An inverse problem for gyroscopic systems (Q471934)

The authors consider the quadratic eigenvalue problem \(\text{L}(\lambda)\, x=0\) for a Hermitian matrix-valued function \(\text{L}(\lambda)=M\lambda^2+iG\lambda+C\), where \(M, G, C \in \mathbb{R}^{n\times n}\) with \(M>0\), \(G^T=-G \neq 0\), \(C^T=C\). This type of problems arises in the linear theory of gyroscopic systems, and so the function \(\text{L}(\lambda)\) is named ``gyroscopic system'' in the paper. Since \(M>0\), without loss of generality one may study \[ \text{L}(\lambda)=I\lambda^2+iG\lambda+C. \eqno(1) \] The subject of investigation is the following inverse problem: Assign a right divisor \(I\lambda-A\) and describe the class of left divisors \(I\lambda-B\) for which the quadratic matrix polynomial \[ \text{L}(\lambda)=(I\lambda-B)(I\lambda-A) \eqno(2) \] is a gyroscopic system of form (1). Assuming that the real part of \(A=A_R+iA_I\) is nonsingular, it is proved that \(B\) of (2) is uniquely determined in terms of \(A\). Necessary conditions are obtained that, given a complex matrix \(A\), there exists a left divisor \(I\lambda-B\) for which \((I\lambda-B)(I\lambda-A)\) is gyroscopic. Given that \(A\) is a Hermitian matrix with a nonsingular real part, necessary and sufficient conditions are provided for \(I\lambda-A\) to be a right divisor of a gyroscopic system. At last, a theorem is proved which provides a way of constructing indefinite stable gyroscopic systems.