Solvability of the Hankel determinant problem for real sequences

Andrew Bakan*, Christian Berg

*Corresponding author for this work

Abstract

To each nonzero sequence s := {sn}n≥0 of real numbers, we associate the Hankel determinants Dn = detHn of the Hankel matrices Hn := (si+j)n i,j=0, n ≥ 0, and the nonempty set Ns := {n ≥ 1 Dn-1 ≠ 0}. We also define the Hankel determinant polynomials P0 := 1, and Pn, n ≥ 1 as the determinant of the Hankel matrix Hn modified by replacing the last row by the monomials 1, x, xn. Clearly Pn is a polynomial of degree at most n and of degree n if and only if n ε Ns. Kronecker established in 1881 that if Ns is finite then rank Hn = r for each n ≥ r - 1, where r := max Ns. By using an approach suggested by Iohvidov in 1969 we give a short proof of this result and a transparent proof of the conditions on a real sequence {tn}n≥0 to be of the form tn = Dn, n ≥ 0 for a real sequence {sn}n≥0. This is the Hankel determinant problem. We derive from the Kronecker identities that each Hankel determinant polynomial Pn satisfying deg Pn = n ≥ 1 is preceded by a nonzero polynomial Pn-1 whose degree can be strictly less than n - 1 and which has no common zeros with Pn. As an application of our results we obtain a new proof of a recent theorem by Berg and Szwarc about positive semidefiniteness of all Hankel matrices provided that D0 > 0, Dr-1 > 0 and Dn = 0 for all n ≥ r.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFrontiers In Orthogonal Polynomials and Q-series
EditorsM Zuhair Nashed, Xin Li
PublisherWorld Scientific
Publication date2018
Pages85-117
Chapter5
ISBN (Print)9789813228870
ISBN (Electronic)9789813228887
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
SeriesContemporary Mathematics and Its Applications: Monographs, Expositions and Lecture Notes
Volume1
ISSN2591-7668

Keywords

  • Frobenius rule
  • Hankel matrices
  • Kronecker theorem
  • Orthogonal polynomials

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