Let
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
1-a & a\\
-a& 1+a
\end{bmatrix}\]
be a $2\times 2$ matrix, where $a$ is a complex number.
Determine the values of $a$ such that the matrix $A$ is diagonalizable.
Let $A$ be a real symmetric $n\times n$ matrix with $0$ as a simple eigenvalue (that is, the algebraic multiplicity of the eigenvalue $0$ is $1$), and let us fix a vector $\mathbf{v}\in \R^n$.
(a) Prove that for sufficiently small positive real $\epsilon$, the equation
\[A\mathbf{x}+\epsilon\mathbf{x}=\mathbf{v}\]
has a unique solution $\mathbf{x}=\mathbf{x}(\epsilon) \in \R^n$.
(b) Evaluate
\[\lim_{\epsilon \to 0^+} \epsilon \mathbf{x}(\epsilon)\]
in terms of $\mathbf{v}$, the eigenvectors of $A$, and the inner product $\langle\, ,\,\rangle$ on $\R^n$.
(University of California, Berkeley, Linear Algebra Qualifying Exam)
Let $P_n$ be the vector space of all polynomials with real coefficients of degree $n$ or less.
Consider the differentiation linear transformation $T: P_n\to P_n$ defined by
\[T\left(\, f(x) \,\right)=\frac{d}{dx}f(x).\]
(a) Consider the case $n=2$. Let $B=\{1, x, x^2\}$ be a basis of $P_2$. Find the matrix representation $A$ of the linear transformation $T$ with respect to the basis $B$.
(b) Compute $A^3$, where $A$ is the matrix obtained in part (a).
(c) If you computed $A^3$ in part (b) directly, then is there any theoretical explanation of your result?
(d) Now we consider the general case. Let $B$ be any basis of the vector space of $P_n$ and let $A$ be the matrix representation of the linear transformation $T$ with respect to the basis $B$.
Prove that without any calculation that the matrix $A$ is nilpotent.
Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ complex matrix.
Let $S$ be an invertible matrix.
(a) If $SAS^{-1}=\lambda A$ for some complex number $\lambda$, then prove that either $\lambda^n=1$ or $A$ is a singular matrix.
(b) If $n$ is odd and $SAS^{-1}=-A$, then prove that $0$ is an eigenvalue of $A$.
(c) Suppose that all the eigenvalues of $A$ are integers and $\det(A) > 0$. If $n$ is odd and $SAS^{-1}=A^{-1}$, then prove that $1$ is an eigenvalue of $A$.
Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ real symmetric matrix.
Prove that there exists an eigenvalue $\lambda$ of $A$ such that for any vector $\mathbf{v}\in \R^n$, we have the inequality
\[\mathbf{v}\cdot A\mathbf{v} \leq \lambda \|\mathbf{v}\|^2.\]
Let $\mathbf{u}=\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
1 \\
0
\end{bmatrix}$ and $T:\R^3 \to \R^3$ be the linear transformation
\[T(\mathbf{x})=\proj_{\mathbf{u}}\mathbf{x}=\left(\, \frac{\mathbf{u}\cdot \mathbf{x}}{\mathbf{u}\cdot \mathbf{u}} \,\right)\mathbf{u}.\]
(a) Calculate the null space $\calN(T)$, a basis for $\calN(T)$ and nullity of $T$.
(b) Only by using part (a) and no other calculations, find $\det(A)$, where $A$ is the matrix representation of $T$ with respect to the standard basis of $\R^3$.
(c) Calculate the range $\calR(T)$, a basis for $\calR(T)$ and the rank of $T$.
(d) Calculate the matrix $A$ representing $T$ with respect to the standard basis for $\R^3$.
(e) Let
\[B=\left\{\, \begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
0 \\
0
\end{bmatrix}, \begin{bmatrix}
-1 \\
1 \\
0
\end{bmatrix}, \begin{bmatrix}
0 \\
-1 \\
1
\end{bmatrix} \,\right\}\]
be a basis for $\R^3$.
Calculate the coordinates of $\begin{bmatrix}
x \\
y \\
z
\end{bmatrix}$ with respect to $B$.
(The Ohio State University, Linear Algebra Exam Problem)
Let $R$ be a commutative ring with $1$ and let $M$ be an $R$-module.
Prove that the $R$-module $M$ is irreducible if and only if $M$ is isomorphic to $R/I$, where $I$ is a maximal ideal of $R$, as an $R$-module.
Let $G$ be a group. Let $H$ be a subgroup of $G$ and let $N$ be a normal subgroup of $G$.
The product of $H$ and $N$ is defined to be the subset
\[H\cdot N=\{hn\in G\mid h \in H, n\in N\}.\]
Prove that the product $H\cdot N$ is a subgroup of $G$.
Let $A$ be a square matrix such that
\[A^{\trans}A=A,\]
where $A^{\trans}$ is the transpose matrix of $A$.
Prove that $A$ is idempotent, that is, $A^2=A$. Also, prove that $A$ is a symmetric matrix.
Let $G$ and $H$ be groups and let $\phi: G \to H$ be a group homomorphism.
Suppose that $f:G\to H$ is bijective.
Then there exists a map $\psi:H\to G$ such that
\[\psi \circ \phi=\id_G \text{ and } \phi \circ \psi=\id_H.\]
Then prove that $\psi:H \to G$ is also a group homomorphism.