Criteria for copositive matrices using simplices and barycentric coordinates (Q1893079)

A real symmetric \(n \times n\) matrix \(A\) is copositive provided \(x^T Ax \geq 0\) for all \(x \in {\mathbb{R}}^n_+\). This paper presents several criteria for verifying the copositivity of a given matrix, mostly under the assumption that all principal submatrices of order \(n - 1\) are copositive. For \(n = 2\) necessary and sufficient conditions for copositivity are well known. For \(n = 3\) \textit{K. P. Hadeler} [ibid. 49, 79-89 (1983; Zbl 0506.15016)] determined all copositive matrices. For \(n = 4\) \textit{P. Li} and \textit{Y. Feng} [ibid. 194, 109-124 (1993; Zbl 0795.15013)] have determined all copositive matrices. The present authors give a new analysis of the case \(n = 4\) and treat the case \(n = 5\) by their methods. Here they assume that one principal submatrix of order \(n - 1\) is copositive and develop necessary and sufficient conditions based on the sign distribution of the off-diagonal elements of a single row.