Isospectrality and matrices with concentric circular higher rank numerical ranges (Q2238868)

Given two \(n \times n\) Hermitian matrices \(A_1\) and \(A_2\), the authors study when the one-parameter pencil \(\cos t A_1 + \sin t A_2\) is isospectral, i.e., its spectrum (counting multiplicities) is independent of \(t\). They obtain three characterizations. Here is one of them. Let \(A:=A_1 +iA_2\), that is the Hermitian decomposition of \(A\). Then \(\cos t A_1 + \sin t A_2 = \text{Re}(e^{-it}A)\) is isospectral if and only if \begin{itemize} \item \(\text{rank}\, \text{Re}(e^{-it}A)\) is independent of \(t\), and \item for \(1, \dots, \lceil n/2\rceil\), the rank-\(k\) numerical ranges \(\Lambda_k(A)\) of \(A\) are circular disks with center \(0\), \end{itemize} where \[ \Lambda_k(A) = \{\lambda \in \mathbb{C}: PAP=\lambda P\, \text{for some rank}\ k\, \text{ orthogonal projection}\, P\} \] is the rank-\(k\) numerical range which is motivated by the study of quantum error correction. The characterizations imply that \(A\) is nilpotent. As an application, they find additional results related to Lax equations making use of Specht's theorem on unitary similarlity.