On the Löwner, minus, and star partial orderings of nonnegative definite matrices and their squares (Q1174776)

Let \(A\) and \(B\) be two \(n\times n\) Hermitian nonnegative definite matrices. The object of the paper is to examine, for three kinds of partial orderings \(\leq\), whether: (i) \(A\leq B\) implies \(A^ 2\leq B^ 2\); or (ii) \(A^ 2\leq B^ 2\) implies \(A\leq B\). We say that \(A\leq B\) under the ``Löwner ordering'' if \(B-A\) is nonnegative definite. In this case (i) holds if \(AB=BA\), and (ii) always holds. We say \(A\leq B\) under the ``minus ordering'' if \(\text{rank}(B-A)=\text{rank}(B)- \text{rank}(A)\) (this is one of several equivalent conditions). In this case \(AB=BA\) is a necessary and sufficient condition for either (i) or (ii) to hold. Finally, \(A\leq B\) under the ``star ordering'' if \(A^ 2=AB\). In this case \(A\) and \(B\) are necessarily commutative when \(A\leq B\), and (i) and (ii) both hold. The proofs are elementary.