A note on generalized and hypergeneralized projectors (Q2576229)

A (real or complex) matrix is called a \textit{generalized projector} if \(A^2=A^*\) (the conjugate transpose of \(A\)) and a hypergeneralized projector if \(A^2=A^\dagger\) (the Moore-Penrose pseudoinverse of \(A\). These notions are due to \textit{J. Groß} and \textit{G. Trenkler} [Linear Algebra Appl. 264, 463--474 (1997; Zbl 0887.15024)]. In this short, but substantial note, the author characterizes both kinds of matrices in terms of their spectral decomposition. Moreover, it is noted that the results carry over immediately to the cases \(A^k=A^*\) and \(A^k=A^\dagger\). In either case the eigenvalues are powers of a primitive \((k+1)\)-th root of unity.