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.
(Nagoya University, Linear Algebra Exam Problem)
Add to solve later Find all the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the matrix
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
10001 & 3 & 5 & 7 &9 & 11 \\
1 & 10003 & 5 & 7 & 9 & 11 \\
1 & 3 & 10005 & 7 & 9 & 11 \\
1 & 3 & 5 & 10007 & 9 & 11 \\
1 &3 & 5 & 7 & 10009 & 11 \\
1 &3 & 5 & 7 & 9 & 10011
\end{bmatrix}.\]
(MIT, Linear Algebra Homework Problem)
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Add to solve later Find all eigenvalues of the matrix
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
0 & i & i & i \\
i &0 & i & i \\
i & i & 0 & i \\
i & i & i & 0
\end{bmatrix},\]
where $i=\sqrt{-1}$. For each eigenvalue of $A$, determine its algebraic multiplicity and geometric multiplicity.
Add to solve later Let
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
2 & -1 & -1 \\
-1 &2 &-1 \\
-1 & -1 & 2
\end{bmatrix}.\]
Determine whether the matrix $A$ is diagonalizable. If it is diagonalizable, then diagonalize $A$.
That is, find a nonsingular matrix $S$ and a diagonal matrix $D$ such that $S^{-1}AS=D$.
Add to solve later Let $A$ be an $n\times n$ matrix with the characteristic polynomial
\[p(t)=t^3(t-1)^2(t-2)^5(t+2)^4.\]
Assume that the matrix $A$ is diagonalizable.
(a) Find the size of the matrix $A$.
(b) Find the dimension of the eigenspace $E_2$ corresponding to the eigenvalue $\lambda=2$.
(c) Find the nullity of $A$.
(The Ohio State University, Linear Algebra Final Exam Problem)
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Add to solve later 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)
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Add to solve later Find all the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the matrix
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
3 & 9 & 9 & 9 \\
9 &3 & 9 & 9 \\
9 & 9 & 3 & 9 \\
9 & 9 & 9 & 3
\end{bmatrix}.\]
(Harvard University, Linear Algebra Final Exam Problem)
Add to solve later Let $A$ be an $n \times n$ matrix and let $c$ be a complex number.
(a) For each eigenvalue $\lambda$ of $A$, prove that $\lambda+c$ is an eigenvalue of the matrix $A+cI$, where $I$ is the identity matrix. What can you say about the eigenvectors corresponding to $\lambda+c$?
(b) Prove that the algebraic multiplicity of the eigenvalue $\lambda$ of $A$ is the same as the algebraic multiplicity of the eigenvalue $\lambda+c$ of $A+cI$ are equal.
(c) How about geometric multiplicities?
Add to solve later (a) Let
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\
1 &1 & 1 & 1 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\
1 & 1 & 1 & 1
\end{bmatrix}.\]
Find the eigenvalues of the matrix $A$. Also give the algebraic multiplicity of each eigenvalue.
(b) Let
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\
1 &1 & 1 & 1 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\
1 & 1 & 1 & 1
\end{bmatrix}.\]
One of the eigenvalues of the matrix $A$ is $\lambda=0$. Find the geometric multiplicity of the eigenvalue $\lambda=0$.
Add to solve later 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 Let
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
1 & 3 & 3 \\
-3 &-5 &-3 \\
3 & 3 & 1
\end{bmatrix} \text{ and } B=\begin{bmatrix}
2 & 4 & 3 \\
-4 &-6 &-3 \\
3 & 3 & 1
\end{bmatrix}.\]
For this problem, you may use the fact that both matrices have the same characteristic polynomial:
\[p_A(\lambda)=p_B(\lambda)=-(\lambda-1)(\lambda+2)^2.\]
(a) Find all eigenvectors of $A$.
(b) Find all eigenvectors of $B$.
(c) Which matrix $A$ or $B$ is diagonalizable?
(d) Diagonalize the matrix stated in (c), i.e., find an invertible matrix $P$ and a diagonal matrix $D$ such that $A=PDP^{-1}$ or $B=PDP^{-1}$.
(Stanford University Linear Algebra Final Exam Problem)
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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 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 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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Add to solve later Let $A$ and $B$ be an $n \times n$ matrices.
Suppose that all the eigenvalues of $A$ are distinct and the matrices $A$ and $B$ commute, that is $AB=BA$.
Then prove that each eigenvector of $A$ is an eigenvector of $B$.
(It could be that each eigenvector is an eigenvector for distinct eigenvalues.)
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)
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