# Tagged: determinant

## Problem 596

Let
$A=\begin{bmatrix} a & b\\ -b& a \end{bmatrix}$ be a $2\times 2$ matrix, where $a, b$ are real numbers.
Suppose that $b\neq 0$.

Prove that the matrix $A$ does not have real eigenvalues.

## Problem 548

An $n\times n$ matrix $A$ is said to be invertible if there exists an $n\times n$ matrix $B$ such that

1. $AB=I$, and
2. $BA=I$,

where $I$ is the $n\times n$ identity matrix.

If such a matrix $B$ exists, then it is known to be unique and called the inverse matrix of $A$, denoted by $A^{-1}$.

In this problem, we prove that if $B$ satisfies the first condition, then it automatically satisfies the second condition.
So if we know $AB=I$, then we can conclude that $B=A^{-1}$.

Let $A$ and $B$ be $n\times n$ matrices.
Suppose that we have $AB=I$, where $I$ is the $n \times n$ identity matrix.

Prove that $BA=I$, and hence $A^{-1}=B$.

## Problem 547

Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ nonsingular matrix with integer entries.

Prove that the inverse matrix $A^{-1}$ contains only integer entries if and only if $\det(A)=\pm 1$.

## Problem 537

Let $A$ and $B$ be $2\times 2$ matrices such that $(AB)^2=O$, where $O$ is the $2\times 2$ zero matrix.

Determine whether $(BA)^2$ must be $O$ as well. If so, prove it. If not, give a counter example.

## Problem 502

Find the inverse matrix of the $3\times 3$ matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 7 & 2 & -2 \\ -6 &-1 &2 \\ 6 & 2 & -1 \end{bmatrix}$ using the Cayley-Hamilton theorem.

## Problem 468

Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ real skew-symmetric matrix.

(a) Prove that the matrices $I-A$ and $I+A$ are nonsingular.

(b) Prove that
$B=(I-A)(I+A)^{-1}$ is an orthogonal matrix.

## Problem 452

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 $A$.

## Problem 438

Determine whether each of the following statements is True or False.

(a) If $A$ and $B$ are $n \times n$ matrices, and $P$ is an invertible $n \times n$ matrix such that $A=PBP^{-1}$, then $\det(A)=\det(B)$.

(b) If the characteristic polynomial of an $n \times n$ matrix $A$ is
$p(\lambda)=(\lambda-1)^n+2,$ then $A$ is invertible.

(c) If $A^2$ is an invertible $n\times n$ matrix, then $A^3$ is also invertible.

(d) If $A$ is a $3\times 3$ matrix such that $\det(A)=7$, then $\det(2A^{\trans}A^{-1})=2$.

(e) If $\mathbf{v}$ is an eigenvector of an $n \times n$ matrix $A$ with corresponding eigenvalue $\lambda_1$, and if $\mathbf{w}$ is an eigenvector of $A$ with corresponding eigenvalue $\lambda_2$, then $\mathbf{v}+\mathbf{w}$ is an eigenvector of $A$ with corresponding eigenvalue $\lambda_1+\lambda_2$.

(Stanford University, Linear Algebra Exam Problem)

## Problem 421

Find the inverse matrix of the matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 1 & 1 & 2 \\ 9 &2 &0 \\ 5 & 0 & 3 \end{bmatrix}$ using the Cayley–Hamilton theorem.

## Problem 419

(a) Let $A$ be a real orthogonal $n\times n$ matrix. Prove that the length (magnitude) of each eigenvalue of $A$ is $1$.

(b) Let $A$ be a real orthogonal $3\times 3$ matrix and suppose that the determinant of $A$ is $1$. Then prove that $A$ has $1$ as an eigenvalue.

## Problem 394

Determine the values of $x$ so that the matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 1 & 1 & x \\ 1 &x &x \\ x & x & x \end{bmatrix}$ is invertible.
For those values of $x$, find the inverse matrix $A^{-1}$.

## Problem 391

(a) Is the matrix $A=\begin{bmatrix} 1 & 2\\ 0& 3 \end{bmatrix}$ similar to the matrix $B=\begin{bmatrix} 3 & 0\\ 1& 2 \end{bmatrix}$?

(b) Is the matrix $A=\begin{bmatrix} 0 & 1\\ 5& 3 \end{bmatrix}$ similar to the matrix $B=\begin{bmatrix} 1 & 2\\ 4& 3 \end{bmatrix}$?

(c) Is the matrix $A=\begin{bmatrix} -1 & 6\\ -2& 6 \end{bmatrix}$ similar to the matrix $B=\begin{bmatrix} 3 & 0\\ 0& 2 \end{bmatrix}$?

(d) Is the matrix $A=\begin{bmatrix} -1 & 6\\ -2& 6 \end{bmatrix}$ similar to the matrix $B=\begin{bmatrix} 1 & 2\\ -1& 4 \end{bmatrix}$?

## Problem 390

Prove that if $A$ and $B$ are similar matrices, then their determinants are the same.

## Problem 389

(a) A $2 \times 2$ matrix $A$ satisfies $\tr(A^2)=5$ and $\tr(A)=3$.
Find $\det(A)$.

(b) A $2 \times 2$ matrix has two parallel columns and $\tr(A)=5$. Find $\tr(A^2)$.

(c) A $2\times 2$ matrix $A$ has $\det(A)=5$ and positive integer eigenvalues. What is the trace of $A$?

(Harvard University, Linear Algebra Exam Problem)

## Problem 380

Find the determinant of the following matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 6 & 2 & 2 & 2 &2 \\ 2 & 6 & 2 & 2 & 2 \\ 2 & 2 & 6 & 2 & 2 \\ 2 & 2 & 2 & 6 & 2 \\ 2 & 2 & 2 & 2 & 6 \end{bmatrix}.$

(Harvard University, Linear Algebra Exam Problem)

## Problem 374

Let $A=\begin{bmatrix} a_0 & a_1 & \dots & a_{n-2} &a_{n-1} \\ a_{n-1} & a_0 & \dots & a_{n-3} & a_{n-2} \\ a_{n-2} & a_{n-1} & \dots & a_{n-4} & a_{n-3} \\ \vdots & \vdots & \dots & \vdots & \vdots \\ a_{2} & a_3 & \dots & a_{0} & a_{1}\\ a_{1} & a_2 & \dots & a_{n-1} & a_{0} \end{bmatrix}$ be a complex $n \times n$ matrix.
Such a matrix is called circulant matrix.
Then prove that the determinant of the circulant matrix $A$ is given by
$\det(A)=\prod_{k=0}^{n-1}(a_0+a_1\zeta^k+a_2 \zeta^{2k}+\cdots+a_{n-1}\zeta^{k(n-1)}),$ where $\zeta=e^{2 \pi i/n}$ is a primitive $n$-th root of unity.

## Problem 363

(a) Find all the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 3 & -2\\ 6& -4 \end{bmatrix}.$

(b) Let
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 1 & 0 & 3 \\ 4 &5 &6 \\ 7 & 0 & 9 \end{bmatrix} \text{ and } B=\begin{bmatrix} 2 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 3 &0 \\ 0 & 0 & 4 \end{bmatrix}.$ Then find the value of
$\det(A^2B^{-1}A^{-2}B^2).$ (For part (b) without computation, you may assume that $A$ and $B$ are invertible matrices.)

## Problem 361

Let
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 3 & -12 & 4 \\ -1 &0 &-2 \\ -1 & 5 & -1 \end{bmatrix}.$ Then find all eigenvalues of $A^5$. If $A$ is invertible, then find all the eigenvalues of $A^{-1}$.

## Problem 338

Each of the following sets are not a subspace of the specified vector space. For each set, give a reason why it is not a subspace.
(1) $S_1=\left \{\, \begin{bmatrix} x_1 \\ x_2 \\ x_3 \end{bmatrix} \in \R^3 \quad \middle | \quad x_1\geq 0 \,\right \}$ in the vector space $\R^3$.

(2) $S_2=\left \{\, \begin{bmatrix} x_1 \\ x_2 \\ x_3 \end{bmatrix} \in \R^3 \quad \middle | \quad x_1-4x_2+5x_3=2 \,\right \}$ in the vector space $\R^3$.

(3) $S_3=\left \{\, \begin{bmatrix} x \\ y \end{bmatrix}\in \R^2 \quad \middle | \quad y=x^2 \quad \,\right \}$ in the vector space $\R^2$.

(4) Let $P_4$ be the vector space of all polynomials of degree $4$ or less with real coefficients.
$S_4=\{ f(x)\in P_4 \mid f(1) \text{ is an integer}\}$ in the vector space $P_4$.

(5) $S_5=\{ f(x)\in P_4 \mid f(1) \text{ is a rational number}\}$ in the vector space $P_4$.

(6) Let $M_{2 \times 2}$ be the vector space of all $2\times 2$ real matrices.
$S_6=\{ A\in M_{2\times 2} \mid \det(A) \neq 0\}$ in the vector space $M_{2\times 2}$.

(7) $S_7=\{ A\in M_{2\times 2} \mid \det(A)=0\}$ in the vector space $M_{2\times 2}$.

(Linear Algebra Exam Problem, the Ohio State University)

(8) Let $C[-1, 1]$ be the vector space of all real continuous functions defined on the interval $[a, b]$.
$S_8=\{ f(x)\in C[-2,2] \mid f(-1)f(1)=0\}$ in the vector space $C[-2, 2]$.

(9) $S_9=\{ f(x) \in C[-1, 1] \mid f(x)\geq 0 \text{ for all } -1\leq x \leq 1\}$ in the vector space $C[-1, 1]$.

(10) Let $C^2[a, b]$ be the vector space of all real-valued functions $f(x)$ defined on $[a, b]$, where $f(x), f'(x)$, and $f^{\prime\prime}(x)$ are continuous on $[a, b]$. Here $f'(x), f^{\prime\prime}(x)$ are the first and second derivative of $f(x)$.
$S_{10}=\{ f(x) \in C^2[-1, 1] \mid f^{\prime\prime}(x)+f(x)=\sin(x) \text{ for all } -1\leq x \leq 1\}$ in the vector space $C[-1, 1]$.

(11) Let $S_{11}$ be the set of real polynomials of degree exactly $k$, where $k \geq 1$ is an integer, in the vector space $P_k$.

(12) Let $V$ be a vector space and $W \subset V$ a vector subspace. Define the subset $S_{12}$ to be the complement of $W$,
$V \setminus W = \{ \mathbf{v} \in V \mid \mathbf{v} \not\in W \}.$

## Problem 337

Let $A, B$ be complex $2\times 2$ matrices satisfying the relation
$A=AB-BA.$

Prove that $A^2=O$, where $O$ is the $2\times 2$ zero matrix.