A complete pair of solvents of a quadratic matrix pencil

Abstract

Let $B$ and $C$ be square complex matrices. The differential equation \begin{equation*} x''(t)+Bx'(t)+Cx(t)=f(t) \end{equation*} is considered. A solvent is a matrix solution $X$ of the equation $X^2+BX+C=\mathbf0$. A pair of solvents $X$ and $Z$ is called complete if the matrix $X-Z$ is invertible. Knowing a complete pair of solvents $X$ and $Z$ allows us to reduce the solution of the initial value problem to the calculation of two matrix exponentials $e^{Xt}$ and $e^{Zt}$. The problem of finding a complete pair $X$ and $Z$, which leads to small rounding errors in solving the differential equation, is discussed.