Factorization of Tropical Matrices

Abstract

In contrast to the situation in classical linear algebra, not every tropically non-singular matrix can be factored into a product of tropical elementary matrices. We do prove the factorizability of any tropically non-singular 2x2 matrix and, relating to the existing Bruhat decomposition, determine which 3x3 matrices are factorizable. Nevertheless, there is a closure operation, obtained by means of the tropical adjoint, which is always factorizable, generalizing the decomposition of the closure operation * of a matrix.