Abstract We propose a novel factorization of a non-singular matrix P , viewed as a 2 × 2 -blocked matrix. The factorization decomposes P into a product of three matrices that are lower block-unitriangular, upper block-triangular, and lower block-unitriangular, respectively. Our goal is to make this factorization “as block-diagonal as possible” by minimizing the ranks of the off-diagonal blocks. We give lower bounds on these ranks and show that they are sharp by providing an algorithm that computes an optimal solution. The proposed decomposition can be viewed as a generalization of the well-known Block LU factorization using the Schur complement. Finally, we briefly explain one application of this factorization: the design of optimal circuits for a certain class of streaming permutations.
Suppose the complex matrix M is partitioned into a @math array of blocks; let @math . The generalized Schur complement of A in M is defined to be @math , where @math is the Moore–Penrose inverse of A. The relationship of the ranks of M, A, and @math is determined. A new proof, under certain conditions, of Sylvester’s determinantal formula is given. A quotient formula like one previously proved for the Schur complement is obtained. Finally, several known inequalities for positive semidefinite Hermitian matrices are generalized. Historical Introduction: Issai Schur and the Early Development of the Schur Complement.- Basic Properties of the Schur Complement.- Eigenvalue and Singular Value Inequalities of Schur Complements.- Block Matrix Techniques.- Closure Properties.- Schur Complements and Matrix Inequalities: Operator-Theoretic Approach.- Schur complements in statistics and probability.- Schur Complements and Applications in Numerical Analysis.