On the real rank of monomials (Q2396179)

The Waring rank for a form \(f\) of degree \(d\) in \(n+1\) variables is the minimal \(k\) such that \(f=L_1^d+\cdots +L_k^d\), where each \(L_i\) is a linear form. As the rank is a measure of the complexity of \(f\), it turns out that monomials are surprisingly complicate from this point of view, even over the complex field. Often, the Waring rank of a monomial is even bigger than the Waring rank of a general form. The authors study the \textit{real} Waring rank of monomials, obtained by decompositions in which all the forms \(L_i\)'s have real coefficients. A complete analysis for the real rank of monomials is known only in two variables. The authors find, in general, a bound for the real rank of a monomial \(M=x_0^{a_0}\cdots x_n^{a_n}\) in terms of the exponents \(a_i\), which are ordered so that \(a_0\leq a_1\leq \dots\leq a_n\). Namely, the authors prove that, assuming \(a_0>0\), then: \[ \mathrm{rank}_{\mathbb R}(M)\leq\frac 1{2a_0}\Pi_{i=0}^n (a_i+a_0). \] Moreover, the authors prove that the real and the complex rank of \(M\) coincide if and only if \(a_0=1\).