# Tagged: diagonalization of a matrix

## Problem 667

(a) Find all solutions of the linear dynamical system
$\frac{\mathrm{d}\mathbf{x}}{\mathrm{d}t} =\begin{bmatrix} 1 & 0\\ 0& 3 \end{bmatrix}\mathbf{x},$ where $\mathbf{x}(t)=\mathbf{x}=\begin{bmatrix} x_1 \\ x_2 \end{bmatrix}$ is a function of the variable $t$.

(b) Solve the linear dynamical system
$\frac{\mathrm{d}\mathbf{x}}{\mathrm{d}t}=\begin{bmatrix} 2 & -1\\ -1& 2 \end{bmatrix}\mathbf{x}$ with the initial value $\mathbf{x}(0)=\begin{bmatrix} 1 \\ 3 \end{bmatrix}$.

## Problem 629

Diagonalize the $2\times 2$ matrix $A=\begin{bmatrix} 2 & -1\\ -1& 2 \end{bmatrix}$ by finding a nonsingular matrix $S$ and a diagonal matrix $D$ such that $S^{-1}AS=D$.

## Problem 585

Consider the Hermitian matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 1 & i\\ -i& 1 \end{bmatrix}.$

(a) Find the eigenvalues of $A$.

(b) For each eigenvalue of $A$, find the eigenvectors.

(c) Diagonalize the Hermitian matrix $A$ by a unitary matrix. Namely, find a diagonal matrix $D$ and a unitary matrix $U$ such that $U^{-1}AU=D$.

## Problem 584

Prove that the matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 0 & 1\\ -1& 0 \end{bmatrix}$ is diagonalizable.
Prove, however, that $A$ cannot be diagonalized by a real nonsingular matrix.
That is, there is no real nonsingular matrix $S$ such that $S^{-1}AS$ is a diagonal matrix.

## Problem 533

Consider the complex matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} \sqrt{2}\cos x & i \sin x & 0 \\ i \sin x &0 &-i \sin x \\ 0 & -i \sin x & -\sqrt{2} \cos x \end{bmatrix},$ where $x$ is a real number between $0$ and $2\pi$.

Determine for which values of $x$ the matrix $A$ is diagonalizable.
When $A$ is diagonalizable, find a diagonal matrix $D$ so that $P^{-1}AP=D$ for some nonsingular matrix $P$.

## Top 10 Popular Math Problems in 2016-2017

It’s been a year since I started this math blog!!

More than 500 problems were posted during a year (July 19th 2016-July 19th 2017).

I made a list of the 10 math problems on this blog that have the most views.

Can you solve all of them?

The level of difficulty among the top 10 problems.
【★★★】 Difficult (Final Exam Level)
【★★☆】 Standard(Midterm Exam Level)
【★☆☆】 Easy (Homework Level)

## Problem 514

Prove that a positive definite matrix has a unique positive definite square root.

## Problem 513

Let $A$ be a square matrix. A matrix $B$ satisfying $B^2=A$ is call a square root of $A$.

Find all the square roots of the matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 2 & 2\\ 2& 2 \end{bmatrix}.$

## Problem 466

Let
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 1 & 2\\ 4& 3 \end{bmatrix}.$

(a) Find eigenvalues of the matrix $A$.

(b) Find eigenvectors for each eigenvalue of $A$.

(c) Diagonalize the matrix $A$. That is, find an invertible matrix $S$ and a diagonal matrix $D$ such that $S^{-1}AS=D$.

(d) Diagonalize the matrix $A^3-5A^2+3A+I$, where $I$ is the $2\times 2$ identity matrix.

(e) Calculate $A^{100}$. (You do not have to compute $5^{100}$.)

(f) Calculate
$(A^3-5A^2+3A+I)^{100}.$ Let $w=2^{100}$. Express the solution in terms of $w$.

## Problem 456

Determine whether the matrix
$A=\begin{bmatrix} 0 & 1 & 0 \\ -1 &0 &0 \\ 0 & 0 & 2 \end{bmatrix}$ is diagonalizable.

If it is diagonalizable, then find the invertible matrix $S$ and a diagonal matrix $D$ such that $S^{-1}AS=D$.

## Problem 424

Let $A$ and $B$ be $n\times n$ matrices.
Suppose that $A$ and $B$ have the same eigenvalues $\lambda_1, \dots, \lambda_n$ with the same corresponding eigenvectors $\mathbf{x}_1, \dots, \mathbf{x}_n$.
Prove that if the eigenvectors $\mathbf{x}_1, \dots, \mathbf{x}_n$ are linearly independent, then $A=B$.