Positive semidefinite rank (PSD-rank) is a relatively new quantity with
applications to combinatorial optimization and communication complexity. We
first study several basic properties of PSD-rank, and then develop new
techniques for showing lower bounds on the PSD-rank. All of these bounds are
based on viewing a positive semidefinite factorization of a matrix M as a
quantum communication protocol. These lower bounds depend on the entries of the
matrix and not only on its support (the zero/nonzero pattern), overcoming a
limitation of some previous techniques. We compare these new lower bounds with
known bounds, and give examples where the new ones are better. As an
application we determine the PSD-rank of (approximations of) some common
matrices.Comment: 21 page