The latter two conditions imply that A is the product of three positive matrices (cf. [l, Theorem 31). Since B > 0, we have that T’ is the product of four nonnegative matrices. Say T’= A,AaA,A,, where Ai > 0 for all i. Since T = X-‘T’X for some invertible X, we have T = ( X-lA,X-l*)( X*A~X)( x-~A~x-~*)(x*A~x) expresses T as a product of four nonnegative matrices. That any three of these matrices may be taken to be positive follows from Theorem 2.2. Since
is not the product of three nonnegative matrices by Proposition 3.5, the minimality of four follows. n Using the preceding theorem and Ballantine’s results [l, Theorems 4 and 51, we can characterize the products of four or more nonnegative matrices.
THEOREM 4.2. An n x n matrix T is the product of four nonnegative matrices if and only if det T >, 0 and T is not a scalar matrix cl,, with c in C{z:z~O}.
THEOREM 4.3. A matrix T is the product of finitely many nonnegative
matrices if and only if det T > 0. In this case, five such matrices suffice.