Kernel structure of Toeplitz-plus-Hankel matrices (Q5956236)

A further development of previous investigations [cf. \textit{G. Heinig}, ibid. 332-334, No. 1-3, 519-531 (2001; Zbl 0985.15013)] related to the theory of the finite block Toeplitz \((T)\) and Hankel \((H)\) matrices is presented. As a basic idea, the extension approach for Toeplitz-plus-Hankel matrices proposed by \textit{G. A. Merchant} and \textit{T. W. Parks} [IEEE Trans. Acoust. Speach Signal Process. ASSP-30, 40-44 (1982; Zbl 0563.65016)] is used, which is based on the observation that the direct sum of matrices \(T+H(T-H)\) is unitarily equivalent to a block Hankel matrix \(H\) with \(2\times 2\) blocks. The kernel (nullspace) structure studied by \textit{G. Heinig} and \textit{U. Rost} [Algebraic methods for Toeplitz-like matrices and operators (1984; Zbl 0549.15013)] of block Toeplitz-plus-Hankel matrices \(R=T+H=[a_{j-k}+b_{j+k}]\) is investigated, where \(a_j\) and \(b_j\) are the given \(p\times q\) blocks with entries from a given field. It is shown that \(R=T+H\) corresponds to two systems of at most \(p+q\) vector polynomials from which a basis of the kernel of \(R\) and all other Toeplitz-plus-Hankel matrices with the same parameters \(a_j\) and \(b_j\) can be built. As a main result, an analogue of a kernel structure theorem presented by \textit{G. Heinig} and \textit{P. Jankowski} [Linear Algebra Appl. 175, 1-30 (1992; Zbl 0756.15027)] for block Hankel matrices is established. In conclusion, some special cases are briefly considered: nonsingular \(T+H\) matrices, pure block Hankel or pure Toeplitz matrices, centro-symmetric and centro-skewsymmetric block \(T+H\) matrices.