Chapter 5 – Diagonalization

Per-Olof Perssonpersson@berkeley.edu

Department of MathematicsUniversity of California, Berkeley

Math 110 Linear Algebra

Diagonalization

Definition

A linear operator T on a finite-dimensional vector space V isdiagonalizable if there is an ordered basis β for V such that [T]β isa diagonal matrix. A square matrix A is diagonalizable if LA isdiagonalizable.

Definition

Let T be a linear operator on a vector space V. A nonzero vectorv ∈ V is an eigenvector of T is there exists a scalar eigenvalue λcorresponding to the eigenvector v such that T(v) = λv.Let A ∈ Mn×n(F ). A nonzero vector v ∈ Fn is an eigenvector of Aif v is an eigenvector of LA; that is, if Av = λv for some scalareigenvalue λ of A corresponding to the eigenvector v.

Diagonalization

Theorem 5.1

A linear operator T on a finite-dimensional vector space V isdiagonalizable if and only if there exists an ordered basis β for Vconsisting of eigenvectors of T. If T is diagonalizable,β = {v1, . . . , vn} is an ordered basis of eigenvectors of T, andD = [T]β, then D is a diagonal matrix and Djj is the eigenvaluecorresponding to vj for 1 ≤ j ≤ n.

To diagonalize a matrix or a linear operator is to find a basis ofeigenvectors and the corresponding eigenvalues.

Characteristic Polynomial

Theorem 5.2

Let A ∈ Mn×n(F ). Then a scalar λ is an eigenvalue of A if andonly if det(A− λIn) = 0.

Definition

Let A ∈ Mn×n(F ). The polynomial f(t) = det(A− tIn) is calledthe characteristic polynomial of A.

Definition

Let T be a linear operator on an n-dimensional vector space Vwith ordered basis β. We define the characteristic polynomial f(t)of T to be the characteristic polynomial of A = [T]β:f(t) = det(A− tIn).

Properties

Theorem 5.3

Let A ∈ Mn×n(F ).

(a) The characteristic polynomial of A is a polynomial of degree nwith leading coefficient (−1)n.

(b) A has at most n distinct eigenvalues.

Theorem 5.4

Let T be a linear operator on a vector space V, and let λ be aneigenvalue of T. A vector v ∈ V is an eigenvector of Tcorresponding to λ if and only if v 6= 0 and v ∈ N(T− λI).

Diagonalizability

Theorem 5.5

Let T be a linear operator on a vector space V, and let λ1, . . . , λkbe distinct eigenvalues of T. If v1, . . . , vk are the correspondingeigenvectors, then {v1, . . . , vk} is linearly independent.

Corollary

Let T be a linear operator on an n-dimensional vector space V. IfT has n distinct eigenvalues, then T is diagonalizable.

Definition

A polynomial f(t) in P(F ) splits over F if there are scalarsc, a1, . . . , an in F such that f(t) = c(t− a1)(t− a2) · · · (t− an).

Theorem 5.6

The characteristic polynomial of any diagonalizable operator splits.

Multiplicity

Definition

Let λ be an eigenvalue of a linear operator or matrix withcharacteristic polynomial f(t). The (algebraic) multiplicity of λ isthe largest positive integer k for which (t− λ)k is a factor of f(t).

Definition

Let T be a linear operator on a vector space V, and let λ be aneigenvalue of T. Define Eλ = {x ∈ V : T(x) = λx} = N(T− λIV).The set Eλ is the eigenspace of T corresponding to the eigenvalueλ. The eigenspace of a square matrix A is the eigenspace of LA.

Theorem 5.7

Let T be a linear operator on a finite-dimensional vector space V,and let λ be an eigenvalue of T having multiplicity m. Then1 ≤ dim(Eλ) ≤ m.

Diagonalizability

Lemma

Let T be a linear operator, and let λ1, . . . , λk be distincteigenvalues of T. For i = 1, . . . , k, let vi ∈ Eλi . If

v1 + v2 + · · ·+ vk = 0,

then vi = 0 for all i.

Theorem 5.8

Let T be a linear operator on a vector space V, and let λ1, . . . , λkbe distinct eigenvalues of T. For i = 1, . . . , k, let Si be a finitelinearly independent subset of the eigenspace Eλi . ThenS = S1 ∪ S2 ∪ · · · ∪ Sk is a linearly independent subset of V.

Diagonalizability

Theorem 5.9

Let T be a linear operator on a finite-dimensional vector space Vsuch that the characteristic polynomial of T splits. Let λ1, . . . , λkbe the distinct eigenvalues of T. Then

(a) T is diagonalizable if and only if the multiplicity of λi is equalto dim(Eλi) for all i.

(b) If T is diagonalizable and βi is an ordered basis for Eλi , foreach i, then β = β1 ∪ β2 ∪ · · · ∪ βk is an ordered basis for Vconsisting of eigenvectors of T.

Test for Diagonalization

Let T be a linear operator on an n-dimensional vector space V.Then T is diagonalizable if and only if both of the followingconditions hold.

The characteristic polynomial of T splits.

The multiplicity of each eigenvalue λ equals n− rank(T− λI).

Direct Sums

Definition

The sum of the subspaces W1, . . . ,Wk of a vector space is the setk∑

i=1

Wi = {v1 + · · ·+ vk : vi ∈Wi for 1 ≤ i ≤ k}.

Definition

A vector space V is the direct sum of subspaces W1, . . . ,Wk,denoted V = W1 ⊕ · · · ⊕Wk, if

V =

k∑

i=1

Wi and Wj ∩∑

i 6=jWi = {0} for each j (1 ≤ j ≤ k).

Direct Sums

Theorem 5.10

Let W1, . . . ,Wk be subspaces of finite-dimensional vector space V.The following are equivalent:

(a) V = W1 ⊕ · · · ⊕Wk.

(b) V =∑k

i=1 Wi and for any v1, . . . , vk s.t. vi ∈Wi (1 ≤ i ≤ k),if v1 + · · ·+ vk = 0, then vi = 0 for all i.

(c) Each v ∈ V can be uniquely written as v = v1 + · · ·+ vk,where vi ∈Wi.

(d) If γi is an ordered basis for Wi (1 ≤ i ≤ k), then γ1 ∪ · · · ∪ γkis an ordered basis for V.

(e) For each i = 1, . . . , k there exists an ordered basis γi for Wi

such that γ1 ∪ · · · ∪ γk is an ordered basis for V.

Theorem 5.11

A linear operator T on finite-dimensional vector space V isdiagonalizable ⇐⇒ V is the direct sum of the eigenspaces of T.

Matrix Limits

Definition

Let L,A1, A2, . . . be n× p matrices with complex entries. Thesequence A1, A2, . . . is said to converge to the limit L iflimm→∞(Am)ij = Lij for all 1 ≤ i ≤ n and 1 ≤ j ≤ p. If L is thelimit of the sequence, we write limm→∞Am = L.

Theorem 5.12

Let A1, A2, . . . be a sequence of n× p matrices with complexentries that converges to L. Then for any P ∈ Mr×n(C) andQ ∈ Mp×s(C),

limm→∞

PAm = PL and limm→∞

AmQ = LQ.

Corollary

Let A ∈ Mn×n(C) be such that limm→∞Am = L. Then for anyinvertible Q ∈ Mn×n(C),

limm→∞

(QAQ−1)m = QLQ−1.

Existence of Limits

Consider the set consisting of the complex number 1 and theinterior of the unit disk: S = {λ ∈ C : |λ| < 1 or λ = 1}.

Theorem 5.13

Let A be a square matrix with complex entries. Then limm→∞Am

exists ⇐⇒ both of the following hold:

(a) Every eigenvalue of A is contained in S.

(b) If 1 is an eigenvalues of A, then the dimension of theeigenspace corresponding to 1 equals the multiplicity of 1 asan eigenvalue of A.

Theorem 5.14

Let A ∈ Mn×n(C). limm→∞Am exists if:

(i) Every eigenvalue of A is contained in S.

(ii) A is diagonalizable.

Invariant Subspaces

Definition

Let T be a linear operator on a vector space V. A subspace W or Vis called a T-invariant subspace of V if T(W) ⊆W, that is, ifT(v) ∈W for all v ∈W.

For nonzero x ∈ V, the subspace

W = span({x,T(x),T2(x), . . .})

is called the T-cyclic subspace of V generated by x.

Invariant Subspaces

Theorem 5.21

Let T be a linear operator on finite-dimensional V, and let W be aT-invariant subspace of V. Then the characteristic polynomial ofTW divides the characteristic polynomial of T.

Theorem 5.22

Let T be a linear operator on finite-dimensional V, and let W bethe T-cyclic subspace of V generated by nonzero v ∈ V. Letk = dim(W). Then

(a) {v,T(v),T2(v), . . . ,Tk−1(v)} is a basis for W.

(b) If a0v + a1T(v) + · · ·+ ak−1Tk−1(v) + Tk(v) = 0, then thecharacteristic polynomial of TW isf(t) = (−1)k(a0 + a1t+ · · ·+ ak−1tk−1 + tk).

The Cayley-Hamilton Theorem

Theorem 5.23 (Cayley-Hamilton)

Let T be a linear operator on finite-dimensional V, and let f(t) bethe characteristic polynomial of T. Then f(T) = T0, the zerotransformation. That is, T “satisfies” its characteristic equation.

Corollary (Cayley-Hamilton Theorem for Matrices)

Let A be an n× n matrix, and let f(t) be the characteristicpolynomial of A. Then f(A) = O, the n× n zero matrix.