1.

Construct a 3

3 matrix whose minimal polynomial is x2

The eigenvalues are 1

0
1
0
1 0 0
@ 0 1 0 A and @
0 0 2

3x + 2.

and 2, so the four outstanding candidates are

1
0
1
0
1
1 0 0
1 0 0
1 0 0
1 1 0 A and @ 0 2 0 A and @ 0 2 0 A
0 0 2
0 0 2
0 1 2

The rst two have characteristic polynomial (x 1)2 (x 2), the last
two have characteristic polynomial (x 1) (x 2)2 . The only question
is whether they satisfy the polynomial x2 3x + 2 = (x 1) (x 2).
Plugging the rst matrix into this polynomial gives
0
10
1 0
1
0 0 0
1
0 0
0 0 0
@ 0 0 0 A@ 0
1 0 A=@ 0 0 0 A
0 0 1
0
0 0
0 0 0

so the minimal polynomial of the rst matrix is (x 1) (x 2) as desired. This is also the minimal polynomial of the third matrix.

2. Find the minimal polynomial of each matrix

0
1
2 0 0 0
B 1 2 0 0 C
2
C
(a) B
@ 0 0 3 0 A The minimal polynomial is (x 2) (x 3)
0 0 0 3
0
1
2 0 0 0
B 0 2 0 0 C
C
(b) B
@ 0 1 3 0 A The minimal polynomial is (x 2) (x 3)
0 0 0 3
0
1
2 0 0 0
B 0 2 0 0 C
2
C
(c) B
@ 0 0 3 0 A The minimal polynomial is (x 2) (x 3)
0 0 1 3
0
1
2 2 1
(d) @ 0 6 2 A The minimal polynomial is either (x 2) (x 6) or
0 0 2
(x 2)2 (x 6). As
0
10
1 0
1
0 2 1
4 2
1
0 0 0
2 A=@ 0 0 0 A
(A 2) (A 6) = @ 0 4 2 A @ 0 0
0 0 0
0 0
4
0 0 0
the minimal polynomial is (x

2) (x

6).

3. Let A be the 5 5 matrix whose rows are all equal to the row (1 2 3 4 5).
Describe the matrix A2 . Use this description to determine the minimal
polynomial of A. Find the Jordan form of A.
The matrix A2 is the 5 5 matrix whose rows are all equal to the
row (15 30 45 60 75). So A2 = 15A, which means that A satises
the polynomial x2 15x. This must be the minimal polynomial of A
because A is not a scalar multiple of the identity matrix. The roots of
the minimal polynomial are 0 and 15, so those are the eigenvalues of
A. The rank of A is 1, so the rank of the Jordan form of A must also
be 1. So the Jordan form of A is
0
1
0 0 0 0 0
B 0 0 0 0 0 C
B
C
B 0 0 0 0 0 C
B
C
@ 0 0 0 0 0 A
0 0 0 0 15

4. Find the characteristic polynomial,

Jordan form of the matrix
0
0 0
B 0 2
A=B
@ 0 0
0 0
The characteristic polynomial of A
A are 0 and 2.
0
1
0
0 0 0 0
B 0 4 0 0 C
B
C, A 2 = B
A2 = B
@ 0 0 4 0 A
@
0 0 0 0

the minimal polynomial, and the

1
5
0 C
C.
0 A
0

0
0
2
0

2)2 , so the eigenvalues of

is x2 (x
2
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

1
5
0 C
C , (A
0 A
2

4
B
0
2)2 = B
@ 0
0

So A2 (A 2) = 0 and A (A 2)2 6= 0. Thus the minimal polynomial

of A is x2 (x 2) and the Jordan form of A is
0
1
0 0 0 0
B 1 0 0 0 C
B
C
@ 0 0 2 0 A
0 0 0 2

0
0
0
0

0
0
0
0

1
20
0 C
C
0 A
4

5. Construct
0
0
B 0
B
A=B
B 0
@ 0
0

a5
0
0
1
0
0

0
0
0
1
0

5 matrix A so that A5 = 0 and

1
0
0 0
0 0 0
C
B
0 0 C
B 0 0 0
2
C
0 0 C then A = B
B 0 0 0
@ 0 1 0
0 0 A
1 0
0 0 1

The characteristic polynomial of A is

is 2, so the nullity of A2 is 3.

the nullity of A2 is 3.
1
0 0
0 0 C
C
0 0 C
C.
0 0 A
0 0

x5 , so A5 = 0. The rank of A2