sets is of real interest in engineering or in economic applications. The case when the sets are intervals of real numbers is well developed [cf. \textit{A. Neumaier}, Interval methods for systems of equations (1990; Zbl 0715.65030)]. The case when only the signs of the entries are known (sign-solvable linear systems) was studied for example by \textit{R. A. Brualdi} and the author [Matrices of sign-solvable linear systems (1995; Zbl 0833.15002)] and the case when the entries belong to a certain cone was studied for example also by \textit{S.-J. Kim} and the author [Linear Multilinear Algebra 50, 23-32 (2002; Zbl 1072.15003)]. These situations are all specializations of the situations considered in the paper under review. Some necessary and sufficient conditions on the entry sets are also given, in order that the sign pattern of the solutions be independent of the choice of the coefficients.