UCSD ECE269 Handout #18

Prof. Young-Han Kim Monday, March 19, 2018

Final Examination
(Total: 130 points)

There are 5 problems, each with multiple parts. Your answer should be as clear and succinct as
possible. You may include a simple justification to your answer in the space provided, but please
note that an erroneous argument could count against an otherwise correct answer.

1. True or false (5 points for each correct answer, -5 points for each wrong answer, 0 point for
each blank) Fill in each blank with “true” or “false”. A statement is considered “true” if it
holds for all matrices satisfying the conditions stated, and “false” otherwise. For example,

• A nonsingular matrix is invertible. True

• A strictly tall matrix is onto. False

Here the matrix dimensions are such that each expression makes sense, but they are otherwise
unspecified.

(a) A diagonalizable matrix A is nonsingular.

(b) A nonsingular matrix A is diagonalizable.

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(c) A positive square matrix A is positive definite.

(d) A positive definite and Hermitian matrix A is invertible.

(e) A square matrix A with real and positive eigenvalues is positive definite.

(f) For a square matrix A, rank(A) ≤ rank(eA ).

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(g) For a square matrix A, keA − Ik ≤ ekAk − 1.

(h) If A is nilpotent, then I − A is invertible.

(i) If A ∈ Cn×n such that kAk < 1, then I − A is invertible.

(j) Every eigenvalue λ of a complex square matrix A satisfies |λ| ≤ kAk.

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2. Perpendicular distances (30 points). For v, w ∈ Rn with ||w|| = 1, define the “line” L in Rn
that goes through v in the direction w as

L = {v + wt : t ∈ R}.

(a) Let z ∈ Rn . Which point x∗ on the line L is the closest to z? Your answer should be in
terms of v, w, and z.

(b) Find the distance from z to the closest point x∗ on L in terms of v, w, and z.

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Now consider two lines
L1 = {v1 + w1 t1 : t1 ∈ R}
and
L2 = {v2 + w2 t2 : t2 ∈ R},
where ||w1 || = ||w2 || = 1.

(c) Find the distance between the two lines, that is, the smallest distance between a point
x1 on L1 and a point x2 on L2 , in terms of the vectors v1 , v2 , w1 , w2 , and any matrices
involving them. (Hint: You can consider the case w1 = ±w2 separately.)

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3. Matrix limits (20 points).

(a) Let  
1/3 2/3
A= .
2/3 1/3
Find the limit
lim An .
n→∞

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(b) For 0 < α, β, 1 − α − β < 1, let
 
α β 1−α−β
B = 1 − α − β α β .
β 1−α−β α

Find limn→∞ B n .

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4. Jordan canonical form (20 points). Suppose that a matrix A ∈ Rn×n has distinct eigenvalues
λ1 , . . . , λn . Let  
A I
B= .
0 A

(a) Find the eigenvalues of B (including multiplicity).

(b) Find the Jordan blocks of B.

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5. Matrix polynomial (10 points). Is there a real square matrix A of any size such that

A2 + 2A + 5I = 0?

If yes, find one such matrix. If not, prove that no such A exists.