Open Access

We consider classes of n-by-n sign regular matrices, i.e., of matrices with the property that all their minors of fixed order k have one specified sign or are allowed also to vanish, k = 1, ... ,n. If the sign is nonpositive for all k, such a matrix is called totally nonpositive. The application of the Cauchon algorithm to nonsingular totally nonpositive matrices is investigated and a new determinantal test for these matrices is derived. Also matrix intervals with respect to the checkerboard partial ordering are considered. This order is obtained from the usual entry-wise ordering on the set of the n-by-n matrices by reversing the inequality sign for each entry in a checkerboard fashion. For some classes of sign regular matrices it is shown that if the two bound matrices of such a matrix interval are both in the same class then all matrices lying between these two bound matrices are in the same class, too.

In this paper totally nonnegative (positive) matrices are considered which are matrices having all their minors nonnegative (positve); the almost totally positive matrices form a class between the totally nonnegative matrices and the totally positive ones. An efficient determinantal test based on the Cauchon algorithm for checking a given matrix for falling in one of these three classes of matrices is applied to matrices which are related to roots of polynomials and poles of rational functions, specifically the Hankel matrix associated with the Laurent series at infinity of a rational function and matrices of Hurwitz type associated with polynomials. In both cases it is concluded from properties of one or two finite sections of the infinite matrix that the infinite matrix itself has these or related properties. Then the results are applied to derive a sufficient condition for the Hurwitz stability of an interval family of polynomials. Finally, interval problems for a subclass of the rational functions, viz. R-functions, are investigated. These problems include invariance of exclusively positive poles and exclusively negative roots in the presence of variation of the coefficients of the polynomials within given intervals.

A method is investigated by which tight bounds on the range of a multivariate rational function over a box can be computed. The approach relies on the expansion of the numerator and denominator polynomials in Bernstein polynomials. Convergence of the bounds to the range with respect to degree elevation of the Bernstein expansion, to the width of the box and to subdivision are proven and the inclusion isotonicity of the related enclosure function is shown.

Bernstein polynomials on a simplex V are considered. The expansion of a given polynomial p into these polynomials provides bounds for range of p over V. Bounds for the range of a rational function over V can easily be obtained from the Bernstein expansions of the numerator and denominator polynomials of this function. In this paper it is shown that these bounds converge monotonically and linearly to the range of the rational function if the degree of the Bernstein expansion is elevated. If V is subdivided then the convergence is quadratic with respect to the maximum of the diameters of the subsimplices.