# Tagged: nilpotent matrix

## Problem 587

Let $A$ and $B$ be square matrices such that they commute each other: $AB=BA$.
Assume that $A-B$ is a nilpotent matrix.

Then prove that the eigenvalues of $A$ and $B$ are the same.

## Problem 582

A square matrix $A$ is called nilpotent if some power of $A$ is the zero matrix.
Namely, $A$ is nilpotent if there exists a positive integer $k$ such that $A^k=O$, where $O$ is the zero matrix.

Suppose that $A$ is a nilpotent matrix and let $B$ be an invertible matrix of the same size as $A$.
Is the matrix $B-A$ invertible? If so prove it. Otherwise, give a counterexample.

## Problem 504

Prove that if $A$ is a diagonalizable nilpotent matrix, then $A$ is the zero matrix $O$.

## Problem 453

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.

## Problem 336

A complex square ($n\times n$) matrix $A$ is called normal if
$A^* A=A A^*,$ where $A^*$ denotes the conjugate transpose of $A$, that is $A^*=\bar{A}^{\trans}$.
A matrix $A$ is said to be nilpotent if there exists a positive integer $k$ such that $A^k$ is the zero matrix.

(a) Prove that if $A$ is both normal and nilpotent, then $A$ is the zero matrix.
You may use the fact that every normal matrix is diagonalizable.

(b) Give a proof of (a) without referring to eigenvalues and diagonalization.

(c) Let $A, B$ be $n\times n$ complex matrices. Prove that if $A$ is normal and $B$ is nilpotent such that $A+B=I$, then $A=I$, where $I$ is the $n\times n$ identity matrix.

## Problem 305

Find a nonzero $3\times 3$ matrix $A$ such that $A^2\neq O$ and $A^3=O$, where $O$ is the $3\times 3$ zero matrix.

(Such a matrix is an example of a nilpotent matrix. See the comment after the solution.)

## Problem 236

Let $V$ denote the vector space of all real $n\times n$ matrices, where $n$ is a positive integer.

Determine whether the set $U$ of all $n\times n$ nilpotent matrices is a subspace of the vector space $V$ or not.

## Problem 146

Let $A$ be an $n \times n$ nilpotent matrix, that is, $A^m=O$ for some positive integer $m$, where $O$ is the $n \times n$ zero matrix.

Prove that $A$ is a singular matrix and also prove that $I-A, I+A$ are both nonsingular matrices, where $I$ is the $n\times n$ identity matrix.

## Problem 77

A square matrix $A$ is called nilpotent if there exists a positive integer $k$ such that $A^k=O$, where $O$ is the zero matrix.

(a) If $A$ is a nilpotent $n \times n$ matrix and $B$ is an $n\times n$ matrix such that $AB=BA$. Show that the product $AB$ is nilpotent.

(b) Let $P$ be an invertible $n \times n$ matrix and let $N$ be a nilpotent $n\times n$ matrix. Is the product $PN$ nilpotent? If so, prove it. If not, give a counterexample.

## Problem 21

Let $A$ be an $n \times n$ matrix such that $\tr(A^n)=0$ for all $n \in \N$.
Then prove that $A$ is a nilpotent matrix. Namely there exist a positive integer $m$ such that $A^m$ is the zero matrix.

## Problem 11

An $n\times n$ matrix $A$ is called nilpotent if $A^k=O$, where $O$ is the $n\times n$ zero matrix.
Prove the followings.

(a) The matrix $A$ is nilpotent if and only if all the eigenvalues of $A$ is zero.

(b) The matrix $A$ is nilpotent if and only if $A^n=O$.