A Real Nullstellensatz for Matrices of Non-Commutative Polynomials

Abstract

This article extends the classical Real Nullstellensatz to matrices of polynomials in a free $\ast$-algebra $\RR\axs$ with $x=(x_1, \ldots, x_n)$. This result is a generalization of a result of Cimpri\vc, Helton, McCullough, and the author. In the free left $\RR\axs$-module $\RR^{1 \times \ell}\axs$ we introduce notions of the (noncommutative) zero set of a left $\RR\axs$-submodule and of a real left $\RR\axs$-submodule. We prove that every element from $\RR^{1 \times \ell}\axs$ whose zero set contains the intersection of zero sets of elements from a finite subset $S \subset \RR^{1 \times \ell}\axs$ belongs to the smallest real left $\RR\axs$-submodule containing $S$. Using this, we derive a nullstellensatz for matrices of polynomials in $\RR\axs$. The other main contribution of this article is an efficient, implementable algorithm which for every finite subset $S \subset \RR^{1 \times \ell}\axs$ computes the smallest real left $\RR\axs$-submodule containing $S$. This algorithm terminates in a finite number of steps. By taking advantage of the rigid structure of $\RR\axs$, the algorithm presented here is an improvement upon the previously known algorithm for $\RR\axs$.