i. Similar matrices always have the same eigenvalues. True.

They describe the same linear transformation but with respect to dierent bases. j. Similar matrices always have the same eigenvectors. False. The vectors depend on the coorAssignment 11 answers dinate system. You can say, at least, that their Math 130 Linear Algebra eigenspaces are isomorphic. D Joyce, Fall 2012 k. The sum of two eigenvectors of an operator T Exercises from section 5.1, page 256, exercises 1, is always an eigenvector of T . False. Only if theyre 3, 4abc, 8a, 9, 11c. eigenvectors for the same eigenvalue. 1. True/False. a. Every linear operator on an n-dimensional vector space has n distinct values. False. Eigenvalues can come with multiplicities so there can be fewer than n dierent ones. b. If a real matrix has one eigenvecctor, then it has an innite number of eigenvectors. True. Every scalar multiple of it will be an eigenvector, too. 3. For each of the following matrices (i) determine all the eigenvalues, (ii) nd all the eigenvectors for each eigenvalue, and (iii) nd a basis of eigenvectors if there is such a basis. 0 2 3 1 1 1 for F = R. b. A = 2 2 5 (i). First nd the characteristic polynomial

c. There exists a square matrix with no eigen 2 3 vectors. True. Rotations for example. But if you 1 1 1 = 6 11 + 62 3 extend the scalars from R to C, even rotations have 2 2 5 eigenvectors. Over C every nn matrix has at least one eigenvalue. (Except if you consider the empty Note that = 1 is one root of this polynomial, and dividing this polynomial by 1, you get a quotient 0 0 matrix to be a matrix.) of 2 + 5 6 which equals ( 2)( 3). d. Eigenvalues must be nonzero scalars. False. Thus, there are three eigenvalues, namely = 0 can be an eigenvalue. Projections always have 0 1, 2, 3. as an eigenvalue. (ii). Now to nd the eigenspaces for these three e. Any two eigenvectors are linearly indepen- eigenvalues. dent. False. See b above. For = 1, nd the solutions to the equation f. The sum of two eigenvalues of a linear operator (A I)x = 0. You can do that by row reducing the T is also and eigenvalue of T . False. There are only matrix nitely many eigenvalues for a nite dimensional 1 2 3 1 0 1 space over R, so there has to a largest one and a smallest one. 2 2 4 g. Linear operators on innite-dimensional vec- It becomes 1 0 1 tor spaces never have eigenvalues. False. Why 0 1 1 wouldnt they? 0 0 0 h. An n n matrix A with entries from a eld F is similar to a diagonal matrix if and only if there is which gives the general solution (x, y, z) = a basis for F n consisting of eigenvectors of A. True. (z, z, z). One particular eigenvector is We proved that. (1, 1, 1). 1

For = 2, nd the solutions to the equation so the characteristic polynomial is (A 2I)x = 0. You can do that by row reducing 4 3 6 the matrix 6 7 12 det(A I) = 2 2 3 6 6 11 1 1 1 2 2 3 After computing and factoring this polynomial, youll see it equals ( 2)( + 1)2 . Thus, there It becomes 1 1 0 are two eigenvalues, namely 2 and 1. Note that 0 0 1 1 occurs with multiplicity 2. 0 0 0 Lets rst nd the eigenspace for = 2. The matrix A 2I is which gives the general solution (x, y, z) = (y, y, 0). One particular eigenvector is (1, 1, 0). 6 3 6 6 9 12 For = 3, nd the solutions to the equation (A 3I)x = 0. You can do that by row reducing 6 6 9 the matrix which row reduces to 3 2 3 1 2 1 1 0 1/2 0 1 1 2 0 4 0 0 0 It becomes 1 0 2 1 so its general solution is (x, y, z) = ( 2 z, z, z) 0 1 1/2 where z can be any scalar. A basis for this 0 0 0 1 eigenspace is the singleton set {( 2 , 1, 1)} which gives the general solution (x, y, z) = Next nd the eigenspace for = 1. The matrix (2z, z/2, z). One particular eigenvector is A + I is (2, 1/2, 1). 3 3 6 6 6 12 (iii). Find a basis of eigenvectors. One 6 6 12 such basis consists of the three particular eigenvectors mentioned above, namely = which reduces to {(1, 1, 1), (1, 1, 0), (2, 1/2, 1)}. In this ba1 1 2 sis , the transformation is described by the matrix 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 so its general solution is (y 2z, y, z) where y and 0 0 1 z can be any scalars. A basis for this eigenspace is the set {(1, 1, 0), (2, 0, 1)}. 4. For each linear operator T on V , nd the eigenTherefore, a basis of R3 from the three eigenvecvalues of T and an ordered basis for V such that tors [T ] is a diagonal matrix. 1 = { 2 , 1, 1), (1, 1, 0), (2, 0, 1)} c. V = R3 , and T (a, b, c) = (4a + 3b 6c, 6a and the matrix describing T for has eigenvalues 7b + 12c, 6a 6b + 11c). down the diagonal The matrix for this transformation is 2 0 0 4 3 6 0 1 0 6 7 12 A= 0 0 1 6 6 11 2

8a. Prove that a linear operator T on a nitedimensional vector space is invertible if and only if 0 is not an eigenvalue of T . There are lots of ways you could prove this. Heres one. Since T is a transformation from an ndimensional space to an n-dimensional space (namely, itself), it is invertible if and only if its kernel is trivial. But its kernel is nontrivial if and only 0 is an eigenvalue (in which case the 0-eigenspace is the kernel). Therefore T is invertible if and only if 0 is not an eigenvalue of T . q.e.d. 9. Prove that the eigenvalues of an upper triangular matrix M are the diagonal entries of M . The matrix M I is an upper triangular matrix, so its determinant is the product of its diagonal entries, and those diagonal entries are the diagonal entries of M minus . Therefore, the characteristic
n

polynomial of M is the product

(Mkk ), where
k=1

Mkk is the k th diagonal entry of M . Therefore, its roots, which are the diagonal entries Mkk , are the eigenvalues of M . q.e.d. 11c. Prove that 1 1 is not diagonalizable. 0 1 From exercise 9, the diagonal entries of this matrix are its eigenvalues, so its only eigenvalue is = 1. The 1-eigenspace consists of the solutions to 0 1 x 0 = 0 0 y 0 The general solution is (x, y) = (x, 0) where x is an arbitrary scalar. Since theres only one eigenspace, and its dimension is 1, there cannot be a basis of eigenvectors for R2 , so the matrix is not diagonalizable. q.e.d. Math 130 Home Page at http://math.clarku.edu/~djoyce/ma130/