Category: Linear Algebra

Given All Eigenvalues and Eigenspaces, Compute a Matrix Product

Problem 189

Let $C$ be a $4 \times 4$ matrix with all eigenvalues $\lambda=2, -1$ and eigensapces
\[E_2=\Span\left \{\quad \begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
1 \\
1 \\
1
\end{bmatrix} \quad\right \} \text{ and } E_{-1}=\Span\left \{ \quad\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
2 \\
1 \\
1
\end{bmatrix},\quad \begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
1 \\
1 \\
2
\end{bmatrix} \quad\right\}.\]

Calculate $C^4 \mathbf{u}$ for $\mathbf{u}=\begin{bmatrix}
6 \\
8 \\
6 \\
9
\end{bmatrix}$ if possible. Explain why if it is not possible!

(The Ohio State University Linear Algebra Exam Problem)
 
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Two Eigenvectors Corresponding to Distinct Eigenvalues are Linearly Independent

Problem 187

Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ matrix. Suppose that $\lambda_1, \lambda_2$ are distinct eigenvalues of the matrix $A$ and let $\mathbf{v}_1, \mathbf{v}_2$ be eigenvectors corresponding to $\lambda_1, \lambda_2$, respectively.

Show that the vectors $\mathbf{v}_1, \mathbf{v}_2$ are linearly independent.

 
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Eigenvalues of a Stochastic Matrix is Always Less than or Equal to 1

Problem 185

Let $A=(a_{ij})$ be an $n \times n$ matrix.
We say that $A=(a_{ij})$ is a right stochastic matrix if each entry $a_{ij}$ is nonnegative and the sum of the entries of each row is $1$. That is, we have
\[a_{ij}\geq 0 \quad \text{ and } \quad a_{i1}+a_{i2}+\cdots+a_{in}=1\] for $1 \leq i, j \leq n$.

Let $A=(a_{ij})$ be an $n\times n$ right stochastic matrix. Then show the following statements.

(a)The stochastic matrix $A$ has an eigenvalue $1$.

(b) The absolute value of any eigenvalue of the stochastic matrix $A$ is less than or equal to $1$.

 
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Linear Transformation and a Basis of the Vector Space $\R^3$

Problem 182

Let $T$ be a linear transformation from the vector space $\R^3$ to $\R^3$.
Suppose that $k=3$ is the smallest positive integer such that $T^k=\mathbf{0}$ (the zero linear transformation) and suppose that we have $\mathbf{x}\in \R^3$ such that $T^2\mathbf{x}\neq \mathbf{0}$.

Show that the vectors $\mathbf{x}, T\mathbf{x}, T^2\mathbf{x}$ form a basis for $\R^3$.

(The Ohio State University Linear Algebra Exam Problem)
 
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Given Eigenvectors and Eigenvalues, Compute a Matrix Product (Stanford University Exam)

Problem 181

Suppose that $\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
1
\end{bmatrix}$ is an eigenvector of a matrix $A$ corresponding to the eigenvalue $3$ and that $\begin{bmatrix}
2 \\
1
\end{bmatrix}$ is an eigenvector of $A$ corresponding to the eigenvalue $-2$.
Compute $A^2\begin{bmatrix}
4 \\
3
\end{bmatrix}$.

(Stanford University Linear Algebra Exam Problem)
 
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Determine Eigenvalues, Eigenvectors, Diagonalizable From a Partial Information of a Matrix

Problem 180

Suppose the following information is known about a $3\times 3$ matrix $A$.
\[A\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
2 \\
1
\end{bmatrix}=6\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
2 \\
1
\end{bmatrix},
\quad
A\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
-1 \\
1
\end{bmatrix}=3\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
-1 \\
1
\end{bmatrix}, \quad
A\begin{bmatrix}
2 \\
-1 \\
0
\end{bmatrix}=3\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
-1 \\
1
\end{bmatrix}.\]

(a) Find the eigenvalues of $A$.

(b) Find the corresponding eigenspaces.

(c) In each of the following questions, you must give a correct reason (based on the theory of eigenvalues and eigenvectors) to get full credit.
Is $A$ a diagonalizable matrix?
Is $A$ an invertible matrix?
Is $A$ an idempotent matrix?

(Johns Hopkins University Linear Algebra Exam)
 
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Characteristic Polynomial, Eigenvalues, Diagonalization Problem (Princeton University Exam)

Problem 178

Let
\[\begin{bmatrix}
0 & 0 & 1 \\
1 &0 &0 \\
0 & 1 & 0
\end{bmatrix}.\]

(a) Find the characteristic polynomial and all the eigenvalues (real and complex) of $A$. Is $A$ diagonalizable over the complex numbers?

(b) Calculate $A^{2009}$.

(Princeton University, Linear Algebra Exam)
 
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Idempotent Matrix and its Eigenvalues

Problem 176

Let $A$ be an $n \times n$ matrix. We say that $A$ is idempotent if $A^2=A$.

(a) Find a nonzero, nonidentity idempotent matrix.

(b) Show that eigenvalues of an idempotent matrix $A$ is either $0$ or $1$.

(The Ohio State University, Linear Algebra Final Exam Problem)
 
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Subspace of Skew-Symmetric Matrices and Its Dimension

Problem 166

Let $V$ be the vector space of all $2\times 2$ matrices. Let $W$ be a subset of $V$ consisting of all $2\times 2$ skew-symmetric matrices. (Recall that a matrix $A$ is skew-symmetric if $A^{\trans}=-A$.)

(a) Prove that the subset $W$ is a subspace of $V$.

(b) Find the dimension of $W$.

(The Ohio State University Linear Algebra Exam Problem)
 
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Vector Space of Polynomials and a Basis of Its Subspace

Problem 165

Let $P_2$ be the vector space of all polynomials of degree two or less.
Consider the subset in $P_2$
\[Q=\{ p_1(x), p_2(x), p_3(x), p_4(x)\},\] where
\begin{align*}
&p_1(x)=1, &p_2(x)=x^2+x+1, \\
&p_3(x)=2x^2, &p_4(x)=x^2-x+1.
\end{align*}

(a) Use the basis $B=\{1, x, x^2\}$ of $P_2$, give the coordinate vectors of the vectors in $Q$.

(b) Find a basis of the span $\Span(Q)$ consisting of vectors in $Q$.

(c) For each vector in $Q$ which is not a basis vector you obtained in (b), express the vector as a linear combination of basis vectors.

(The Ohio State University Linear Algebra Exam Problem)
 
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A Matrix Representation of a Linear Transformation and Related Subspaces

Problem 164

Let $T:\R^4 \to \R^3$ be a linear transformation defined by
\[ T\left (\, \begin{bmatrix}
x_1 \\
x_2 \\
x_3 \\
x_4
\end{bmatrix} \,\right) = \begin{bmatrix}
x_1+2x_2+3x_3-x_4 \\
3x_1+5x_2+8x_3-2x_4 \\
x_1+x_2+2x_3
\end{bmatrix}.\]

(a) Find a matrix $A$ such that $T(\mathbf{x})=A\mathbf{x}$.

(b) Find a basis for the null space of $T$.

(c) Find the rank of the linear transformation $T$.

(The Ohio State University Linear Algebra Exam Problem)
 
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Inner Product, Norm, and Orthogonal Vectors

Problem 162

Let $\mathbf{u}_1, \mathbf{u}_2, \mathbf{u}_3$ are vectors in $\R^n$. Suppose that vectors $\mathbf{u}_1$, $\mathbf{u}_2$ are orthogonal and the norm of $\mathbf{u}_2$ is $4$ and $\mathbf{u}_2^{\trans}\mathbf{u}_3=7$. Find the value of the real number $a$ in $\mathbf{u_1}=\mathbf{u_2}+a\mathbf{u}_3$.

(The Ohio State University, Linear Algebra Exam Problem)
 
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Give a Formula for a Linear Transformation if the Values on Basis Vectors are Known

Problem 159

Let $T: \R^2 \to \R^2$ be a linear transformation.
Let
\[
\mathbf{u}=\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
2
\end{bmatrix}, \mathbf{v}=\begin{bmatrix}
3 \\
5
\end{bmatrix}\] be 2-dimensional vectors.
Suppose that
\begin{align*}
T(\mathbf{u})&=T\left( \begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
2
\end{bmatrix} \right)=\begin{bmatrix}
-3 \\
5
\end{bmatrix},\\
T(\mathbf{v})&=T\left(\begin{bmatrix}
3 \\
5
\end{bmatrix}\right)=\begin{bmatrix}
7 \\
1
\end{bmatrix}.
\end{align*}
Let $\mathbf{w}=\begin{bmatrix}
x \\
y
\end{bmatrix}\in \R^2$.
Find the formula for $T(\mathbf{w})$ in terms of $x$ and $y$.

 
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Vector Space of Polynomials and Coordinate Vectors

Problem 157

Let $P_2$ be the vector space of all polynomials of degree two or less.
Consider the subset in $P_2$
\[Q=\{ p_1(x), p_2(x), p_3(x), p_4(x)\},\] where
\begin{align*}
&p_1(x)=x^2+2x+1, &p_2(x)=2x^2+3x+1, \\
&p_3(x)=2x^2, &p_4(x)=2x^2+x+1.
\end{align*}

(a) Use the basis $B=\{1, x, x^2\}$ of $P_2$, give the coordinate vectors of the vectors in $Q$.

(b) Find a basis of the span $\Span(Q)$ consisting of vectors in $Q$.

(c) For each vector in $Q$ which is not a basis vector you obtained in (b), express the vector as a linear combination of basis vectors.

 
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