The classification of large spaces of matrices with bounded rank (Q891079)

Given an arbitrary (commutative) field \(\mathbb{K}\), let \(V\) be a linear subspace of \(M_n (\mathbb{K})\) consisting of matrices of rank less than or equal to some \(r\in\{1, \dots ,n-1\}\). A theorem of \textit{M. D. Atkinson} and \textit{S. Lloyd} [Q. J. Math., Oxf. II. Ser. 31, 253--262 (1980; Zbl 0411.15013)] states that, if \(\text{dim} V >nr-r+1\) and \(\#\mathbb{K}>r\), then either all the matrices of \(V\) vanish everywhere on some common \((n-r)\)-dimensional subspace of \(\mathbb{K}^n\) , or it is true of the matrices of the transposed space \(V^T\) . Using a new approach, the author proves that the restriction on the cardinality of the underlying field is unnecessary. He also shows that the results of Atkinson and Lloyd [loc. cit.] in the case \(\text{dim} V=nr-r+1\) hold for any field, except in the special case when \(n=3, r=2\) and \(\mathbb{K}\cong \mathbb{F}_2\). In that exceptional situation, he classifies all the exceptional spaces up to equivalence. Similar theorems of \textit{L. B. Beasley} [in: Current trends in matrix theory. . Proceedings of the third Auburn matrix theory conference, March 19--22, 1986, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, U.S.A. New York - Amsterdam - London: North-Holland. 45--50 (1987; Zbl 0656.15008)] for rectangular matrices are also extended to all fields. Finally, he extends Atkinson, Lloyd and Beasley's classification theorems to a range of high dimensions which almost doubles theirs, under the assumption that \(\#\mathbb{K}> r\).