Pseudo-inverses without matrices (Q2220772)

The paper under review deals with the possibility of defining Moore-Penrose inverses in a given algebra \(A\) of finite dimension over the field \(\mathbb{R}\) of real numbers by means of a faithful matrix representation \(A\to\mathrm{Mat}(m,R)\), which is chosen in such a way that the image of \(A\) in \(\mathrm{Mat}(m,R)\) is invariant by the transposition of matrices. In fact, the present article explains that the definition of Moore-Penrose inverses in a given algebra \(A\) does not at all require any matrix representation of \(A\). The pseudo-inverses \(y\) of a given element \(x\) of \(A\) (such that \(xyx = x\) and \(yxy = y\) -- indeed, such an element could be constructed in von Neumann regular rings) involve the right ideals complementary to \(xA\) and the left ideals complementary to \(Ax\) -- note that the Moore-Penrose inverse corresponds to the complementary right and left ideals selected by means of a positive involution on \(A\). This paper is also the occasion to take the stock of several useful concepts such as semi-simple rings, involutions of algebras, especially positive involutions, etc. The work finishes with some valuable applications to real Clifford algebras, rudiments of Morita theory and pseudo-inverses in a Morita context. The readers and especially the experts in the subject will definitely enjoy reading the text.