Tagged: Jordan canonical form

A Square Root Matrix of a Symmetric Matrix

Problem 59

Answer the following two questions with justification.

(a) Does there exist a $2 \times 2$ matrix $A$ with $A^3=O$ but $A^2 \neq O$? Here $O$ denotes the $2 \times 2$ zero matrix.

(b) Does there exist a $3 \times 3$ real matrix $B$ such that $B^2=A$ where
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
1 & -1 & 0 \\
-1 &2 &-1 \\
0 & -1 & 1
\end{bmatrix}\,\,\,\,?\]

(Princeton University Linear Algebra Exam)

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Finite Order Matrix and its Trace

Problem 28

Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ matrix and suppose that $A^r=I_n$ for some positive integer $r$. Then show that

(a) $|\tr(A)|\leq n$.

(b) If $|\tr(A)|=n$, then $A=\zeta I_n$ for an $r$-th root of unity $\zeta$.

(c) $\tr(A)=n$ if and only if $A=I_n$.

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Determinant/Trace and Eigenvalues of a Matrix

Problem 9

Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ matrix and let $\lambda_1, \dots, \lambda_n$ be its eigenvalues.
Show that

(1) $$\det(A)=\prod_{i=1}^n \lambda_i$$

(2) $$\tr(A)=\sum_{i=1}^n \lambda_i$$

Here $\det(A)$ is the determinant of the matrix $A$ and $\tr(A)$ is the trace of the matrix $A$.

Namely, prove that (1) the determinant of $A$ is the product of its eigenvalues, and (2) the trace of $A$ is the sum of the eigenvalues.
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