Congruence of matrix spaces, matrix tuples, and multilinear maps (Q2226464)

Two subspaces \(\mathcal{V}\) and \(\mathcal{W}\) of the matrix algebra \(\mathbb{C}^{n\times n}\) are called equivalent if there exist invertible matrices \(S,R\in\mathbb{C}^{n\times n}\) such that \(S\mathcal{V}R=\mathcal{W}\); they are congruent if in addition \(R=S^{T}\). Clearly congruence implies equivalence. In his classic book on linear algebra [Foundations of linear algebra. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman \& Co. (1963)], \textit{A. I. Mal'cev} noted that for pairs of matrices the converse is true under suitable symmetry conditions on the matrices. In particular, two matrices \(A,B\in\mathbb{C}^{n\times n}\) are congruent if and only if \(PAR^{T}=RAP^{T}=B\) for some nonsingular \(R\) and \(P\). Two of the present authors [\textit{G. R. Belitskii} and \textit{V. V. Sergeichuk}, Linear Algebra Appl. 418, No. 2--3, 751--762 (2006; Zbl 1126.15032)] investigated similar theorems for multilinear forms, and these results are in turn extended in the present paper. The main results of the present paper show that the converse can be obtained under the assumption of a stronger form of equivalence. Two \(t\)-tuples \((A_{1},\dots,A_{t})\) and \((B_{1},\dots,B_{t})\) of \(n\times n\) matrices over a field \(F\) are called symmetrically equivalent if for some nonsingular \(S\) and \(R\) we have \(SA_{i}R^{T}=RA_{i}S^{T}=B_{i}\) for all \(i\); and they are congruent if in addition we can take \(R=S\). Similarly, two \(k\)-linear maps \(\mathcal{F}:U\times\cdots\times U\rightarrow V\) and \(\mathcal{G}:U^{\prime}\times\cdots\times U^{\prime}\rightarrow V^{\prime}\) are symmetrically equivalent if there are linear bijections \(\varphi_{1},\dots,\varphi_{k}:U\rightarrow U^{\prime}\) and \(\psi:V\rightarrow V^{\prime}\) such that \(\mathcal{G(}\varphi_{1^{\prime}}u_{1},\dots,\varphi_{k^{\prime}}u_{k})=\psi\mathcal{F(}u_{1},\dots,u_{k})\) for every permutation \(1\rightarrow 1^{\prime},\dots,k\rightarrow k^{\prime}\); and are congruent if all \(\varphi _{i}~\)'s can be chosen to be equal. In the present paper, it is shown that in both of these situations symmetric equivalence implies congruence if \(F\) is algebraically closed of characteristic different from 2. Corresponding results are obtained for the situations where \(F\) is a real closed field or is a field with an involution.