On classes of inverse \(Z\)-matrices (Q1894512)

A classification of matrices of class \(Z\) contains the classes of \(M\)- matrices and the classes of \(N_0\)- and \(F_0\)-matrices. The problem of determining which nonsingular matrices have inverses which are \(Z\)- matrices is called the inverse \(Z\)-matrix problem. For special classes of \(Z\)-matrices there exist at least partial results. The authors define a system of classes of matrices for which the inverse of each matrix of each class belongs to one class of the classification of \(Z\)-matrices. Moreover, certain properties of the matrices of each class are established. The authors also give necessary and sufficient conditions for regularity. The class of inverse \(N_0\)-matrices given here generalizes the class of inverse \(Z\)-matrices. All results established here can be applied to a class of distance matrices which corresponds to a nonarchimedean metric. This metric arises in \(p\)-adic number theory and in taxonomy. The last section is about nonarchimedean matrices. Nonarchimedean matrices are closely related to symmetric ultrametric matrices.