The maximal cp-rank of rank \(k\) completely positive matrices (Q1870038)

An \(n\)-by-\(n\) matrix \(A\) is said to be completely positive (cp) if, for some \(t\), there exists a \(t\)-by-\(n\) nonnegative matrix \(V\) such that \(A= V^T V\). The smallest such \(t\) is called the cp-rank of \(A\). Let \(\Phi_k\) be the maximal cp-rank of all completely positive matrices of rank \(k\). In this paper the authors are interested in \(\Phi_k\). In Sections 3 and 4, they prove \(\Phi_k= k(k+1)/2- 1\) for \(k\geq 2\), and furnish a produce to produce for \(k\geq 2\), completely positive matrices with rank \(k\) and cp-rank \(k(k+ 1)/2-1\). These two sections follow a geometric interpretations of completely positivity in terms of pointed and acute sets of vectors that are defined and studied in Section 2.