MATH110 Homework 13 & 14

Taylor Tam

Outline
HW13

Section 5.1: Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

Notes
Problems: #1, 2(b)(d)(f), 3(b)(c), 4(a)(e)(j), 8-11, 14, 17, 20
Challenge Problems: #15, 18, 21, 22

HW14
Section 5.2: Diagonalizability
Notes
Problems: #1(a)-(g), 2(b)(d)(f), 3(a)(b)(e), 7, 8-11
Challenge Problems: #12, 13

Section 5.1: Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

Notes
Diagonizable: A linear operator T on a finite-dimensional vector space V is called diagonizable if
there is an ordered basis for V such that [T ] is a diagonal matrix. (A square matrix is
diagonizable if LA is diagonizable.) If T is diagonizable, then for each vector vj , we have

T (vj ) = j vj

where j = Dj j. Also, ~v is nonzero.

Eigenvector and Eigenvalues: Given a linear operator on a vector space V , a nonzero vector
v V is called an eigenvector of T is there exists a scalar such that T (v) = v. The scalar is
called the eigenvalue corresponding to the eigenvector v.
Theorem 5.1: A linear operator T is diagonizable iff for V consisting of eigenvecrtors of T
(eigenbasis?). If this T is diagonizable, then is an ordered basis of eigenvectors of T , and
D = [T ] , then D is a diagonal matrix and Djj is the eigenvalue corresponding for vj .
Theorem 5.2: A scalar is an eigenvalue of A iff det(A In ) = 0
Characteristic Polynomial: Given Ann , the characteristic polynomial of f (t) = det(A tIn ).
Note that the eigenvalues of the matrix are the zeroes of this characteristic polynomial.
This definition is interchangeable with T where instead A = [T ] .
Theorem 5.3: Given Ann ,
(a) The characteristic polynomial of A is a polynomial with degree n with leading coefficient (1)n .
(b) A has at most n distinct eigenvalues.
Theorem 5.4: Given linear operator T , and an eigenvalue of T . A vector v V is an eigenvector
of T corresponding to iff v 6= 0 and v N(T I).

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Problems
#1, 2(b)(d)(f), 3(b)(c), 4(a)(e)(j), 8-11, 14, 17, 20

Challenge Problems
#15, 18, 21, 22

Section 5.2: Diagonalizability

Notes from Larson Chapter 7
7.1 Introduction to Eigenvalues
7.2 Diagonalization
Diagonizable Matrix: A matrix Ann is diagonizable if A is similar to a diagonal matrix. That is,
A is diagonizable if there exists an invertible matrix P such that

P 1 AP

is a diagonal matrix.
Theorem 7.4: Similar matrices have the same eigenvalues.

Condition for Diagonalization (Theorem 7.5): An Ann matrix is diagonizable if and only if it
has n linearly independent eigenvectors.
Sufficient Condition for Diagonalization (Theorem 7.6): If Ann has n distinct eigenvalues,
the the corresponding eigenvectors are linearly independent and A is diagonizable.
Note that one eigenvalue may have more than one corresponding eigenvector (arising from free
variables in the RREF for particular ). This is why n eigenvectors is the sufficient and necessary
condition (see Example 6 on p. 429 showing 3 eigenvalues for a diagonizable matrix).

7.3 Symmetric Matrices and Orthogonal Diagonalization

Eigenvalues of Symmetric Matrices (Theorem 7.7): Given Symnn , the following properties
are true:
(a) A is diagonizable
(b) All eigenvalues of A are real (c) If is an eigenvalue of A with multiplicity k, then has k
linearly independent eigenvectors. That is, the eignspace of has dimension k.
Definition of Orthogonal Matrix: A matrix is orthogonal if it is invertible and

P 1 = P t

Properties of Orthogonal Matrices (Theorem 7.8): An n n matrix P is orthogonal if and

only if its column vectors form an orthogonal set.
Property of Symmetric Matrices: If i is a distinct eigenvalue of Symn n, then the
corresponding eigenvector is orthogonal.

Fundamental Theorem of Symmetric Matrices (Theorem 7.10): Symnn is orthogonally

diagonizable and has real eigenvalues if and only if A is symmetric.

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7.4 Applications of Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
Population Modeling using Matrices & Topology

Notes from Friedberg 5.2

Theorem 5.5: Suppose T is a linear operator on V and 1 , . . . , k a set of distinct eigenvalues of T .
If v1 , . . . , vk are eigenvectors of T such that i corresponds to vi , then {v1 , . . . , vk } is linearly
independent.
Corollary: If T has n distinct eigenvalues in an n-dimensional vector space, then T is diagonizable.
Note that this is not a necessary and sufficient condition

P (x) splitting over F : A polynomial f (t) in P (f ) splits over F if there are scalars c, a1 , . . . , an not
necessarily distinct in F such that

f (t) = c(t a1 )(t a2 ) (t an )

Theorem 5.6: The characteristic polynomial of any diagonizable linear operator splits.
Algebraic Multiplicity: Given and eigenvalue with characteristic polynomial f (t), the algebraic
multiplicity of is the largest positive integer k for with (t )k is a factor of f (t).
Eigenspace: Given T a linear operator and an eigenvalue of T , define
E = {x V : T (x) = x} = N(T Iv ). This E is the eigenspace of T . Same properties hold for
LA .
Theorem 5.7: Given T a linear operator on a finite-dimensional vector space V , and an
eigenvalue with mutiplicity m. Then 1 dim(E ) m.
Theorem 5.8:Given a set of eigenvectors and eigenspaces, for each Si , a linearly independent subset
of eigenspace Ei , Si is linearly independent where i = 1, 2, . . .
Theorem 5.9: Given a characteristic polynomial that splits a linear operator,
(a) T is diagonizable if and only if the multiplicity of i = dim(Ei ) for all i.
(b) If T is diagonizable and i is an ordered basis for E , for each i, then = i for V consisting of
eigenvectors of T .

Test for Diagonalization: T is diagonizable if and only if:

1. The characteristic polynomial of T splits
2. For each eigenvalue of T , the multiplicity of equals n rank(T I).

Example of using diagonizability to test for solving system of differential equations

Theorem 5.10: Given W1 , W2 , . . . , Wk subspaces of a finite-dimensional vector space V , the
following conditions are equivalent:
L L L
1. V = W1 W2 Wk .
P
2. All eigenvectors in Wi such that vi = 0 where vi Wi must have vi = 0. In other words,
these vectors are linearly independent.
3. Each vector v V can be uniquely written as a combination of vectors in Wi .
4. i is an ordered basis of V where i is an ordered basis for Wi .
5. i such that i is a basis for Wi and i is an ordered basis for V .

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 Theorem 5.11: A linear operator T on a finite-dimensional vector space V is diagonizable if and
only if V is the direct sum of the eigenspaces of T .

Problems
#1(a)-(g), 2(b)(d)(f), 3(a)(b)(e), 7, 8-11

Challenge Problems
#12, 13