Numerical performance of the matrix pencil algorithm computing the greatest common divisor of polynomials and comparison with other matrix-based methodologies (Q5961649)

The problem of finding the greatest common divisor (GCD) of a given polynomial set has interested mathematicians for a very long time and has widespread applications in several branches of control theory, matrix theory, statistics, network theory. This paper presents a new numerical algorithm for the computation of the greatest common divisor of several polynomials, based on system-theoretic properties. The specific algorithm characterizes the GCD as the output decoupling zero polynomial of an appropriate linear system associated with the given polynomial set. The computation of the GCD is thus reduced to specifying a non-zero entry of a vector forming the compound matrix of a matrix pencil directly produced for the associated linear system. A detailed description of the implementation of the algorithm is presented and analytical proofs of its stability are also developed. The MATLAB code of the algorithm is also described in the appendix.