On sufficient conditions for the total positivity and for the multiple positivity of matrices (Q2496668)

This paper deals with totally positive matrices. It is necessary to precise that the authors use the terminology of the classical book ``Total positivity'' by \textit{S. Karlin} (Vol. I, 1968; Zbl 0219.47030). This means that totally positive (resp. strictly totally positive) matrices have all minors nonnegative (resp. positive). A matrix \(A\) is said to be multiply positive if all minors of \(A\) of order not greater than \(k\) for some positive integer \(k\) are nonnegative. In the last decade a certain number of papers have studied necessary and sufficient conditions easy to check for a matrix to be totally positive or strictly totally positive. The present paper deals with sufficient conditions for those properties. The authors denote by \(TP_2(c)\) the class of matrices \(M=(a_{ij})\) with positive entries which satisfy the condition \[ a_{ij}a_{i+1,j+1}>c\cdot a_{i,j+1}a_{i+1,j} \] for all \(i,j\), with \(c\geq 1\). Among other results concerning totally positive, strictly totally positive and multiply positive matrices, the authors prove that if \(M\) is \(TP_2(c)\) with \(c\geq 4,\) then \(M\) is strictly totally positive.