EXTREMAL RANKS OF SOME SYMMETRIC MATRIX EXPRESSIONS WITH APPLICATIONS.

Suppose A-BXB*, A-BX -X*B*, and A-BX +X*B* are three linear matrix expressions over the field of complex numbers, where A is an Hermitian or skew-Hermitian matrix. In this paper, we consider how to choose an Hermitian or skew-Hermitian matrix X such that A-BXB* have the maximal and minimal possible ranks, and how to choose X such that A - BX ± X*B* attain the minimal possible ranks. Some applications to Hermitian or skew-Hermitian solutions of matrix equations with symmetric patterns are also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]