Abstract:

This paper makes three observations with regard to several issues of a fundamental nature that apparently must arise in any general theory of linear n-dimensional systems. It is shown, by means of three-specific interrelated counterexamples, that certain decomposition techniques which have proven to be basic for n = 1 and 2 are no longer applicable for n » 3. In fact, for n » 3, at least three equally meaningful but inequivalent notions of polynomial coprimeness emerge, namely, zero-coprimeness (ZC), minor-coprimeness (MC), and factor-coprimeness (FC). Theorems 1 and 3 clarify the differences (and similarities) between these concepts, and Theorem 2 gives the ZC and MC properties a useful system formulation. (Unfortunately, FC, which in our opinion is destined to play a major role, has thus far eluded the same kind of characterization.) Theorem 4 reveals that the structure of 2-variable elementary polynomial matrices is completely captured by the ZC concept. However, there is reason to believe that ZC is insufficient for n » 3 but a counterexample is not at hand. The matter is therefore unresolved. © 1979 IEEE