Paper 2, Section II, E

Linear Algebra | Part IB, 2021

(a) Compute the characteristic polynomial and minimal polynomial of

A=(−2−6−9379−1−2−2)A=\left(\begin{array}{ccc} -2 & -6 & -9 \\ 3 & 7 & 9 \\ -1 & -2 & -2 \end{array}\right)

Write down the Jordan normal form for AA.

(b) Let VV be a finite-dimensional vector space over C,f:V→V\mathbb{C}, f: V \rightarrow V be a linear map, and for α∈C,n⩾1\alpha \in \mathbb{C}, n \geqslant 1, write

Wα,n:={v∈V∣(f−αI)nv=0}W_{\alpha, n}:=\left\{v \in V \mid(f-\alpha I)^{n} v=0\right\}

(i) Given v∈Wα,n,v≠0v \in W_{\alpha, n}, v \neq 0, construct a non-zero eigenvector for ff in terms of vv.

(ii) Show that if w1,…,wdw_{1}, \ldots, w_{d} are non-zero eigenvectors for ff with eigenvalues α1,…,αd\alpha_{1}, \ldots, \alpha_{d}, and αi≠αj\alpha_{i} \neq \alpha_{j} for all i≠ji \neq j, then w1,…,wdw_{1}, \ldots, w_{d} are linearly independent.

(iii) Show that if v1∈Wα1,n,…,vd∈Wαd,nv_{1} \in W_{\alpha_{1}, n}, \ldots, v_{d} \in W_{\alpha_{d}, n} are all non-zero, and αi≠αj\alpha_{i} \neq \alpha_{j} for all i≠ji \neq j, then v1,…,vdv_{1}, \ldots, v_{d} are linearly independent.

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