Indefinite product of matrices and applications to indefinite inner product spaces (Q2567468)

Let \(A\) and \(B\) be \(m\times n\) and \(n\times l\) complex matrices, respectively, and let \(P_n\) be an arbitrary but fixed \(n\times n\) complex matrix such that \(P_n=P_n^*=P^{-1}\). In the present paper, an indefinite matrix product of \(A\) and \(B\) (relative to \(P_n\)) is defined by \(A\circ B=AP_nB\). Let \(A\) be an \(m\times n\) complex matrix. The adjoint \(A^{[*]}\) of \(A\) (relative to \(P_n,\) \(P_m\)) is defined by \(A^{[*]}=P_nA^*P_m\). The authors discuss the generalized inverse of a matrix in the indefinite inner product space with the inner product \(\circ\). A matrix \(X\) is called a Moore--Penrose inverse of a matrix \(A\) and denoted by \(A^{[\dagger]}\) if \(X\) satisfies the following equations: \(A\circ X\circ A=A\), \(X\circ A\circ X=X\), \((A\circ X)^{[*]}=A\circ X\) and \((X\circ A)^{[*]}=X\circ A\). For the Moore--Penrose inverse of a matrix, the main result obtained by the authors is that, if \(A\) is an \(m\times n\) complex matrix, then the Moore--Penrose inverse \(X\) of \(A\) exists if and only if rank\((A)=\) rank\((A\circ A^{[*]})=\) rank\((A^{[*]}\circ A)\). Similarly, the group inverse of a matrix in the indefinite inner product space is also defined and sufficient and necessary conditions for the existence of a group inverse of a matrix are obtained.