Functions preserving nonnegativity of matrices

The main goal of this work is to determine which entire functions preserve nonnegativity of matrices of a fixed order $n$ -- i.e., to characterize entire functions $f$ with the property that $f(A)$ is entrywise nonnegative for every entrywise nonnegative matrix $A$ of size $n\times n$. Towards this goal, we present a complete characterization of functions preserving nonnegativity of (block) upper-triangular matrices and those preserving nonnegativity of circulant matrices. We also derive necessary conditions and sufficient conditions for entire functions that preserve nonnegativity of symmetric matrices. We also show that some of these latter conditions characterize the even or odd functions that preserve nonnegativity of symmetric matrices.Comment: 20 pages; expanded and corrected to reflect referees' remarks; to appear in SIAM J. Matrix Anal. App

Self-Dual Codes

Self-dual codes are important because many of the best codes known are of this type and they have a rich mathematical theory. Topics covered in this survey include codes over F_2, F_3, F_4, F_q, Z_4, Z_m, shadow codes, weight enumerators, Gleason-Pierce theorem, invariant theory, Gleason theorems, bounds, mass formulae, enumeration, extremal codes, open problems. There is a comprehensive bibliography.Comment: 136 page

Supplementary difference sets with symmetry for Hadamard matrices

First we give an overview of the known supplementary difference sets (SDS) (A_i), i=1..4, with parameters (n;k_i;d), where k_i=|A_i| and each A_i is either symmetric or skew and k_1 + ... + k_4 = n + d. Five new Williamson matrices over the elementary abelian groups of order 25, 27 and 49 are constructed. New examples of skew Hadamard matrices of order 4n for n=47,61,127 are presented. The last of these is obtained from a (127,57,76)-difference family that we have constructed. An old non-published example of G-matrices of order 37 is also included.Comment: 16 pages, 2 tables. A few minor changes are made. The paper will appear in Operators and Matrice