Formes quadratiques réelles semi-définies. Démonstration élémentaire du critère des mineurs principaux. (Real semi-definite quadratic forms. Elementary proof of the principal minors criterion) (Q913908)

Using the two lemmas: (1) In every symmetric matrix of rank r there exists a non-singular \(r\times r\) submatrix, (2) If all principal minors of real symmetric non-singular matrix are \(\geq 0\) then they are in fact \(>0;\) the author extends the well known criterion for a real symmetric matrix to be positive definite namely that all principal minors be positive to positive semidefinite matrices, thus avoiding the limiting process usually employed.