Applied Mathematical Sciences, Vol. 3, 2009, no.

48, 2397 - 2410

Necessary and Sufficient Condition for a Set of

Matrices to Commute
M. De la Sen
Instituto de Investigacion y Desarrollo de Procesos
Departamento de Electricidad y Electronica. Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnologia
Aptdo. 644- Bilbao, Spain
wepdepam@lg.ehu.es

Abstract. This paper is devoted to derive the necessary and sufficient condition for a
set of matrices to commute. It is proved that the commutator [ A , B ] = 0 for two
matrices A and B if and only if a vector v (B) defined uniquely from the matrix B is in
the null space of a well- structured matrix defined as the Kronecker sum A A * ,
which is always rank defective. This result is extendable directly to any countable set
of commuting matrices.

Mathematics Subject Classification: 15A30, 11C20

Keywords: Commuting matrices, Jordan canonical form, Kronecker product,
Kronecker sum, Function of a matrix

I. INTRODUCTION
The investigation of the problem of commuting matrices is very relevant in certain
problems of Engineering and Physics. In particular, such a problem is of crucial
interest related to discrete Fourier transforms, normal modes in dynamic systems or
commuting matrices dependent on a parameter (see, for instance, [1-3]). It is wellknown that commuting matrices have at least a common eigenvector and also, a
common generalized eigenspace, [4-5]. A less restrictive problem of interest in the
above context is that of almost commuting matrices, roughly speaking, the norm of the
commutator is sufficiently small, [5-6]. A very relevant related result is that the sum of
matrices which commute is an infinitesimal generator of a C 0 - semigroup. This leads
to a well-known result in Systems Theory establishing that that the matrix function
e A 1 t 1 + A 2 t 2 = e A 1 t 1 e A 2 t 2 is a fundamental (or state transition) matrix for the cascade of
the time invariant differential systems x& 1 (t ) = A 1 x 1 ( t ) , operating on a time t 1 ,
and x& 2 (t ) = A 2 x 2 ( t ) , operating on a time t 2 , provided that A 1 and A 2 commute (see,

2398

M. De la Sen

[7-11] ).The problem of commuting matrices is also of relevant interest in dynamic

switched systems, namely, those which possess several parameterizations one of each
is activated at each current time interval. If the matrices of dynamics of all the
parameterizations commute then there exists a common Lyapunov function for all
those parameterizations and any arbitrary switching rule operating at any time instant
maintains the global stability of the switched rule provided that all the
parameterizations are stable, [7]. However, in the case that there is no common
Lyapunov function for all the parameterizations , a minimum residence time at each
active parameterization is needed to maintain the global stability of the switched
system so that the switching rule among distinct parameterizations is not arbitrary,
[12-13]. This fact implies that . Parallel results apply for switched time-delay systems
subject to point delays under zero or sufficiently small delays when the matrices
defining the delay-free dynamics of the various parameterizations commute, [10-11].
This paper formulates the necessary and sufficient condition for any countable set of
(real or complex) matrices to commute.
1.1. Notation
[ A , B ] is the commutator of the square matrices A and B.
A B: = ( a i j B) is the Kronecker (or direct) product of A : = ( a i j ) and B.
A B: = A I n + I n B

is the Kronecker sum of the square matrices A : = ( a i j ) and both

of order n, where I n is the n-th identity matrix.

the transpose of the matrix A and A * is the conjugate transpose of the complex
matrix A. For any matrix A, Im A and Ker A are its associate range (or image)
subspace and null space, respectively. Also, rank (A) is the rank of A which is the
dimension of Im (A) and det (A) is the determinant of the square matrix A.
2
T
v (A )= ( a 1T , a T2 , .... , a Tn ) T C n if a i := ( a i1 , a i 2 , .... , a i n ) is the i-th row of the square matrix
A T is

A.

is the spectrum of A ; n := {1, 2 , ... , n } . If i ( A ) then there exist positive

integers i and i i which are, respectively, its algebraic and geometric
multiplicity; i.e. the times it is repeated in the characteristic polynomial of A and the
number of its associate Jordan blocks, respectively. The integer n is the number of
distinct eigenvalues and the integer m i , subject to 1 m i i , is the index of
i ( A ) ; i , that is, its multiplicity in the minimal polynomial of A.
( A)

A B denotes a similarity transformation from A to B = T 1 A T for given

A , B R n n for some non-singular T R n n . A B = E A F means that there is an

equivalence transformation for given A , B R

n n

for some non-singular E , F R n n .

A linear transformation from R n to R n , represented by the matrix T R n n , is

denoted identically to such a matrix in order to simplify the notation. If
is a subspace of R n then Im T (V ): = { T z : z V } and
V Dom T R n

Ker T (V ): = z V : T z = 0 R n

Im T : = T z : z R

If V R n ,

} and Ker T : = { z R

the

: Tz= 0R

}.

notation

is

simplified

The symbols and stand for logic conjunction and disjunction, respectively.

to

Commuting matrices

2399

The abbreviation iff stands for if and only if.

The notation card U stands for the cardinal of the set U.

II. COMMUTING AND NON COMMUTING MATRICES WITH A GIVEN ONE

Consider the sets C A : = { X R n n : [ A , X ] = 0 } , of matrices which commute with A,
and C A : = { X R n n : [ A , X ] 0 } , of matrices which do not commute with A;
A R n n

. Note that 0 R n n C A ; i.e. the zero n- matrix commutes with any nmatrix so that, equivalently, 0 R n n C A and then C A C A = ; A R n n . The
following two basic results follow concerning commutation and non- commutation of
two matrices:
Propositions 2.1. (i)

C A : = X R n n : v ( X ) Ker A A T

[ A , X ] = 0 v ( X ) Ker( A ( A
(ii)

A: =

)).

) ) } , and equivalently,

( (

R n n \ C A = X R n n : v ( X ) Ker A A T

)) }

( ( ) ) }, and , equivalently,
[ A , X ] 0 v ( X ) Im ( A ( A ) ).
X R n n : v ( X ) Im A A T

( ( )) }
A C B : = { X R n n : v ( X ) Ker ( B ( B T ) ) }
{

(iii) B C A : = X R n n : v ( X ) Ker A A T

Proposition 2.2.

( ( ))
( ( ))
0 ( A ( A ) ) X ( 0 ) ; A R n n .

rank A A T < n 2 Ker A A T 0 C A

The subsequent result is stronger than Proposition 2.2.

Theorem 2.3. The following properties hold:
(i) The spectrum of A ( A T ) is ( A ( A T ) ) = { i j = i j : i , j ( A ) ; i , j n }
and possesses Jordan blocks in its Jordan canonical form of, subject to the

i =1

constraints n 2 = dim S =

(0 ),

( (

and 0 A A T

) ) with an algebraic

multiplicity (0 ) and with a geometric multiplicity (0 ) subject to the constraints:

n 2= i
i =1

( 0 ) 2 (0 ) = 2 n
i
i

i =1
i =1

where:
a) S : = span {z i x j , i , j n } , i = ( i ) and i = ( i ) are, respectively,

(2.1)

the

algebraic and the geometric multiplicities of i ( A ) , i n ; n is the number of

2400

M. De la Sen

distinct i ( A ) ( i ) , i = ( i j ) and i j = ( i j ) , are, respectively, the algebraic

and the geometric multiplicity of i j = ( i j ) ( A ( A T ) ), i , j n ; n , and
b) x j and z i are, respectively,
respective associated

the right eigenvectors of

A and A T with

eigenvalues j and i ; i , j n .

( ( ))
dim Ker ( A ( A T ) ) = ( 0 ) ; A R n n

( (

))

(ii) dim Im A A T = rank A A T = n 2 ( 0 )

(2.2)

Expressions which calculate the sets of matrices which commute and which do not
commute with a given one are obtained in the subsequent result:

Theorem 2.4. The following properties hold:

X C A

(i)

( A ( A ) ) v (X ) = 0

iff

XC A

iff

T
v ( X ) = F v T (X 2 ) A T A
, v T ( X 2 ) T
12
11

1
A 12 ) , where E , FR n
for any v ( X2 ) Ker (A 22 A 21 A 11

and X R n n and v ( X ) R n are defined such that:

(a) v (X ):= F 1 v (X ) ,
A ( A T ) A : = E ( A ( A T ) ) F ; X C A

are permutation matrices

where

v (X ) = ( v T (X 1 ) , v T (X 2 ) ) T R

with v ( X 1 ) R ( 0 ) and v ( X 2 ) R

(2.3)
n (0 )
2

(b) The matrix A 11 R ( 0 ) ( 0 ) is non-singular in the block matrix partition

A : = Block matrix A i j ; i , j 2
A 22 R

(n

) (

( 0) n ( 0)
2

).

A 12 R ( 0 ) n

with

A 21 R

(n

( 0) ( 0)

and

(ii) X C A , for any given A ( 0)R n n , iff

( A ( A T ) ) v (X ) = v (M )

for some M ( 0)R

rank A A T

Also,

nn

(2.4)

such that :

) ) = rank ( A ( A ) , v ( M ) ) = n
T

(0 )

(2.5)

( ( ) ) v (X) = v ( M) for any M ( 0)R

rank(A ( A ) ) = rank ( A ( A ) , v( M ) ) = n ( 0 ) }

C A: = X R n n : A A T

nn

satisfying

(2.6)

Also, with the same definitions of E , F and X in (i), X C A iff

( ( )

( )

v ( X ) = F v T M 1 A 11T v T X 2 A

T
12

( )) T

A 11T , v T X 2

where v ( X 2 ) is any solution of the compatible algebraic system

(2.7)

Commuting matrices

(A

22

2401

) ( ) ( )

( )

A 21 A 111 A 12 v X 2 = v M 2 A 21 A 111 v M 1

(2.8)

for some M ( 0)R n n such that X , M R n n

( )

v ( X) = F v X

and are defined according to

and M = E M F M ( 0) R n n and v ( M ) = E v ( M )= E v 1T ( M ) , v T2 ( M )

)T .

III. PAIR-WISE COMMUTING MATRICES

Consider the following sets:
(1) A set of nonzero

p 2

A C : = A i R n n : A i , A j = 0; i , j p

distinct

pair-wise

commuting

matrices

The set of matrices M C A C : = X R n n : [ X, A i ] = 0 ; A i A C

(2)

commute with the set A C of pair-wise commuting matrices.

(3) A set of matrices C A : = X R n n : [ X, A i ] = 0 ; A i A

nn

which

} which commute with

a given set of nonzero p matrices A : = A i R

; i p which are not necessarily
pair-wise commuting.
The complementary sets of M C A C and C A are M C A C and C A , respectively, so that
R n n B M CA C

R n n B C A if

if B MC A C and

C A C = M C A C for a set of

B CA .

Note that

pair-wise commuting matrices A C so that the notation

M C A C is directly referred to a set of matrices which commute with all those in a set of

pair-wise commuting matrices. The following two basic results follow concerning
commutation and non- commutation of two matrices:
Proposition 3.1. The following properties hold:
Ker A j A Tj ; i p
(i) v ( A i )
I
j ( i ) p

v ( A i )

))

Ker A j A Tj
I
i +1 j p

)) ;i p

(ii)

Define

N i ( A C ): =

[A

T
1

A i A C ; i p

(iii)

M CA C

( A1 )

L A iT 1

( A i 1 )

A iT+ 1 A i + 1

iff v ( A i ) Ker N i ( A C ) ; i p

L A Tp A p

))

: = X R n n : v ( X ) I Ker A i A iT ; A i A C

i p
= X R n n : v ( X ) Ker N ( A C ) C A C A C {0 } R n n

where
N ( A C ): =

[A

T
1

(iv)

( A1 )

A T2 ( A 2

M C A C := X R

) ]T

2
2
R (p 1) n n . Then

= XR

n n

nn

L A Tp A p

: v ( X )

) ] T Rp n 2 n 2 , A i A C

U Im ( A ( A ) ); A
i

i p

: v ( X ) Im N ( A C

)}

T
i

2402

M. De la Sen

= X R n n : v ( X ) Ker N ( A )

where

N ( A ): =

[A

T
1

( A1 )

C A : = X R n n : v ( X ) I Ker A i A iT

i p

(v)

A T2 ( A 2

L A Tp A p

)) ;

A iA

) ] T R p n 2 n 2 , A i A

(vi) CA : = X R n n : v ( X ) U Im ( A i ( A iT ) ) ; A i A

i p

= XR

n n

: v ( X ) Im N ( A )

Proof: (i)The first part of Property (i) follows directly from Proposition 2.1 since all
the matrices of A C pair-wise commute and any arbitrary matrix commutes with itself
( thus j = i may be removed from the intersections of kernels of the first double sense
implication). The last part of Property (i) follows from the anti-symmetric property of
[ A i , A j ] = [ A j , A i ] = 0 ; A i , A j A C what implies
the
commutator

) ); A i , A j A C (ii) It follows
from its equivalence with Property (i) since Ker N i( A C ) I Ker ( A j ( A Tj ) ).
j ( i ) p
A i A C ; i p v ( A i )

Ker A j A Tj
I
i +1 j p

(iii) Property (iii) is similar to Property (i) for the whose set M A C of matrices which
commute with the set A C so that it contains A C and, furthermore ,

Ker N ( A C ) I Ker A i A iT
i p

(iv)

It

follows

from

2
R n 0 Ker A j A Tj

)).

T
U Im A j A j
j p

) ) = jI p Ker ( A j ( A Tj ))

; A j A C

and

) ) I Im ( A j ( A Tj ) ) but R n n X = 0 commutes with any

matrix in R n n so that R n n 0 M C A C R n n 0 M C A C for any given A C .

(v)-(vi) are similar to (ii)-(iv) except that the members of A do not necessarily
commute.

Concerning Proposition 3.1 (v)-(vi), note that if X CA

then

X 0 since

R n n 0C A .

The following result is related to the rank defectiveness of the matrix

N ( A C ) and any of their sub-matrices since A C is a set of pair-wise commuting
matrices:
Proposition 3.2. The following properties hold:

n 2 > rank N ( A C ) rank N i ( A C ) rank A j A Tj

)) ; A j A C ; i , j p

and, equivalently,

det N

( A C ) N ( A C ) ) = det ( N iT ( A C ) N i ( A C )) = det (A j ( A Tj ) ) = 0 ; A j A C ; i , j n .

Commuting matrices

2403

Results related to sufficient conditions for a set of matrices to pair-wise commute are
abundant in the literature. For instance, diagonal matrices are pair-wise commuting.
Any sets of matrices taking via multiplication by real scalars with any arbitrary matrix
consist of pair-wise commuting matrices. Any set of matrices obtained by linear
combinations of one of the above sets consist also of pair-wise commuting matrices.
Any matrix commutes with any of its matrix functions etc. In the following, we
discuss a simple, although restrictive, sufficient condition for rank defectiveness of
N ( A ) of some set A of p square real n- matrices which may be useful as a test to
elucidate the existence of a nonzero n- square matrix which commutes with all
matrices in this set. Another useful test obtained from the following result relies on a
necessary condition to elucidate if the given set consists of pair-wise commuting
matrices.

Theorem 3.3: Consider any arbitrary set of nonzero n-square real matrices
A := { A 1 , A 2 , ... , A p } for any integer p 1 and define matrices:
N i ( A ): =
[ A 1T ( A 1 )

N ( A ): =

[A

L A iT 1 A i 1

T
1 (A 1

A iT+ 1 A i + 1

AT
2 (A 2

L A Tp A p

L AT
p A p

) ]T

) ]T

Then, the following properties hold:

(i) rank (A i ( A i ) ) rank N i ( A ) rank N ( A )< n 2 ; i p .
(ii)

T
I Ker A i A i
i p

X ( 0) C A

)) {0 } so that:

X C A v ( X ) U Im A i A iT
i p

X C A v ( X ) I Ker A i A iT

i p

))

))

and

(iii) If A = A C is a set of pair-wise commuting matrices then

)) ;i p v ( A i ) iIp Ker (A i ( A iT )) ;i p
v ( A i ) I
Ker ( A i ( A iT ) ) ; i p
i p \ { i }

v ( A i )

(iv)

Ker A j A Tj
I
j p \ i

M A C : = X R n n : v ( X ) I Ker A i A iT
i p

with the above set inclusion being proper.

)), A

nn
A C A C {0 } R

Note that Theorem 3.3 (ii) extends Proposition 3.1 (v) since it is proved that
C A \ {0 } because all nonzero R n n = diag ( L ) C A for any R 0 and any
set of matrices A . Note that Theorem 3.3 (iii) establishes that
v ( A i ) I
Ker A j A Tj
; i p is a necessary and sufficient condition for the
i p \ { i }
set to be a set of commuting matrices A being simpler to test (by taking advantage of
the symmetry property of the commutators) than the equivalent condition:

))

2404

M. De la Sen

v ( A i ) I Ker A j A Tj
i p

)) ;i p .

Further results about pair-wise commuting

matrices or the existence of nonzero commuting matrices with a given set are obtained
in the subsequent result based on the Kronecker sum of relevant Jordan canonical
forms:
Theorem 3.4. The following properties hold for any given set of n-square real
matrices A = {A 1 , A 2 , ... , A p } :
(i) The set C A of matrices X R n n which commute with all matrices in A is defined
by:
p

(3.1)
1
T
C A : = X R n n : v (X ) I Ker ( J A ( J A T ) ) P P

i =1

))

1
=XR nn : v(X) I Im Pi P i (Yi ) Yi Ker J A i J A T ; ip
i

i =1
p
p

1
= XR nn : v (X) I Im P i P i (Y) , Y I Ker J A i J A T
i

i = 1
i =1

( (

where

P i R n n

is

1
Ai J A i = P i A i P i, J Ai

(ii)

) ))

non-singular

(3.3)

transformation

matrix

such

that

being the Jordan canonical form of A i .

( (

dim span { v (X ) : X C A } min dim Ker J A i J A T

i p

where

(3.2)

i
min i2j min ( i ( 0 ) )

i =1
i p
i p
i (0) and i j are, respectively,

) ))

the

i
= min i ( 0 ) = min i2j

i p
i p j =1

geometric

multiplicities

of

) ) and i j ( A i ) and i (0) and i j are, respectively, the algebraic

multiplicities of 0 ( A i ( A iT ) ) and i j ( A i ) ; j i ( the number of distinct
(

0 A i A iT

eigenvalues of A i ), i p .
(iii) The set A consists of pair-wise commuting matrices, namely C A = M C A , iff

( )

v Aj

T
I
Ker J A i J A i

(
)
i j =1

) ) P i1 P i T

; j p .

Equivalent conditions

follow from the second and third equivalent definitions of C A in Property (i).

Theorem 3.3 are concerned with M C A {0 } R n n for an arbitrary set of real square
matrices A and for a pair-wise-commuting set , respectively.
IV. FURTHER RESULTS AND SOME EXTENSIONS
The extensions of the results for commutation of complex matrices is direct in
several ways. It is first possible to decompose the commutator in its real and
imaginary part and then apply the results of Sections 2-3 for real matrices to both parts
as follows. Let A = A r e + i A im and B = Br e + i B i m be complex matrices in C n n with
A r e , and B re being their respective real parts , and A i m and B im , all in R n n their

Commuting matrices

2405

respective imaginary parts and i = 1 is the imaginary complex unity. Direct

computations with the commutator of A and B yield:

[ A , B ]= ( [ A re , B re ]

A im , B

im

] ) + i ( [ A im , B re ]+ [ A re , B im ] )

(4.1)

The following three results are direct and allow to reduce the problem of commutation
of a pair of complex matrices to the discussion of four real commutators:
Proposition 4.1. B C A

(( [A

re

,B

re

] = [ A im , B im ] ) ( [ A im , B re ] = [ B im , A re ] ) )

Proposition 4.2.

(B

re

A re

C A im

) B

B C A

Proposition 4.3.

(A

re

C B re C B im

))

))

C A im C A re

im

C B im C B re

) A

B C A

im

Proposition 4.1 yields to the subsequent result:

Theorem 4.4. The following properties hold:

(i) Assume that the matrices A and B r e are given. Then, B C A iff B i m satisfies the
linear algebraic equation:

) v ( B ) = A im ( A iTm ) v ( B )
) r e A re ( A Tre ) im

(
(

A A T
re
re

T
A i m A i m

(4.2)

for which a necessary condition is:

(
(
( A
( A

A i m A iTm
rank
A A T
re
re

A
im
rank
A
r e

) =
)
) A
) A

T
im
T
re

re
im

( ) v ( B )

( A )

A Tr e

T
im

re

(4.3)

(ii) Assume that the matrices A and B ime are given. Then, B C A iff B r e satisfies
(4.2) for which a necessary condition is:
A re
rank
A
im
A
re
rank
A

i m

( A
( A
( A
( A

T
re

) =
)
) A
) A

T
im
T
re

T
im

im
re

( ) v ( B

( A )

A iTm
T
re

im

2406

M. De la Sen

A more general result than Theorem 4.4 is the following:

Theorem 4.5. The following properties hold:
(i) B C A C n n iff v ( B ) is a solution to the linear algebraic system :

) (A im ) ( A iTm ) v ( B r e ) = 0
( ) ( A re ) ( A Tre ) v ( B im )

T
A re A re

T
A im A im

Nonzero

(
(

solutions

(4.4)

BC A

) Ker A re ( A Tre ) (A im ) ( A iTm ) , always exist since

T
T
)
A i m ( A i m ) ( A r e ) ( A r e )

satisfying

v B
re

v B im

) (A im ) ( A iTm ) {0 } R 2 n
( ) ( A re ) ( A Tre )

T
A re A re
Ker
T
A im A im

, and equivalently, since

) (A im ) ( A iTm ) < 2 n 2
( ) ( A re ) ( A Tre )

T
A re A re
rank
T
A im A im

(4.5)
(ii) Property (ii) is equivalent to

BC A A A *

) ) v ( B) = 0

))

which has always nonzero solutions since A A * < n

(4.6)
2

The various results of Section 3 for a set of distinct complex matrices to pair-wise
commute and for characterizing the set of complex matrices which commute with
those in a given set may be discussed by more general algebraic systems like the
above one with four block matrices

(
(

) (A jim ) ( A Tjim )
for each
) ( A j2re ) ( A Tjre )

T
A jr e A 2r e

A ji m A T
2i m

j p in

the whole algebraic system. Theorem 4.5 extends directly for sets of complex
matrices commuting with a given one and complex matrices commuting with a set of
commuting complex matrices as follows:

Theorem 4.6. The following properties hold:

(i) Consider the sets of nonzero distinct complex matrices A : = A i C n n : i p and

C A : = X C n n :

X , A i = 0 ; A i A , i p

for p 2 . Thus,

C A X = X re + i X re

iff

Commuting matrices

) (A 1im ) ( A 1Tim )

) ( A 1re ) ( A 1Tre )

) (A 2im ) ( A T2im ) v ( X r e )
) ( A 2re ) ( A T2re ) v ( X im ) = 0

(
(
(
(

T
A 1r e A 1r e

T
A
1i m A 1i m

A 2r e A T
2r e

T
A 2i m A 2i m

A
A T
pr e
pr e

A pi m A T
pi m

2407

A pi m A T
pi m

A pr e A T
pr e

) (
) (

(4.7)

)
)

(
(

)
)

and a nonzero solution X C A exists since the rank of the coefficient matrix of (4.7) is
less than 2 n 2 .
(ii) Consider the sets of nonzero distinct
A C :=

{ A i C

Thus,

MC A X = X re + i X re

n n

:ip

} and

commuting complex matrices

M C A : = X C n n : X , A i = 0 ; A i A , i p

for p 2 .

iff v (X re) and v (X i m) are solutions to (4.7).

(iii) Properties (i) and (ii) are equivalently formulated by from the algebraic set of
complex equations:
A * A A * A L A * A * v ( X ) = 0
(4.8)
2
p
p
1
2
1

Remark 4.7. Note that all the proved results of Sections 2- 3 are directly extendable
for complex commuting matrices, by simple replacements of transposes by conjugate
transposes, without requiring a separate decomposition in real and imaginary parts as
discussed in Theorem 4.5(ii) and Theorem 4.6 (iii).

Let f : C C be an analytic function in an open set D (A ) for some matrix
A C n n and let p ( ) a polynomial fulfilling p ( i ) ( ) = f ( i ) ( ) ; k (A ) ,
k

i m k 1 { 0 } ; k (the number of distinct elements in ( A ) , where m k is the

index of k , that is its multiplicity in the minimal polynomial of A. Then, f (A) is a

function of a matrix A if f (A) = p (A) , [8]. Some results follow concerning the
commutators of functions of matrices.
Theorem 4.8. Consider a nonzero matrix B C A C n n for any given nonzero
A C n n

( (

))

. Then, f (B) C A C n n , and equivalently v ( f (B)) Ker A A * , for

any function f : C n n C n n of the matrix B.

The following corollaries are direct from Theorem 4.8 from the subsequent facts:
1) A C A ; A C n n .
2) [ A , B ]= 0 [ A , g (B ) ] = 0 [ f (A ) , g (B ) ]

2408

M. De la Sen

= [p (A ) , g (B )] =
=

i =0

i 1

i =0

[A

, g(B

)]

[ A , g ( B ) ] = 0 g (B) C f (A ) C n n

where f (A) = p (A) , from the definition of f being a function of the matrix A, with
p ( ) being a polynomial fulfilling p ( i ) ( k ) = f ( i ) ( k ) ; k (A ) , i m k 1 { 0 } ;
k (the number of distinct elements in ( A ) , where m k is the index of k , that is
its multiplicity in the minimal polynomial of A.
3) Theorem 4.8 is extendable for any countable set { f i ( B) } of matrix functions of
B.
Corollary 4.9. Consider a nonzero matrix B C A C n n for any given nonzero
A C n n .

Then, g (B) C f (A ) C n n for any function f : C n n C n n of the matrix

A and any function g : C n n C n n of the matrix B.

( (

))

Corollary 4.10. f (A ) C A C n n , and equivalently v ( f (A )) Ker A A * , for

any function f : C n n C n n of the matrix A.

Corollary 4.11. If B C A C n n then any countable set of function matrices

{ f i ( B) } is C A and in M C A .

Corollary

Consider
C F : = { f i ( A ); i p } C A for
I

f i C F

4.12.

( Ker ( f i ( A ) ( f i ( A *) )) )

any
any

countable set of function

given nonzero A C n n .

A* .

( ( ))

Ker A

matrices
Then,

Note that matrices which commute and are simultaneously triangularizable through the
same similarity transformation maintain
a zero commutator after such a
transformation is performed.
Theorem 4.12. Assume that B C A C n n , Thus, B C A C n n provided that
there exists a non-singular matrix T C n n
B = T 1 B T

such that

1 A T
A =T

and

A direct consequence of Theorem 4.12 is that if a set of matrices are simultaneously

triangularizable to their real canonical forms by a common transformation matrix
then the pair-wise commuting properties are identical to those of their respective
Jordan forms.

Commuting matrices

2409

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Received: January, 2009