True or False. Every Diagonalizable Matrix is Invertible

Linear algebra problems and solutions

Problem 439

Is every diagonalizable matrix invertible?

 
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Solution.

The answer is No.

Counterexample

We give a counterexample. Consider the $2\times 2$ zero matrix.
The zero matrix is a diagonal matrix, and thus it is diagonalizable.
However, the zero matrix is not invertible as its determinant is zero.

More Theoretical Explanation

Let us give a more theoretical explanation.
If an $n\times n$ matrix $A$ is diagonalizable, then there exists an invertible matrix $P$ such that
\[P^{-1}AP=\begin{bmatrix}
\lambda_1 & 0 & \cdots & 0 \\
0 & \lambda_2 & \cdots & 0 \\
\vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\
0 & 0 & \cdots & \lambda_n
\end{bmatrix},\] where $\lambda_1, \dots, \lambda_n$ are eigenvalues of $A$.
Then we consider the determinants of the matrices of both sides.
The determinant of the left hand side is
\begin{align*}
\det(P^{-1}AP)=\det(P)^{-1}\det(A)\det(P)=\det(A).
\end{align*}
On the other hand, the determinant of the right hand side is the product
\[\lambda_1\lambda_2\cdots \lambda_n\] since the right matrix is diagonal.
Hence we obtain
\[\det(A)=\lambda_1\lambda_2\cdots \lambda_n.\] (Note that it is always true that the determinant of a matrix is the product of its eigenvalues regardless diagonalizability.
See the post “Determinant/trace and eigenvalues of a matrix“.)

Hence if one of the eigenvalues of $A$ is zero, then the determinant of $A$ is zero, and hence $A$ is not invertible.

The true statement is:

a diagonal matrix is invertible if and only if its eigenvalues are nonzero.

Is Every Invertible Matrix Diagonalizable?

Note that it is not true that every invertible matrix is diagonalizable.

For example, consider the matrix
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
1 & 1\\
0& 1
\end{bmatrix}.\] The determinant of $A$ is $1$, hence $A$ is invertible.
The characteristic polynomial of $A$ is
\begin{align*}
p(t)=\det(A-tI)=\begin{vmatrix}
1-t & 1\\
0& 1-t
\end{vmatrix}=(1-t)^2.
\end{align*}
Thus, the eigenvalue of $A$ is $1$ with algebraic multiplicity $2$.
We have
\[A-I=\begin{bmatrix}
0 & 1\\
0& 0
\end{bmatrix}\] and thus eigenvectors corresponding to the eigenvalue $1$ are
\[a\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\
0
\end{bmatrix}\] for any nonzero scalar $a$.
Thus, the geometric multiplicity of the eigenvalue $1$ is $1$.
Since the geometric multiplicity is strictly less than the algebraic multiplicity, the matrix $A$ is defective and not diagonalizable.

Is There a Matrix that is Not Diagonalizable and Not Invertible?

Finally, note that there is a matrix which is not diagonalizable and not invertible.
For example, the matrix $\begin{bmatrix}
0 & 1\\
0& 0
\end{bmatrix}$ is such a matrix.

Summary

There are all possibilities.

  1. Diagonalizable, but not invertible.
    Example: \[\begin{bmatrix}
    0 & 0\\
    0& 0
    \end{bmatrix}.\]
  2. Invertible, but not diagonalizable.
    Example: \[\begin{bmatrix}
    1 & 1\\
    0& 1
    \end{bmatrix}\]
  3. Not diagonalizable and Not invertible.
    Example: \[\begin{bmatrix}
    0 & 1\\
    0& 0
    \end{bmatrix}.\]
  4. Diagonalizable and invertible
    Example: \[\begin{bmatrix}
    1 & 0\\
    0& 1
    \end{bmatrix}.\]

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