A sharp upper bound on the maximal entry in the principal eigenvector of symmetric nonnegative matrix (Q837012)

Let \(A\) be a symmetric nonnegative irreducible matrix with \(M\) and \(m\) being its largest resp. smallest diagonal entries. Let \(y = (y_1,\ldots,y_n)^T\) be the \(p\)-norm normalized principal eigenvector of \(A\) corresponding to the spectral radius \(\mu\) (according to the Perron-Frobenius theory), and suppose that \(y_1 \geq y_2 \geq \ldots \geq y_n.\) If \(p \geq 2,\) then the following bound on \(y_1\) holds: \[ y_1 \leq \left( \frac{(n-1)^{(p-2)/2} (\mu - m)^{p/2}}{(n-1)^{(p-2)/2} (\mu - m)^{p/2} + (\mu - M)^{p/2}} \right)^{1/p}. \tag{*} \] It is shown that equality holds in (*) if and only if \(A = \alpha \Omega,\) where \(\alpha > 0,\) and where the \(n\)-square matrix \(\Omega = (\omega_{ij})\) is defined by \[ \omega_{ij} = \begin{cases} M/\alpha &\text{if } i = j = 1, \\ m/\alpha &\text{if } i = j \geq 2, \\ 1 &\text{if } i = 1, j \geq 2, \\ 1 &\text{if } j = 1, i \geq 2, \\ 0 &\text{if } i \geq 2, j \geq 2, i \not= j. \end{cases} \] This result generalizes a previously obtained bound by \textit{S. Zhao} and \textit{Y. Hong} [Linear Algebra Appl. 340, 245--252 (2002; Zbl 0996.15013)]. Moreover, the author derives two different bounds on \(y_1\) in the case of the signless Laplacian matrix \(Q(G)\) of simple, connected and undirected graphs \(G\) (Theorem 3.1 resp. Corollary 4.4). These bounds are given in terms of \(\mu,\) \(n\) and the highest resp. lowest degrees of \(G\). Although these bounds are sharp ones (full characterizations of those graphs \(G\) for which equality is attained, are given), they turn out to be uncomparable.