Positive Semidefinite Univariate Matrix Polynomials

Abstract

We study sum-of-squares representations of symmetric univariate real matrix polynomials that are positive semidefinite along the real line. We give a new proof of the fact that every positive semidefinite univariate matrix polynomial of size $n\times n$ can be written as a sum of squares $M=Q^TQ$, where $Q$ has size $(n+1)\times n$, which was recently proved by Blekherman-Plaumann-Sinn-Vinzant. Our new approach using the theory of quadratic forms allows us to prove the conjecture made by these authors that these minimal representations $M=Q^TQ$ are generically in one-to-one correspondence with the representations of the nonnegative univariate polynomial $\det(M)$ as sums of two squares. In parallel, we will use our methods to prove the more elementary hermitian analogue that every hermitian univariate matrix polynomial $M$ that is positive semidefinite along the real line, is a square, which is known as the matrix Fej\'er-Riesz Theorem.