Completion of partial operator matrices

This work concerns completion problems for partial operator matrices. A partial matrix is an m-by-n array in which some entries are specified and the remaining are unspecified. We allow the entries to be operators acting between corresponding vector spaces (in general, bounded linear operators between Hilbert spaces). Graphs are associated with partial matrices. Chordal graphs and directed graphs with a perfect edge elimination scheme play a key role in our considerations. A specific choice for the unspecified entries is referred to as a completion of the partial matrix. The completion problems studied here involve properties such as: zero-blocks in certain positions of the inverse, positive (semi)definitness, contractivity, or minimum negative inertia for Hermitian operator matrices. Some completion results are generalized to the case of combinatorially nonsymmetric partial matrices. Several applications including a maximum entropy result and determinant formulae for matrices with sparse inverses are given.;In Chapter II we treat completion problems involving zero-blocks in the inverse. Our main result deals with partial operator matrices R, for which the directed graph is associated with an oriented tree. We prove that under invertibility conditions on certain principal minors, R admits a unique invertible completion F such that {dollar}(F\sp{lcub}-1{rcub})\sb{lcub}ij{rcub}{dollar} = 0 whenever {dollar}R\sb{lcub}ij{rcub}{dollar} is unspecified.;Chapter III treats positive semidefinite and Hermitian completions. In the case of partial positive operator matrices with a chordal graph, a maximum entropy principle is presented, generalizing the maximum determinant result in the scalar case. We obtain a linear fractional transform parametrization for the set of all positive semidefinite completions for a generalized banded partial matrix. We also give an inertia formula for Hermitian operator matrices with sparse inverses.;In Chapter IV prior results are applied to obtain facts about contractive and linearly constrained completion problems. The solution to a general n-by-n strong-Parrott type completion problem is the main result. We prove necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a solution as well as a cascade transform parametrization for the set of all solutions.;Chapter V extends the results in Chapter II and III to prove determinant formulae for matrices with sparse inverses. Several ideas from graph theory are used. An inheritance principle for chordal graphs is also presented