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We prove that the only entrywise transforms of rectangular matrices which preserve total positivity or total non-negativity are either constant or linear. This follows from an extended classification of preservers of these two properties for matrices of fixed dimension. We also prove that the same assertions hold upon working only with symmetric matrices; for total-positivity preservers our proofs proceed through solving two totally positive completion problems.
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A classical result by Schoenberg (1942) identifies all real-valued functions that preserve positive semidefiniteness (psd) when applied entrywise to matrices of arbitrary dimension. Schoenbergs 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 dimension. The proof of our main result is representation theoretic, and employs Schur polynomials. An alternate, variational approach also leads to several interesting consequences including (a) a hitherto unexplored Schubert cell-type stratification of the cone of psd matrices, (b) new connections between generalized Rayleigh quotients of Hadamard powers and Schur polynomials, and (c) a description of the joint kernels of Hadamard powers.
Entrywise functions preserving the cone of positive semidefinite matrices have been studied by many authors, most notably by Schoenberg [Duke Math. J. 9, 1942] and Rudin [Duke Math. J. 26, 1959]. Following their work, it is well-known that entrywise functions preserving Loewner positivity in all dimensions are precisely the absolutely monotonic functions. However, there are strong theoretical and practical motivations to study functions preserving positivity in a fixed dimension $n$. Such characterizations for a fixed value of $n$ are difficult to obtain, and in fact are only known in the $2 times 2$ case. In this paper, using a novel and intuitive approach, we study entrywise functions preserving positivity on distinguished submanifolds inside the cone obtained by imposing rank constraints. These rank constraints are prevalent in applications, and provide a natural way to relax the elusive original problem of preserving positivity in a fixed dimension. In our main result, we characterize entrywise functions mapping $n times n$ positive semidefinite matrices of rank at most $l$ into positive semidefinite matrices of rank at most $k$ for $1 leq l leq n$ and $1 leq k < n$. We also demonstrate how an important necessary condition for preserving positivity by Horn and Loewner [Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 136, 1969] can be significantly generalized by adding rank constraints. Finally, our techniques allow us to obtain an elementary proof of the classical characterization of functions preserving positivity in all dimensions obtained by Schoenberg and Rudin.
Functions preserving Loewner positivity when applied entrywise to positive semidefinite matrices have been widely studied in the literature. Following the work of Schoenberg [Duke Math. J. 9], Rudin [Duke Math. J. 26], and others, it is well-known that functions preserving positivity for matrices of all dimensions are absolutely monotonic (i.e., analytic with nonnegative Taylor coefficients). In this paper, we study functions preserving positivity when applied entrywise to sparse matrices, with zeros encoded by a graph $G$ or a family of graphs $G_n$. Our results generalize Schoenberg and Rudins results to a modern setting, where functions are often applied entrywise to sparse matrices in order to improve their properties (e.g. better conditioning). The only such result known in the literature is for the complete graph $K_2$. We provide the first such characterization result for a large family of non-complete graphs. Specifically, we characterize functions preserving Loewner positivity on matrices with zeros according to a tree. These functions are multiplicatively midpoint-convex and super-additive. Leveraging the underlying sparsity in matrices thus admits the use of functions which are not necessarily analytic nor absolutely monotonic. We further show that analytic functions preserving positivity on matrices with zeros according to trees can contain arbitrarily long sequences of negative coefficients, thus obviating the need for absolute monotonicity in a very strong sense. This result leads to the question of exactly when absolute monotonicity is necessary when preserving positivity for an arbitrary class of graphs. We then provide a stronger condition in terms of the numerical range of all symmetric matrices, such that functions satisfying this condition on matrices with zeros according to any family of graphs with unbounded degrees are necessarily absolutely monotonic.
The composition operators preserving total non-negativity and total positivity for various classes of kernels are classified, following three themes. Letting a function act by post composition on kernels with arbitrary domains, it is shown that such a composition operator maps the set of totally non-negative kernels to itself if and only if the function is constant or linear, or just linear if it preserves total positivity. Symmetric kernels are also discussed, with a similar outcome. These classification results are a byproduct of two matrix-completion results and the second theme: an extension of A.M. Whitneys density theorem from finite domains to subsets of the real line. This extension is derived via a discrete convolution with modulated Gaussian kernels. The third theme consists of analyzing, with tools from harmonic analysis, the preservers of several families of totally non-negative and totally positive kernels with additional structure: continuous Hankel kernels on an interval, Polya frequency functions, and Polya frequency sequences. The rigid structure of post-composition transforms of totally positive kernels acting on infinite sets is obtained by combining several specialized situations settled in our present and earlier works.
We prove the converse to a result of Karlin [Trans. AMS 1964], and also strengthen his result and two results of Schoenberg [Ann. of Math. 1955]. One of the latter results concerns zeros of Laplace transforms of multiply positive functions. The other results study which powers $alpha$ of two specific kernels are totally non-negative of order $pgeq 2$ (denoted TN$_p$); both authors showed this happens for $alphageq p-2$, and Schoenberg proved that it does not for $alpha<p-2$. We show more strongly that for every $p times p$ submatrix of either kernel, up to a shift, its $alpha$th power is totally positive of order $p$ (TP$_p$) for every $alpha > p-2$, and is not TN$_p$ for every non-integer $alphain(0,p-2)$. In particular, these results reveal critical exponent phenomena in total positivity. We also prove the converse to a 1968 result of Karlin, revealing yet another critical exponent phenomenon - for Laplace transforms of all Polya Frequency (PF) functions. We further classify the powers preserving all TN$_p$ Hankel kernels on intervals, and isolate individual kernels encoding these powers. We then transfer results on preservers by Polya-Szego (1925), Loewner/Horn (1969), and Khare-Tao (in press), from positive matrices to Hankel TN$_p$ kernels. Another application constructs individual matrices encoding the Loewner convex powers. This complements Jains results (2020) for Loewner positivity, which we strengthen to total positivity. Remarkably, these (strengthened) results of Jain, those of Schoenberg and Karlin, the latters converse, and the above Hankel kernels all arise from a single symmetric rank-two kernel and its powers: $max(1+xy,0)$. We also provide a novel characterization of PF functions and sequences of order $pgeq 3$, following Schoenbergs 1951 result for $p=2$. We correct a small gap in his paper, in the classification of discontinuous PF functions.
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