The sum of orthogonal matrices (Q2427895)

Let \(\mathbb{F}\) be the field of reals \(\mathbb{R}\) or complexes \(\mathbb{C}\) or the skewfield of (real) quaternions \(\mathbb{H}\), and consider the ring \(M_{n}(\mathbb{F})\) of \(n\times n\) matrices over \(\mathbb{F}\). Let \(\mathcal{U}_{n}(\mathbb{F)}\) and \(\mathcal{O}_{n}(\mathbb{F})\) be the groups of unitary and orthogonal matrices, respectively, contained in \(M_{n} (\mathbb{F})\). The author shows that if \(n\geq2\) then in each case an arbitrary matrix \(A\in M_{n}(\mathbb{F})\) can be written as a sum of unitary matrices and as a sum of orthogonal matrices. Let \(k\) be the least integer greater than or equal to the largest singular value of \(A\). Then, when \(\mathbb{F}=\mathbb{C}\) or \(\mathbb{H}\), the least number of unitary matrices required is equal to \(k\). When \(\mathbb{F=R}\), six orthogonal matrices suffice if \(k\leq3,\) and \(k+2\) orthogonal matrices suffice when \(k\geq4\). The key observation is that it is enough to consider the special case where \(A\) is a diagonal matrix whose nonzero entries are its singular values.