M-matrix and inverse M-matrix extensions (Q2217784)

An \(M\)-matrix is a matrix \(M=sI-B,\) where \(B\) is an entrywise nonnegative matrix (\(B\geq0\)) and \(s\geq \rho (B),\) with \(\rho(B)\) the spectral radius of \(B.\) A matrix \(A\) with real entries and size \(n\times n\) is said to be a \emph{mime} if \(A=(s_{1}I_{n}- B_{1}) (s_{2}I_{n} -B_{2})^{-1}.\) Here \(B_{1}\geq 0\), \(B_{2}\geq 0, \) there exists a vector \(u\geq 0\) such that \((s_{1}I_{n}- B_{1})u>0\), \((s_{2}I_{n} -B_{2})^{-1}u>0\) and \(s_{k} >\rho(B_{k})\), \(k=1,2.\) Thus \(M\)-matrices and inverse \(M\)-matrices are mimes. The class of mimes is closed under inversion and permutational similarity. They have been introduced in [\textit{J.-S. Pang}, Linear Algebra Appl. 23, 201--215 (1979; Zbl 0413.15011)] and they are also known in the literature as hidden Minkowski matrices. In this paper, the basic properties of mimes are revisited and proved. For instance, the mimes are semipositive and they have positive principal minors. A mime \(A\) can be factorized as \(A=BC^{-1},\) where \(B,C\) are row diagonally dominant matrices with positive diagonal entries.On the other hand, the Schur complements, principal submatrices and principal pivot transformations of mimes are also mimes. Some subclasses of mimes are analyzed. As a sample, if \(A\) is a mime and \(F= C(A)\) is the Cayley transform of \(A,\) then \( I_{n}+ F\) and \(I_{n}-F\) are also mimes. A remarkable method for constructing nonnegative mines is the following. Let \(B\geq 0\) with \(\rho(B) <1.\) If \((a_{k})_{k\geq 1}\) is a decreasing sequence in \((0,1)\) and assuming the series \(\sum_{k=1}^{\infty} a_{k}\) is convergent, then \(A= I_{n}+ \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} a_{k} B^{k}\) is a mime (see [\textit{O. L. Mangasarian}, Math. Program. Study 7, 74--87 (1978; Zbl 0378.90053)]). Some counterexamples are used to show certain features of mimes (for instance the necessity of a common semipositivity vector, the validity of the Hadamard-Fischer inequality for mimes, the scalability to diagonally dominance or the positive stability). Finally, a generalization where the \(M\)-matrix factors in the definition of a mime are not (necessarily) invertible is stated. The concept of singular mine is introduced and some characterizations of them are given. Irreducibility plays an important role and several examples illustrate such a fact.