The convex Positivstellensatz in a free algebra

Real algebra (13J30) Semialgebraic sets and related spaces (14P10) Operator spaces and completely bounded maps (46L07) Applications of functional analysis in optimization, convex analysis, mathematical programming, economics (46N10) Linear operator methods in interpolation, moment and extension problems (47A57)

Abstract: Given a monic linear pencil L in g variables let D_L be its positivity domain, i.e., the set of all g-tuples X of symmetric matrices of all sizes making L(X) positive semidefinite. Because L is a monic linear pencil, D_L is convex with interior, and conversely it is known that convex bounded noncommutative semialgebraic sets with interior are all of the form D_L. The main result of this paper establishes a perfect noncommutative Nichtnegativstellensatz on a convex semialgebraic set. Namely, a noncommutative polynomial p is positive semidefinite on D_L if and only if it has a weighted sum of squares representation with optimal degree bounds: p = s^* s + sum_j f_j^* L f_j, where s, f_j are vectors of noncommutative polynomials of degree no greater than 1/2 deg(p). This noncommutative result contrasts sharply with the commutative setting, where there is no control on the degrees of s, f_j and assuming only p nonnegative, as opposed to p strictly positive, yields a clean Positivstellensatz so seldom that such cases are noteworthy.

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Let \(L\) be a monic linear pencil in \(g\) variables (i.e., there is a natural number \(l\) and symmetric \(l\times l\) matrices \(A_1,\ldots,A_g\) such that \(L=I_l-\sum_{j=1}^gA_jx_j\) where \(x_1,\ldots,x_g\) are noncommuting variables). The monic linear pencil induces a family of semialgebraic sets \(\mathfrak{P}_L=(\mathfrak{P}_L(n))_{n\in\mathbb{N}}\) where NEWLINE\[NEWLINE\mathfrak{P}_L(n):=\{X\in \mathbb{S}_n^g\mid L(X)\succeq 0\},NEWLINE\]NEWLINE and \(\mathbb{S}_n^g\) is the set of \(g\)-tuples of symmetric \(n\times n\) matrices. By the conditions imposed on \(L\) each \(\mathfrak{P}_L(n)\) is convex with interior. Conversely by \textit{J. W. Helton} and \textit{S. McCullough} [Ann. Math. (2) 176, No. 2, 979--1013 (2012; Zbl 1260.14011)], convex bounded noncommutative semialgebraic sets with interior are all of the form \(\mathfrak{P}_L\).NEWLINENEWLINEThe main result of the paper under review establishes a perfect noncommutative Nichtnegativstellensatz on \(\mathfrak{P}_L\). It states that a symmetric matrix-valued noncommutative polynomial \(p\) is positive semidefinite on \(\mathfrak{P}_L\) (i.e. \(p(X)\succeq 0\) for all \(X\in \mathfrak{P}_L(n)\) and all \(n\)) if and only if \(p\) has a weighted sum of squares representation with optimal degree bounds: NEWLINE\[NEWLINEp=s^*s+\sum_j^{\mathrm{finite}}f_j^*Lf_jNEWLINE\]NEWLINE where \(s,f_j\) are matrices of noncommutative polynomials of degree no greater than \(\mathrm{deg}(p)/2\) (and \(*\) is the natural involution on matrix-valued noncommutative polynomials which maps \(x_ix_j\) to \(x_jx_i\)).NEWLINENEWLINEA similar result is also shown in the more general setting that the underlying semialgebraic set is defined by a concave matrix-valued noncommutative polynomial.NEWLINENEWLINEThe Nichtnegativstellensatz in the cases described above improves strongly the result of \textit{J. W. Helton} and \textit{S. McCullough} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 356, No. 9, 3721--3737 (2004; Zbl 1071.47005)] where the commutative Positivstellensatz of \textit{M. Putinar} [Indiana Univ. Math. J. 42, No. 3, 969--984 (1993; Zbl 0796.12002)] has been adapted to the noncommutative setting.

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