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 $\textit{h}$-MINIMUM SPANNING LENGTHS AND AN EXTENSION TO BURNSIDE’S THEOREM ON IRREDUCIBILITY
$\textit{h}$-MINIMUM SPANNING LENGTHS AND AN EXTENSION TO BURNSIDE’S THEOREM ON IRREDUCIBILITYPublished online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2020
We introduce the  $\textbf{h}$-minimum spanning length of a family
$\textbf{h}$-minimum spanning length of a family  ${\mathcal A}$ of
${\mathcal A}$ of  $n\times n$ matrices over a field
$n\times n$ matrices over a field  $\mathbb F$, where
$\mathbb F$, where  $\textbf{h}$ is a p-tuple of positive integers, each no more than n. For an algebraically closed field
$\textbf{h}$ is a p-tuple of positive integers, each no more than n. For an algebraically closed field  $\mathbb F$, Burnside’s theorem on irreducibility is essentially that the
$\mathbb F$, Burnside’s theorem on irreducibility is essentially that the  $(n,n,\ldots ,n)$-minimum spanning length of
$(n,n,\ldots ,n)$-minimum spanning length of  ${\mathcal A}$ exists if
${\mathcal A}$ exists if  ${\mathcal A}$ is irreducible. We show that the
${\mathcal A}$ is irreducible. We show that the  $\textbf{h}$-minimum spanning length of
$\textbf{h}$-minimum spanning length of  ${\mathcal A}$ exists for every
${\mathcal A}$ exists for every  $\textbf{h}=(h_1,h_2,\ldots , h_p)$ if
$\textbf{h}=(h_1,h_2,\ldots , h_p)$ if  ${\mathcal A}$ is an irreducible family of invertible matrices with at least three elements. The
${\mathcal A}$ is an irreducible family of invertible matrices with at least three elements. The  $(1,1, \ldots ,1)$-minimum spanning length is at most
$(1,1, \ldots ,1)$-minimum spanning length is at most  $4n\log _{2} 2n+8n-3$. Several examples are given, including one giving a complete calculation of the
$4n\log _{2} 2n+8n-3$. Several examples are given, including one giving a complete calculation of the  $(p,q)$-minimum spanning length of the ordered pair
$(p,q)$-minimum spanning length of the ordered pair  $(J^*,J)$, where J is the Jordan matrix.
$(J^*,J)$, where J is the Jordan matrix.