Linearizations of matrix polynomials viewed as Rosenbrock's system matrices

Abstract: A well known method to solve the Polynomial Eigenvalue Problem (PEP) is via linearization. That is, transforming the PEP into a generalized linear eigenvalue problem with the same spectral information and solving such linear problem with some of the eigenvalue algorithms available in the literature. Linearizations of matrix polynomials are usually defined using unimodular transformations. In this paper we establish a connection between the standard definition of linearization for matrix polynomials introduced by Gohberg, Lancaster and Rodman and the notion of polynomial system matrix introduced by Rosenbrock. This connection gives new techniques to show that a matrix pencil is a linearization of the corresponding matrix polynomial arising in a PEP.