A square matrix $M$ with real entries is said to be algebraically positive (AP) if there exists a real polynomial $p$ such that all entries of the matrix $p(M)>0$. A square sign pattern matrix $S$ is said to allow algebraic positivity if there is an algebraically positive matrix $M$ whose sign pattern class is $S$. On the other hand, $S$ is said to require algebraic positivity if any matrix $M$, having sign pattern class $S$, is algebraically positive. Motivated by open problems raised in the work of Kirkland, Qiao and Zhan (2016) on AP matrices, we list down all nonequivalent irreducible $3\times 3$ sign pattern matrices and classify each of them into three groups (i) those that require AP, (ii) those that allow but not require AP, or (iii) those that do not allow AP. We also give a necessary condition for an irreducible $n\times n$ sign pattern to allow algebraic positivity.
In this paper, we consider matrices whose entries are combinatorial sequences which can be expressed in terms of a convolution of elementary and complete homogeneous symmetric functions. We establish the total positivity of these matrices using the Lindström-Gessel-Viennot Lemma.
We prove the total positivity of the Narayana triangles of type $A$ and type $B$, and thus affirmatively confirm a conjecture of Chen, Liang and Wang and a conjecture of Pan and Zeng. We also prove the strict total positivity of the Narayana squares of type $A$ and type $B$.
In this paper we give some sufficient conditions for the nonnegativity of immanants of square submatrices of Catalan-Stieltjes matrices and their corresponding Hankel matrices. To obtain these sufficient conditions, we construct new planar networks with a recursive nature for Catalan-Stieltjes matrices. As applications, we provide a unified way to produce inequalities for many combinatorial polynomials, such as the Eulerian polynomials, Schröder polynomials and Narayana polynomials.
We provide a decomposition that is sufficient in showing when a symmetric tridiagonal matrix $A$ is completely positive. Our decomposition can be applied to a wide range of matrices. We give alternate proofs for a number of related results found in the literature in a simple, straightforward manner. We show that the cp-rank of any irreducible tridiagonal doubly stochastic matrix is equal to its rank. We then consider symmetric pentadiagonal matrices, proving some analogous results, and providing two different decompositions sufficient for complete positivity. We illustrate our constructions wi…
We consider matrices with entries that are polynomials in $q$ arising from natural $q$-generalisations of two well-known formulas that count: forests on $n$ vertices with $k$ components; and trees on $n+1$ vertices where $k$ children of the root are smaller than the root. We give a combinatorial interpretation of the corresponding statistic on forests and trees and show, via the construction of various planar networks and the Lindström-Gessel-Viennot lemma, that these matrices are coefficientwise totally positive. We also exhibit generalisations of the entries of these matrices to polynomials …
A $k$-positive matrix is a matrix where all minors of order $k$ or less are positive. Computing all such minors to test for $k$-positivity is inefficient, as there are $\sum_{\ell=1}^k \binom{n}{\ell}^2$ of them in an $n\times n$ matrix. However, there are minimal $k$-positivity tests which only require testing $n^2$ minors. These minimal tests can be related by series of exchanges, and form a family of sub-cluster algebras of the cluster algebra of total positivity tests. We give a description of the sub-cluster algebras that give $k$-positivity tests, ways to move between them, and an altern…
We exhibit a lower-triangular matrix of polynomials $T(a,c,d,e,f,g)$ in six indeterminates that appears empirically to be coefficientwise totally positive, and which includes as a special case the Eulerian triangle. We prove the coefficientwise total positivity of $T(a,c,0,e,0,0)$, which includes the reversed Stirling subset triangle.
Let $A=[a_{n,k}]_{n,k\ge 0}$ be an infinite lower triangular matrix defined by the recurrence $$a_{0,0}=1,\quad a_{n+1,k}=r_{k}a_{n,k-1}+s_{k}a_{n,k}+t_{k+1}a_{n,k+1},$$ where $a_{n,k}=0$ unless $n\ge k\ge 0$ and $r_k,s_k,t_k$ are all nonnegative. Many well-known combinatorial triangles are such matrices, including the Pascal triangle, the Stirling triangle (of the second kind), the Bell triangle, the Catalan triangles of Aigner and Shapiro. We present some sufficient conditions such that the recursive matrix $A$ is totally positive. As applications we give the total positivity of the above me…
A real square matrix is algebraically positive if there exists a real polynomial $f$ such that $f(A)$ is a positive matrix. In this paper, we give a sufficient condition for a sign pattern matrix to allow algebraic positivity, and give some methods to construct higher-order algebraically positive matrices from some lower-order algebraically positive matrices. We also propose two conjectures related to the problem of allowing algebraic positivity.
It is shown that for positive real numbers $ 0<λ_{1}<\dots<λ_{n}$, $\left[\frac{1}{β({λ_i}, {λ_j})}\right]$, where $ β(\cdot,\cdot)$ denotes the beta function, is infinitely divisible and totally positive. For $ \left[\frac{1}{β({i},{j})}\right]$, the Cholesky decomposition and successive elementary bidiagonal decomposition are computed. Let $\mathfrak w(n)$ be the $n$th Bell number. It is proved that $\left[\mathfrak w(i+j)\right]$ is a totally positive matrix but is infinitely divisible only upto order $4$. It is also shown that the symmetrized Stirling matrices are totally positive.
We initiate the study of positive-tropical generators as positive analogues of the concept of tropical bases. Applying this to the tropicalization of determinantal varieties, we develop criteria for characterizing their positive part. We focus on the study of low-rank matrices, in particular matrices of rank 2 and 3. Moreover, in the case square-matrices of corank 1, we fully classify the signed tropicalization of the determinantal variety, even beyond the positive part.
Curtis-Ingerman-Morrow characterize response matrices for circular planar electrical networks as symmetric square matrices with row sums zero and non-negative circular minors. In this paper, we study this positivity phenomenon more closely, from both algebraic and combinatorial perspectives. Extending work of Postnikov, we introduce electrical positroids, which are the sets of circular minors which can simultaneously be positive in a response matrix. We give a self-contained axiomatic description of these electrical positroids. In the second part of the paper, we discuss a naturally arising ex…
A classical theorem proved in 1942 by I.J. Schoenberg describes all real-valued functions that preserve positivity when applied entrywise to positive semidefinite matrices of arbitrary size; such functions are necessarily analytic with non-negative Taylor coefficients. Despite the great deal of interest generated by this theorem, a characterization of functions preserving positivity for matrices of fixed dimension is not known. In this paper, we provide a complete description of polynomials of degree $N$ that preserve positivity when applied entrywise to matrices of dimension $N$. This is the …
Let $\mathbb{P}_G([0,\infty))$ and $\mathbb{P}_G^{'}([0,\infty))$ be the sets of positive semidefinite and positive definite matrices of order $n$, respectively, with nonnegative entries, where some positions of zero entries are restricted by a simple graph $G$ with $n$ vertices. It is proved that for a connected simple graph $G$ of order $n\geq 3$, the set of powers preserving positive semidefiniteness on $\mathbb{P}_G([0,\infty))$ is precisely the same as the set of powers preserving positive definiteness on $\mathbb{P}_G^{'}([0,\infty))$. In particular, this provides an explicit combinatori…
Immanants are functions on square matrices generalizing the determinant and permanent. Kazhdan-Lusztig immanants, which are indexed by permutations, involve $q=1$ specializations of Type A Kazhdan-Lusztig polynomials, and were defined in (Rhoades-Skandera, 2006). Using results of (Haiman, 1993) and (Stembridge, 1991), Rhoades and Skandera showed that Kazhdan-Lusztig immanants are nonnegative on matrices whose minors are nonnegative. We investigate which Kazhdan-Lusztig immanants are positive on $k$-positive matrices (matrices whose minors of size $k \times k$ and smaller are positive). We show…
We show that, for Hankel matrices, total nonnegativity (resp. total positivity) of order r is preserved by sum, Hadamard product, and Hadamard power with real exponent t \ge r-2. We give examples to show that our results are sharp relative to matrix size and structure (general, symmetric or Hankel). Some of these examples also resolve the Hadamard critical-exponent problem for totally positive and totally nonnegative matrices.
A classical result by Schoenberg (1942) identifies all real-valued functions that preserve positive semidefiniteness (psd) when applied entrywise to matrices of arbitrary dimension. Schoenberg's work has continued to attract significant interest, including renewed recent attention due to applications in high-dimensional statistics. However, despite a great deal of effort in the area, an effective characterization of entrywise functions preserving positivity in a fixed dimension remains elusive to date. As a first step, we characterize new classes of polynomials preserving positivity in fixed d…
In this note, we show that certain dual canonical basis elements of $\mathbb{C}[SL_m]$ are positive when evaluated on $k$-positive matrices, matrices whose minors of size $k \times k$ and smaller are positive. Skandera showed that all dual canonical basis elements of $\mathbb{C}[SL_m]$ can be written in terms of Kazhdan-Lusztig immanants, which were introduced by Rhoades and Skandera. We focus on the basis elements which are expressed in terms of Kazhdan-Lusztig immanants indexed by 1324- and 2143-avoiding permutations. This extends previous work of the authors on Kazhdan-Lusztig immanants and…
In the first part of this paper, we provide a concise review of our method of solution of the $A_r$ Q-systems in terms of the partition function of paths on a weighted graph. In the second part, we show that it is possible to modify the graphs and transfer matrices so as to provide an explicit connection to the theory of planar networks introduced in the context of totally positive matrices by Fomin and Zelevinsky. As an illustration of the further generality of our method, we apply it to give a simple solution for the rank 2 affine cluster algebras studied by Caldero and Zelevinsky.
We prove in this paper that the weighted volume of the set of integral transportation matrices between two integral histograms r and c of equal sum is a positive definite kernel of r and c when the set of considered weights forms a positive definite matrix. The computation of this quantity, despite being the subject of a significant research effort in algebraic statistics, remains an intractable challenge for histograms of even modest dimensions. We propose an alternative kernel which, rather than considering all matrices of the transportation polytope, only focuses on a sub-sample of its vert…
Let $1\leq k \leq n$ and let $X_n = (x_1, \dots, x_n)$ be a list of $n$ variables. The {\em Boolean product polynomial} $B_{n,k}(X_n)$ is the product of the linear forms $\sum_{i \in S} x_i$ where $S$ ranges over all $k$-element subsets of $\{1, 2, \dots, n\}$. We prove that Boolean product polynomials are Schur positive. We do this via a new method of proving Schur positivity using vector bundles and a symmetric function operation we call {\em Chern plethysm}. This gives a geometric method for producing a vast array of Schur positive polynomials whose Schur positivity lacks (at present) a com…
This survey contains a selection of topics unified by the concept of positive semi-definiteness (of matrices or kernels), reflecting natural constraints imposed on discrete data (graphs or networks) or continuous objects (probability or mass distributions). We put emphasis on entrywise operations which preserve positivity, in a variety of guises. Techniques from harmonic analysis, function theory, operator theory, statistics, combinatorics, and group representations are invoked. Some partially forgotten classical roots in metric geometry and distance transforms are presented with comments and …
Given $I\subset\mathbb{C}$ and an integer $N>0$, a function $f:I\to\mathbb{C}$ is entrywise positivity preserving on positive semidefinite (p.s.d.) matrices $A=(a_{jk})\in I^{N\times N}$, if the entrywise application $f[A]=(f(a_{jk}))$ of $f$ to $A$ is p.s.d. for all such $A$. Such preservers in all dimensions have been classified by Schoenberg and Rudin as being absolutely monotonic [Duke Math. J. 1942, 1959]. In fixed dimension $N$, results akin to work of Horn and Loewner [Trans. AMS 1969] show the first $N$ nonzero Maclaurin coefficients of a positivity preserver $f$ are positive; and the …
Electrical networks, Grassmannians, and cluster algebras
University of Haifa（海法大学）；Hebrew University（希伯来大学）；National Research University Higher School of Economics（国立研究高等经济学院）；P. G. Demidov Yaroslavl State University（P.G. 杰米多夫雅罗斯拉夫尔国立大学）
We prove that checking if a partial matrix is partial totally positive is co-NP-complete. This contrasts with checking a conventional matrix for total positivity, for which we provide a cubic time algorithm. Checking partial sign regularity with any signature, including partial total nonnegativity, is also co-NP-complete. Finally, we prove that checking partial total positivity in a partial matrix with logarithmically many unspecified entries may be done in polynomial time.
This is the first of a series of papers where we develop a theory of total positivity for loop groups. In this paper, we completely describe the totally nonnegative part of the polynomial loop group GL_n(\R[t,t^{-1}]), and for the formal loop group GL_n(\R((t))) we describe the totally nonnegative points which are not totally positive. Furthermore, we make the connection with networks on the cylinder. Our approach involves the introduction of distinguished generators, called whirls and curls, and we describe the commutation relations amongst them. These matrices play the same role as the poles…
The study of entrywise powers of matrices was originated by Loewner in the pursuit of the Bieberbach conjecture. Since the work of FitzGerald and Horn (1977), it is known that $A^{\circ α} := (a_{ij}^α)$ is positive semidefinite for every entrywise nonnegative $n \times n$ positive semidefinite matrix $A = (a_{ij})$ if and only if $α$ is a positive integer or $α\geq n-2$. This surprising result naturally extends the Schur product theorem, and demonstrates the existence of a sharp phase transition in preserving positivity. In this paper, we study when entrywise powers preserve positivity for ma…
We present a coarse-graining (or model order reduction) procedure for stochastic matrices by clustering. The method is consistent with the natural structure of Markov theory, preserving positivity and mass, and does not rely on any tools from Hilbert space theory. The reconstruction is provided by a generalized Penrose-Moore inverse of the coarse-graining operator incorporating the inhomogeneous invariant measure of the Markov matrix. As we show, the method provides coarse-graining and reconstruction also on the level of tensor spaces, which is consistent with the notion of an incidence matrix…
