grandes-ecoles 2016 QIII.D.2
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Throughout this subsection, $A$ is a given primitive matrix in $\mathcal{M}_n(\mathbb{R})$. According to what precedes, there exists in $A$ an elementary circuit $\mathcal{C}$ of length $\ell \leqslant n-1$. To simplify the exposition, and because it does not affect the generality of the problem, we assume that it is the circuit $1 \rightarrow 2 \rightarrow \ldots \rightarrow \ell-1 \rightarrow \ell \rightarrow 1$ (the remaining $n-\ell$ indices $\ell+1, \ell+2, \ldots, n$ being thus located ``outside'' the circuit $\mathcal{C}$).
We will show that $A^{n+\ell(n-2)}$ is strictly positive. For this, we are given $i$ and $j$ in $\llbracket 1, n \rrbracket$. Everything comes down to establishing that there exists in $A$ a path with origin $i$, endpoint $j$ and length $n + \ell(n-2)$.
a) Show that in $A$, we can form a path with origin $i$, of length $n-\ell$, whose endpoint is in $\{1, 2, \ldots, \ell\}$ (we will denote by $k$ this endpoint). You may treat the case $1 \leqslant i \leqslant \ell$, then the case $\ell+1 \leqslant i \leqslant n$.
b) State the reason why the first $\ell$ diagonal coefficients of $A^\ell$ (and in particular the $k$-th) are strictly positive. Show then that there exists a path of length $n-1$ in $A^\ell$ (that is, a path of length $\ell(n-1)$ in $A$) with origin $k$ and endpoint $j$.
c) Finally deduce $A^{n+\ell(n-2)} > 0$, then $A^{n^2-2n+2} > 0$.