Ranks of a constrained Hermitian matrix expression with applications (Q2375569)

Summary: We establish the formulas of the maximal and minimal ranks of the quaternion Hermitian matrix expression \(C_4 - A_4XA^\ast_4\) where \(X\) is a Hermitian solution to quaternion matrix equations \(A_1X = C_1\), \(XB_1 = C_2\), and \(A_3XA^\ast_3 = C_3\). As applications, we give a new necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of Hermitian solution to the system of matrix equations \(A_1X = C_1\), \(XB_1 = C_2\), \(A_3XA^\ast_3 = C_3\), and \(A_4XA^\ast_4 = C_4\), which was investigated by Wang and Wu, 2010, by rank equalities. In addition, extremal ranks of the generalized Hermitian Schur complement \(C_4 - A_4A^\sim_3A^\ast_4\) with respect to a Hermitian g-inverse \(A^\sim_3\) of \(A_3\), which is a common solution to quaternion matrix equations \(A_1X = C_1\) and \(XB_1 = C_2\), are also considered.