\(m\) th roots of \(H\)-selfadjoint matrices (Q2228135)

For an \(n\times n\) invertible Hermitian matrices \(H\), the indefinite inner product on \({\mathbb C}\) induced by \(H\) is defined by \([x,y]=y^*Hx\). An \(n\times n\) matrix \(A\) is called \(H\)-selfadjoint if \(A=A^{[*]}\) where \(A^{[*]}\) is the unique \(n\times n\) matrix with \([Ax,y]=[x,A^{[*]}y]\) for all \(x,y\in{\mathbb C}^n\). A matrix \(B\) is called an \(m\)th root of \(A\) if \(B^m=A\). The main goal of the paper is to give a characterization for the existence of a \(H\)-selfadjoint \(m\)th root of a given \(H\)-selfadjoint matrix \(A\). Note that a \(H\)-selfadjoint matrix may have an \(m\)th root, but no \(H\)-selfadjoint \(m\)th root. By a known canonical form of \(H\)-selfadjoint matrices, it suffices to consider the Jordan canonical form of the \(H\)-selfadjoint matrix \(A\) and the block diagonal Hermitian matrix \(H\) with backward identity matrices as diagonal blocks and their number and size depend on the Jordan canonical form of \(A\). Due to the block structure under the power functions, the question is further reduced to consideration of a certain groups of Jordan blocks. The necessary and sufficient condition is given on the combinatorial structure of the Jordan blocks associated to different groups of eigenvalues. More precisely, the authors divide the proof in four cases: 1) Jordan blocks involving positive eigenvalues; 2) Jordan blocks involving non-real eigenvalues; 3) Jordan blocks involving zero eigenvalues; 4) Jordan blocks involving negative eigenvalues. The \(H\)-selfadjoint \(m\)th root exists in general in cases 1) and 2). It can be constructed by considering Jordan blocks with the \(m\)th root of the positive and non-real eigenvalues. In case 3), every Jordan block is a nilpotent matrix. It is clear that the rank of each block will decrease when raising the power. Therefore, the existence of the \(m\)th root is connected to the combinatorial structure on the size of the Jordan blocks. In case 4), if the size of the Jordan blocks is odd, then the situation is more clear as the negative signs can be bypassed easily. As every non-real eigenvalue of a \(H\)-selfadjoint matrix exists in conjugate pairs, the case where the Jordan blocks have the size of even number is more complicated. The existence of the \(m\)th root is then equivalent to the existence of an identical pair of every Jordan block. In such a case, the pair of the Jordan blocks lead to two corresponding Jordan blocks of non-real eigenvalue and its conjugate. Examples are given to illustrate the results and to guide the reader in following the arguments in the proofs.