Binary ranks and binary factorizations of nonnegative integer matrices

Abstract

A matrix is binary if each of its entries is either 0 or 1. The binary rank of a nonnegative integer matrix A is the smallest integer b such that A = BC, where B and C are binary matrices, and B has b columns. In this paper, bounds for the binary rank are given, and nonnegative integer matrices that attain the lower bound are characterized. Moreover, binary ranks of nonnegative integer matrices with low ranks are determined, and binary ranks of nonnegative integer Jacobi matrices are estimated.