On matrices having \(J_m(1)\oplus J_m(1)\) as their cosquare (Q2049286)

Let \(A\) and \(B\) be \(n\times n\) complex matrices. It is well known that it is possible to determine whether \(A\) and \(B\) are similar using only elementary arithmetic operations (that is, rational operations). However the analogous problem of determining whether there is an invertible matrix \(P\) such that \( A=P^{\ast }BP\) (congruence) appears to be much harder. After surveying some of the cases where a solution with rational operations exists, such as when \( A\) and \(B\) are Hermitian, the author examines a further case where congruence can be determined. The cosquare of \(A\) is defined to be \(\mathcal{C}_{A}:=(A^{-1})^{\ast }A\) (see [\textit{C. R. DePrima} and \textit{C. R. Johnson}, Linear Algebra Appl. 9, 209--222 (1974; Zbl 0292.15007)]) and similarity of cosquares of \(A\) and \(B\) is a necessary condition for congruence. For some classes of matrices, such as for unitary matrices or where \(\mathcal{C}_{A}\) has no unimodular eigenvalue, it is also a sufficient condition. Here the author considers the situation when \(\mathcal{C}_{A}\) has only one unimodular eigenvalue (which can be taken to be \(1\)). The first nontrivial case is when \(\mathcal{C}_{A}\ \)is similar to \(J_{m}(1)\oplus J_{m}(1)\) where \(J_{m}(1)\) is an \(m\times m\) Jordan block with eigenvalue \(1\), and it is shown how to determine whether \( A \) and \(B\) are congruent in this case.