\(\psi_S\)-orthogonal matrices and \(\psi_S\)-symmetries (Q2332426)

Denote by $\mathrm{GL}_{n}(\mathbb{C})$ the set of all $n\times n$ invertible complex matrices and by $\overline{A}$ the (entry-wise) conjugate of the matrix $A$. Let $S\in \mathrm{GL}_{n}(\mathbb{C})$ and let $\psi _{S}:\mathrm{GL}_{n}(\mathbb{C})\rightarrow \mathrm{GL}_{n}(\mathbb{C})$ be the map defined by \[ \psi _{S}(A)=S\overline{A^{-1}}S^{-1}. \] A matrix $Q\in \mathrm{GL}_{n}(\mathbb{C})$ is said to be $\psi _{S}$-orthogonal if $ \psi _{S}(Q)=Q^{-1}$, i.e. $S\overline{Q}S^{-1}=Q$. A $\psi _{S}$-orthogonal matrix $H\in \mathrm{GL}_{n}(\mathbb{C})$ is called a $\psi _{S}$-symmetry if $\operatorname{rank}(H-I)=1$ (here $I$ is the $n\times n$ identity matrix). Note that for a $ \psi _{S}$-orthogonal matrix $H$ there exist nonzero vectors $x,y\in \mathbb{ C}^{n}$ such that $H=I+xy^{t}$. The authors first give necessary and sufficient conditions on $x$ and $y$ so that $H$ is a $\psi _{S}$-symmetry. Let $S,R\in $ $\mathrm{GL}_{n}(\mathbb{C})$. We say that $S$ is consimilar to $R$, if there exists $X\in \mathrm{GL}_{n}(\mathbb{C})$ such that \[ R=XS\overline{X^{-1}}. \] Then, the authors use a special canonical form (see [\textit{Y. Hong} and \textit{R. A. Horn}, Linear Algebra Appl. 102, 143--168 (1988; Zbl 0657.15008)]) to characterize $S$ such that $\psi _{S}$-symmetries exist. They also show that every $\psi _{S}$-orthogonal matrix is a product of $\psi _{S}$-symmetries if and only if $S$ is consimilar to a diagonal matrix. Moreover, if $S$ is consimilar to a diagonal matrix, then the minimum number of $\psi _{S}$-symmetry factors of a $\psi _{S}$-orthogonal matrix $A$, $A\neq I$, is $\operatorname{rank}(A-I)$.