Free loci of matrix pencils and domains of noncommutative rational functions (Q520758)

Linear pencils \(L(x) = I- A_1 x_1 -\dots - A_g x_g\)\,, where the \(A_j\) are square matrices, are a key tool in matrix theory and numerical analysis and also appear frequently in algebraic geometry. If the \(A_j\) are symmetric or Hermitian, linear pencils give rise to linear matrix inequalities, with many different applications. Let \(\mathcal{A}\) be the algebra generated by the \(A_j\) of a given \(L(x)\). In this paper, the authors consider the associated free locus \(\mathcal{Z}(L)\) defined as the set of all \(g\)-tuples of matrices \(X_j\) such that \(L(X) = I\otimes I - \sum_{1}^{g}A_j\otimes X_j\) has zero determinant. They show that the algebras \(\mathcal{A}\) and \(\tilde{\mathcal{A}}\) of pencils \(L\) and \(\tilde{L}\) with equal free loci are isomorphic up to radicals, and that \(\mathcal{Z}(L)\subseteq\mathcal{Z}(\tilde{L})\) if and only if the natural map \(\tilde{A}_j \mapsto A_j\) induces a homomorphism \(\tilde{\mathcal{A}}/\operatorname{rad}tilde{\mathcal{A}}\to\mathcal{A}/\operatorname{rad}\mathcal{A}\) . These results lead to a characterization of all noncommutative rational functions with a given domain. Finally, a quantum version of Kippenhahn's conjecture on linear pencils is proved.