Congruences of a square matrix and its transpose (Q1887629)

Any square matrix \(A\) over any field \(F\) is congruent to its transpose, i.e. \(A^ T =S^ T A S\) for some invertible \(S\). More precisely, \(S\) can be chosen such that \(S^ 2 = I\). The authors extend this result to the case where \(F\) is a field with characteristic different from \(2\) which is endowed with an automorphism \(x\mapsto \overline x\) of order \(\leq 2\). The main theorem is as follows: Any square matrix \(A\) over \(F\) is \(*\)-congruent to its transpose, i.e. \(A^ T ={\overline S}{}^ T A S\) for some invertible matrix \(S\) subject to the condition \(\overline S S=I\). Their proof is based on a paper by the second author on a canonical form for \(*\)-congruence of matrices [Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Mat. 51, No. 6, 1170--1190 (1987; Zbl 0653.15006); English translation Math. USSR, Izv. 31, No. 3, 481--501 (1988; Zbl 0678.15011)]. Several remarks and many references round off this interesting paper.