Collineations preserving the lattice of invariant subspaces of a linear transformation

Abstract

Given a linear transformation $A$ on a finite-dimensional complex vector space $\eV$, in this paper we study the group $\Col(A)$ consisting of those invertible linear transformations $S$ on $\eV$ for which the mapping $\Phi_S$ defined as $\Phi_S\colon \eM\mapsto S\eM$ is an automorphism of the lattice $\Lat(A)$ of all invariant subspaces of $A$. By using the primary decomposition of $A$, we first reduce the problem of characterizing $\Col(A)$ to the problem of characterizing the group $\Col(N)$ of a given nilpotent linear transformation $N$. While $\Col(N)$ always contains all invertible linear transformations of the commutant $(N)'$ of $N$, it is always contained in the reflexive cover $\Alg\Lat(N)'$ of $(N)'$. We prove that $\Col(N)$ is a proper subgroup of $(\Alg\Lat(N)')^{-1}$ if and only if at least two Jordan blocks in the Jordan decomposition of $N$ are of dimension $2$ or more. We also determine the group $\Col(\bdJ_2\oplus \bdJ_2)$.