Entrywise matrix function 2026-10-06
Applying a scalar function separately to each matrix entry: . This differs from spectral matrix functional calculus. In particular, in Gaussian hyperplane rounding is entrywise, and its contribution to a matrix trace can be restricted to selected blocks by the support of the other matrix.
The Gram matrix representation and give . For a standard Gaussian random vector , each is a standard normal scalar, so the zero event has probability zero. Choose either sign convention at zero; the resulting vector is almost surely a feasible sign vector. Consequently almost surely.
The Gaussian sign-correlation identity gives
The last equality uses symmetry of the real matrices. Hence
The inverse sine is applied entrywise, not through spectral matrix functional calculus.
For completeness, the correlation coefficient identity has a geometric proof. If the angle between two unit vectors is , the isotropic Gaussian random vector direction in their two-dimensional span gives opposite signs on angular sectors with probability . Thus the sign product has expectation . Parallel and antiparallel pairs give the endpoint values and directly. This is Gaussian hyperplane rounding, and needs no independence between the rounded coordinates.