Positive definiteness of a class of cyclic symmetric tensors

Abstract

For a 4th order 3-dimensional cyclic symmetric tensor, a sufficient and necessary condition is bulit for its positive semi-definiteness. A sufficient and necessary condition of positive definiteness is showed for a 4th order $n$-dimensional symmetric tensor. With the help of such a condition, the positive definiteness of a class of 4th order 3-dimensional cyclic symmetric tensors is given. Moreover, the positive definiteness of a class of non-cyclic symmetric tensors is showed also. By applying these conclusions, several (strict) inequalities are erected for ternary quartic homogeneous polynomials.