The primary decomposition of a set of matrices (Q752800)

A square matrix over a field is primary if its minimal polynomial is a power of an irreducible polynomial. The author proves that, for any set of square matrices over a field, the matrices are simultaneously similar to direct sums of conformable primary blocks iff they all commute with all of their primary idempotents. A corollary provides a negative answer to a question of \textit{M. P. Drazin} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 1, 222-231 (1951; Zbl 0043.017)] on quasicommutativity.