The prime and generalized nullspaces of right regular pencils

The classical notion of the -generalized nullspace, defined on a matrixA R ^n×n,where is an eigenvalue, is extended to the case of ordered pairs of matrices(F, G), F, G R ^m×nwhere the associated pencilsF – G is right regular. It is shown that for every C {} generalized eigenvalue of (F, G), an ascending nested sequence of spaces {P ⁱ ,i=1, 2,...} and a descending nested sequence of spaces {ie495-02 i=1, 2,...} are defined from the -Toeplitz matrices of (F, G); the first sequence has a maximal elementM ^* , the -generalized nullspace of (F, G), which is the element of the sequence corresponding to the index , the -index of annihilation of (F, G), whereas the second sequence has the first elementP ^* as its maximal element, the -prime space of (F, G). The geometric properties of the {M ⁱ ,i=1, 2,..., and {P ⁱ ,i=1, 2,...sets, as well as their interrelations are investigated and are shown to be intimately related to the existence of nested basis matrices of the nullspaces of the -Toeplitz matrices of (F, G). These nested basis matrices characterize completely the geometry ofM ^* and provide a systematic procedure for the selection of maximal length linearly independent vector chains characterizing the-Segre characteristic of (F, G).