On linear combinations of two idempotent matrices over an arbitrary field (Q977481)

Given two non-zero scalars \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\) in an arbitrary field, the author gives necessary and sufficient conditions for a square matrix over the field to be a linear combination of two idempotents, with the prescribed coefficients \(\alpha\) and \(\beta\). The conditions are in terms of the Jordan canonical form of the matrix. The form of the conditions depends on whether \(\alpha=\pm\beta\) and on whether the ground field is of characteristic 2. The case \(\alpha=1\), \( \beta=-1\), over an algebraically closed field of characteristic zero, was already worked out by \textit{R. E. Hartwig} and \textit{M. S. Putcha} [Linear Multilinear Algebra 26, No.~4, 267--277 (1990; Zbl 0696.15010)].