Trace-positive polynomials. (Q2431639)

Let \(R\) be an associative ring with identity and an involution \(a\mapsto a^*\), where \((a+b)^*=a^*+b^*\), \((ab)^*=b^*a^*\) and \(a^{**}=a\) for all \(a,b\in R\). An element \(a\in R\) is said to be symmetric if \(a^*=a\). The elements of the form \(aa^*\) and \(ab-ba\) (\(a,b\in R\)) are called Hermitian squares and commutators, respectively. Let \(k\) be the field of the real or complex numbers. If \(R=M_d(k)\) is the ring of all square matrices over \(k\) of a fixed size \(d\geq 1\), then the usual complex conjugate transposition * of matrices is an involution in \(R\). Let \(X=(x_1,x_2,\dots,x_n)\) and \(X^*=(x^*_1,x^*_2,\dots,x^*_n)\) denote tuples of \(n\) distinct variables and let \(\langle X,X^*\rangle\) be the free semigroup on \(X\) and \(X^*\). Then the semigroup algebra \(k\langle X,X^*\rangle\) over \(k\) is a ring with involution * mapping \(x_i\mapsto x^*_i\) and extending complex conjugation on \(k\). Suppose that \(f(X,X^*)\) is a symmetric element of \(k\langle X,X^*\rangle\) and \(\text{tr}(f(A,A^*))\geq 0\) for all \(A\in M_d(k)^n\). The main result of this paper asserts that there exist polynomials \(c,g\in k\langle X,X^*\rangle\) such that \(c\) is a nonvanishing central polynomial for \(d\times d\) matrices, \(g\) is positive semidefinite on \(d\times d\) matrices and \(cfc^*-g\) is a sum of commutators in \(k\langle X,X^*\rangle\).