8 research outputs found
On the membership of invertible diagonal and scalar matrices
AbstractIn this paper, we consider decidability questions that are related to the membership problem in matrix semigroups. In particular, we consider the membership of a given invertible diagonal matrix in a matrix semigroup and then a scalar matrix, which has a separate geometric interpretation. Both problems have been open for any dimensions and are shown to be undecidable in dimension 4 with integral matrices by a reduction of the Post Correspondence Problem (PCP). Although the idea of PCP reduction is standard for such problems, we suggest a new coding technique to cover the case of diagonal matrices
On the membership of invertible diagonal and scalar matrices
In this paper, we consider decidability questions that are related to the membership problem in matrix semigroups. In particular, we consider the membership of a given invertible diagonal matrix in a matrix semigroup and then a scalar matrix, which has a separate geometric interpretation. Both problems have been open for any dimensions and are shown to be undecidable in dimension 4 with integral matrices by a reduction of the Post Correspondence Problem (PCP). Although the idea of PCP reduction is standard for such problems, we suggest a new coding technique to cover the case of diagonal matrices
The Identity Correspondence Problem and its Applications
In this paper we study several closely related fundamental problems for words
and matrices. First, we introduce the Identity Correspondence Problem (ICP):
whether a finite set of pairs of words (over a group alphabet) can generate an
identity pair by a sequence of concatenations. We prove that ICP is undecidable
by a reduction of Post's Correspondence Problem via several new encoding
techniques.
In the second part of the paper we use ICP to answer a long standing open
problem concerning matrix semigroups: "Is it decidable for a finitely generated
semigroup S of square integral matrices whether or not the identity matrix
belongs to S?". We show that the problem is undecidable starting from dimension
four even when the number of matrices in the generator is 48. From this fact,
we can immediately derive that the fundamental problem of whether a finite set
of matrices generates a group is also undecidable. We also answer several
question for matrices over different number fields. Apart from the application
to matrix problems, we believe that the Identity Correspondence Problem will
also be useful in identifying new areas of undecidable problems in abstract
algebra, computational questions in logic and combinatorics on words.Comment: We have made some proofs clearer and fixed an important typo from the
published journal version of this article, see footnote 3 on page 1
Matrix equations and Hilbert's tenth problem
We show a reduction of Hilbert's tenth problem to the solvability of
the matrix equation Xi1
1 Xi2
2 Xik
k = Z over non-commuting integral
matrices, where Z is the zero matrix, thus proving that the solvability
of the equation is undecidable. This is in contrast to the case whereby
the matrix semigroup is commutative in which the solvability of the
same equation was shown to be decidable in general.
The restricted problem where k = 2 for commutative matrices is
known as the \A-B-C Problem" and we show that this problem is
decidable even for a pair of non-commutative matrices over an algebraic
number field
On the undecidability of the identity correspondence problem and its applications for word and matrix semigroups
In this paper we study several closely related fundamental
problems for words and matrices. First, we introduce the Identity Correspondence
Problem (ICP): whether a nite set of pairs of words (over
a group alphabet) can generate an identity pair by a sequence of concatenations.
We prove that ICP is undecidable by a reduction of Post's
Correspondence Problem via several new encoding techniques. In the
second part of the paper we use ICP to answer a long standing open
problem concerning matrix semigroups: \Is it decidable for a nitely
generated semigroup S of integral square matrices whether or not the
identity matrix belongs to S?". We show that the problem is undecidable
starting from dimension four even when the number of matrices
in the generator is 48. From this fact, we can immediately derive that
the fundamental problem of whether a nite set of matrices generates a
group is also undecidable. We also answer several questions for matrices
over di erent number elds. Apart from the application to matrix
problems, we believe that the Identity Correspondence Problem will also
be useful in identifying new areas of undecidable problems in abstract
algebra, computational questions in logic and combinatorics on words
Reachability problems in quaternion matrix and rotation semigroups
We examine computational problems on quaternion matrix and rotation semigroups. It is shown that in the ultimate case of quaternion matrices, in which multiplication is still associative, most of the decision problems for matrix semigroups are undecidable in dimension two. The geometric interpretation of matrix problems over quaternions is presented in terms of rotation problems for the 2- and 3-sphere. In particular, we show that the reachability of the rotation problem is undecidable on the 3-sphere and other rotation problems can be formulated as matrix problems over complex and hypercomplex numbers
Computational problems in matrix semigroups
This thesis deals with computational problems that are defined on matrix
semigroups, which playa pivotal role in Mathematics and Computer Science
in such areas as control theory, dynamical systems, hybrid systems, computational
geometry and both classical and quantum computing to name but
a few. Properties that researchers wish to study in such fields often turn out
to be questions regarding the structure of the underlying matrix semigroup
and thus the study of computational problems on such algebraic structures
in linear algebra is of intrinsic importance.
Many natural problems concerning matrix semigroups can be proven
to be intractable or indeed even unsolvable in a formal mathematical sense.
Thus, related problems concerning physical, chemical and biological systems
modelled by such structures have properties which are not amenable to
algorithmic procedures to determine their values.
With such recalcitrant problems we often find that there exists a tight
border between decidability and undecidability dependent upon particular
parameters of the system. Examining this border allows us to determine
which properties we can hope to derive algorithmically and those problems
which will forever be out of our reach, regardless of any future advances in
computational speed.
There are a plethora of open problems in the field related to dynamical
systems, control theory and number theory which we detail throughout
this thesis. We examine undecidability in matrix semigroups for a variety
of different problems such as membership and vector reachability problems,
semigroup intersection emptiness testing and freeness, all of which are well
known from the literature. We also formulate and survey decidability questions
for several new problems such as vector ambiguity, recurrent matrix
problems, the presence of any diagonal matrix and quaternion matrix semigroups,
all of which we feel give a broader perspective to the underlying
structure of matrix semigroups