This two-volume work presents a systematic theoretical and computational study of several types of generalizations of separable matrices. The main attention is paid to fast algorithms (many of linear complexity) for matrices in semiseparable, quasiseparable, band and companion form. The work is focused on algorithms of multiplication, inversion and description of eigenstructure and includes a large number of illustrative examples throughout the different chapters. The first volume consists of four parts. The first part is of a mainly theoretical character introducing and studying the quasiseparable and semiseparable representations of matrices and minimal rank completion problems. Three further completions are treated in the second part. The first