A new rank formula for idempotent matrices with applications
Yong Ge Tian, George P. H. Styan · Czech digital mathematics library · 2002
summary:It is shown that $$ \text{\rm rank}(P^*AQ) = \text{\rm rank}(P^*A) + \text{\rm rank}(AQ) - \text{\rm rank}(A), $$ where $A$ is idempotent, $[P,Q]$ has full row rank and $P^*Q = 0$. Some applications of the rank formula to generalized inverses of matrices are also presented.