Let $A, B, C$ are $2\times 2$ diagonalizable matrices.
The graphs of characteristic polynomials of $A, B, C$ are shown below. The red graph is for $A$, the blue one for $B$, and the green one for $C$.
From this information, determine the rank of the matrices $A, B,$ and $C$.
Graphs of characteristic polynomials
Add to solve later In this post, we explain how to diagonalize a matrix if it is diagonalizable.
As an example, we solve the following problem.
Diagonalize the matrix
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
4 & -3 & -3 \\
3 &-2 &-3 \\
-1 & 1 & 2
\end{bmatrix}\]
by finding a nonsingular matrix $S$ and a diagonal matrix $D$ such that $S^{-1}AS=D$.
(Update 10/15/2017. A new example problem was added.)
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Add to solve later Determine all eigenvalues and their algebraic multiplicities of the matrix
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
1 & a & 1 \\
a &1 &a \\
1 & a & 1
\end{bmatrix},\]
where $a$ is a real number.
Add to solve later Let
\[ A=\begin{bmatrix}
5 & 2 & -1 \\
2 &2 &2 \\
-1 & 2 & 5
\end{bmatrix}.\]
Pick your favorite number $a$. Find the dimension of the null space of the matrix $A-aI$, where $I$ is the $3\times 3$ identity matrix.
Your score of this problem is equal to that dimension times five.
(The Ohio State University Linear Algebra Practice Problem)
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Add to solve later Let
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
1 & -1\\
2& 3
\end{bmatrix}.\]
Find the eigenvalues and the eigenvectors of the matrix
\[B=A^4-3A^3+3A^2-2A+8E.\]
(Nagoya University Linear Algebra Exam Problem)
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Add to solve later Prove that the matrix
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
1 & 1.00001 & 1 \\
1.00001 &1 &1.00001 \\
1 & 1.00001 & 1
\end{bmatrix}\]
has one positive eigenvalue and one negative eigenvalue.
(University of California, Berkeley Qualifying Exam Problem)
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Add to solve later Suppose that $A$ and $P$ are $3 \times 3$ matrices and $P$ is invertible matrix.
If
\[P^{-1}AP=\begin{bmatrix}
1 & 2 & 3 \\
0 &4 &5 \\
0 & 0 & 6
\end{bmatrix},\]
then find all the eigenvalues of the matrix $A^2$.
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Add to solve later Prove that $\sqrt[m]{2}$ is an irrational number for any integer $m \geq 2$.
Add to solve later 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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Add to solve later A complex number $z$ is called algebraic number (respectively, algebraic integer) if $z$ is a root of a monic polynomial with rational (respectively, integer) coefficients.
Prove that $z \in \C$ is an algebraic number (resp. algebraic integer) if and only if $z$ is an eigenvalue of a matrix with rational (resp. integer) entries.
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Add to solve later Consider a polynomial
\[p(x)=x^n+a_{n-1}x^{n-1}+\cdots+a_1x+a_0,\]
where $a_i$ are real numbers.
Define the matrix
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
0 & 0 & \dots & 0 &-a_0 \\
1 & 0 & \dots & 0 & -a_1 \\
0 & 1 & \dots & 0 & -a_2 \\
\vdots & & \ddots & & \vdots \\
0 & 0 & \dots & 1 & -a_{n-1}
\end{bmatrix}.\]
Then prove that the characteristic polynomial $\det(xI-A)$ of $A$ is the polynomial $p(x)$.
The matrix is called the companion matrix of the polynomial $p(x)$.
Add to solve later Answer the following questions regarding eigenvalues of a real matrix.
(a) True or False. If each entry of an $n \times n$ matrix $A$ is a real number, then the eigenvalues of $A$ are all real numbers.
(b) Find the eigenvalues of the matrix
\[B=\begin{bmatrix}
-2 & -1\\
5& 2
\end{bmatrix}.\]
(The Ohio State University, Linear Algebra Exam)
Add to solve later 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)
Add to solve later Let $A$ and $B$ be $n \times n$ matrices.
Prove that the characteristic polynomials for the matrices $AB$ and $BA$ are the same.
Add to solve later Suppose that $A$ is an $n\times n$ singular matrix.
Prove that for sufficiently small $\epsilon>0$, the matrix $A-\epsilon I$ is nonsingular, where $I$ is the $n \times n$ identity matrix.
Add to solve later Let
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
\frac{1}{7} & \frac{3}{7} & \frac{3}{7} \\
\frac{3}{7} &\frac{1}{7} &\frac{3}{7} \\
\frac{3}{7} & \frac{3}{7} & \frac{1}{7}
\end{bmatrix}\]
be $3 \times 3$ matrix. Find
\[\lim_{n \to \infty} A^n.\]
(Nagoya University Linear Algebra Exam)
Add to solve later Let $T=\begin{bmatrix}
1 & 0 & 2 \\
0 &1 &1 \\
0 & 0 & 2
\end{bmatrix}$.
Calculate and simplify the expression
\[-T^3+4T^2+5T-2I,\]
where $I$ is the $3\times 3$ identity matrix.
(The Ohio State University Linear Algebra Exam)
Add to solve later Suppose that $A$ is a diagonalizable matrix with characteristic polynomial
\[f_A(\lambda)=\lambda^2(\lambda-3)(\lambda+2)^3(\lambda-4)^3.\]
(a) Find the size of the matrix $A$.
(b) Find the dimension of $E_4$, the eigenspace corresponding to the eigenvalue $\lambda=4$.
(c) Find the dimension of the kernel(nullspace) of $A$.
(Stanford University Linear Algebra Exam)
Add to solve later (a) Let
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
a_{11} & a_{12}\\
a_{21}& a_{22}
\end{bmatrix}\]
be a matrix such that $a_{11}+a_{12}=1$ and $a_{21}+a_{22}=1$. Namely, the sum of the entries in each row is $1$.
(Such a matrix is called (right) stochastic matrix (also termed probability matrix, transition matrix, substitution matrix, or Markov matrix).)
Then prove that the matrix $A$ has an eigenvalue $1$.
(b) Find all the eigenvalues of the matrix
\[B=\begin{bmatrix}
0.3 & 0.7\\
0.6& 0.4
\end{bmatrix}.\]
(c) For each eigenvalue of $B$, find the corresponding eigenvectors.
Add to solve later Let $A$ be an $n \times n$ real matrix. Prove the followings.
(a) The matrix $AA^{\trans}$ is a symmetric matrix.
(b) The set of eigenvalues of $A$ and the set of eigenvalues of $A^{\trans}$ are equal.
(c) The matrix $AA^{\trans}$ is non-negative definite.
(An $n\times n$ matrix $B$ is called non-negative definite if for any $n$ dimensional vector $\mathbf{x}$, we have $\mathbf{x}^{\trans}B \mathbf{x} \geq 0$.)
(d) All the eigenvalues of $AA^{\trans}$ is non-negative.
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