Additive mappings between Hermitian matrix spaces preserving rank not exceeding one (Q2568375)

Using the nonsurjective version of the Fundamental theorem of Projective Geometry, the author treats in detail one of the basic preserver problems on a space of Hermitian matrices \(H_m({\mathbb F}):=\{A\in M_m({\mathbb F});\;\;A^\ast=A\}\). Here, \(A^\ast:=\bar{A}^t\) is obtained from \(A\), by applying a nontrivial involution \(\bar{ }:{\mathbb F}\to{\mathbb F}\) entrywise, and conjugation. Specifically, the following is proved: Let \(T:H_m(\mathbb F)\to H_n(\mathbb F)\) be an additive mapping (possibly, \(m\not=n\)) over the field \(\mathbb F\), and such that rank\(\, A\leq 1\Longrightarrow\) rank\(\, T(A)\leq 1\). If char\(\,\mathbb{F}\not\in\{2,3\}\) and if Im\(\,T\) contains a matrix with rank\(\geq 3\) then \[ T(A)=\lambda QA^\sigma Q^\ast, \] where \(A^\sigma\) is a matrix, obtained from \(A\) by applying a field homomorphism \(\sigma:{\mathbb F}\to {\mathbb F}\) entrywise, \(\lambda\in F\), \(Q\in M_{n\times m}(\mathbb F)\). As expected, \(\sigma\) and \(\bar{\;}\) must commute. It is also shown that the assumption of Im\(\,T\) containing a matrix with rank\(\geq 3\) can be removed whenever the field contains no proper isomorphic subfields; an extra singular mapping then appears. Moreover, a similar result on infinite-dimensional Hilbert space is also stated. A related problem on symmetric matrices (i.e., when \(\bar{\;}:{\mathbb F}\to{\mathbb F}\) is identity) was treated earlier by the same author [Linear Algebra Appl. 402, 263--271 (2005; Zbl 1084.15008)].