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Chapter 5�Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

大葉大學 資訊工程系

黃鈴玲

Linear Algebra

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5.1 Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

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Definition

Let A be an n × n matrix. A scalar λ is called an eigenvalue (特徵值,固有值) of A if there exists a nonzero vector x in Rn such that

Ax = λx.

The vector x is called an eigenvector corresponding to λ.

Figure 6.1

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Computation of Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

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Let A be an n × n matrix with eigenvalue λ and corresponding eigenvector x. Thus Ax = λx. This equation may be written

Ax – λx = 0

given

(A – λIn)x = 0

Solving the equation |A – λIn| = 0 for λ leads to all the eigenvalues of A.

On expending the determinant |A – λIn|, we get a polynomial in λ. This polynomial is called the characteristic polynomial of A.

The equation |A – λIn| = 0 is called the characteristic equation of A.

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Example 1

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Find the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the matrix

Let us first derive the characteristic polynomial of A.

We get

Solution

We now solve the characteristic equation of A.

The eigenvalues of A are 2 and –1.

The corresponding eigenvectors are found by using these values of λ in the equation(A – λI2)x = 0. There are many eigenvectors corresponding to each eigenvalue.

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  • λ = 2

We solve the equation (A – 2I2)x = 0 for x. The matrix �(A – 2I2) is obtained by subtracting 2 from the diagonal elements of A. We get

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This leads to the system of equations

giving x1 = –x2. The solutions to this system of equations are x1 = –r, x2 = r, where r is a scalar. Thus the eigenvectors of A corresponding to λ = 2 are nonzero vectors of the form

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  • λ = –1

We solve the equation (A + 1I2)x = 0 for x. The matrix �(A + 1I2) is obtained by adding 1 to the diagonal elements of A. We get

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This leads to the system of equations

Thus x1 = –2x2. The solutions to this system of equations are x1 = –2s and x2 = s, where s is a scalar. Thus the eigenvectors of A corresponding to λ = –1 are nonzero vectors of the form

隨堂作業:9(a)�先不求eigenspaces

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Theorem 5.1

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Let A be an n × n matrix and λ an eigenvalue of A. The set of all eigenvectors corresponding to λ, together with the zero vector, is a subspace of Rn. This subspace is called the eigenspace of λ.

Proof

Let x1 and x2 be two vectors in the eigenspace of λ and let c be a scalar. Then Ax1 = λx1 and Ax2 = λx2. Hence,

Thus is a vector in the eigenspace of λ. The set is closed under addition.

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Further, since Ax1 = λx1,

Therefore cx1 is a vector in the eigenspace of λ. The set is closed scalar multiplication.

Thus the set is a subspace of Rn.

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Example 2

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Find the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the matrix

The matrix A – λI3 is obtained by subtracting λ from the diagonal elements of A.Thus

Solution

The characteristic polynomial of A is |A – λI3|. Using row and column operations to simplify determinants, we get

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We now solving the characteristic equation of A:

The eigenvalues of A are 10 and 1.

The corresponding eigenvectors are found by using three values of λ in the equation (A – λI3)x = 0.

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  • λ = 10

We get

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The solution to this system of equations are x1 = 2r, x2 = 2r, and x3 = r, where r is a scalar. Thus the eigenspace of λ = 10 is the one-dimensional space of vectors of the form.

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  • λ = 1

Let λ = 1 in (A – λI3)x = 0. We get

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The solution to this system of equations can be shown to be x1 = – st, x2 = s, and x3 = 2t, where s and t are scalars. Thus the eigenspace of λ = 1 is the space of vectors of the form.

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Separating the parameters s and t, we can write

Thus the eigenspace of λ = 1 is a two-dimensional subspace of R2 with basis

If an eigenvalue occurs as a k times repeated root of the �characteristic equation, we say that it is of multiplicity k. �Thus λ=10 has multiplicity 1, while λ=1 has multiplicity 2 �in this example.

隨堂作業:10

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Example 3

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Let A be an n × n matrix A with eigenvalues λ1, …, λn, and corresponding eigenvectors X1, …, Xn. Prove that if c ≠ 0, then the eigenvalues of cA are cλ1, …, cλn with corresponding eigenvectors X1, …, Xn.

Solution

Let λi be one of eigenvalues of A with corresponding eigenvectors Xi. Then AXi = λiXi. Multiply both sides of this equation by c to get

cAXi = cλiXi

Thus cλi is an eigenvalues of cA with corresponding eigenvector Xi.

Further, since cA is n × n matrix, the characteristic polynomial of A is of degree n. The characteristic equation has n roots, implying that cA has n eigenvalues. The eigenvalues of cA are therefore cλ1, …, cλn with corresponding eigenvectors X1, …, Xn.

隨堂作業:28

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Homework

  • Exercise 5.1:�9, 10, 13, 15, 24, 26, 32

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Ex24: Prove that if A is a diagonal matrix, then its eigenvalues are� the diagonal elements.

Ex26: Prove that if A and At have the same eigenvalues.

Ex32: Prove that the constant term of the characteristic polynomial� of a matrix A is |A|.

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5.3 Diagonalization of Matrices

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Definition

Let A and B be square matrices of the same size. B is said to be similar to A if there exists an invertible matrix C such that

B = C–1AC. The transformation of the matrix A into the matrix B in this manner is called a similarity transformation.

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Example 1

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Consider the following matrices A and C. C is invertible. Use the similarity transformation C–1AC to transform A into a matrix B.

Solution

隨堂作業:1(b)

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Theorem 5.3

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Similar matrices have the same eigenvalues.

Proof

Let A and B be similar matrices. Hence there exists a matrix C such that B = C–1AC. The characteristic polynomial of B is |B – λIn|. Substituting for B and using the multiplicative properties of determinants, we get

The characteristic polynomials of A and B are identical. This means that their eigenvalues are the same.

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Definition

A square matrix A is said to be diagonalizable if there exists a matrix C such that D = C–1AC is a diagonal matrix.

Theorem 5.4

Let A be an n × n matrix.

  1. If A has n linearly independent eigenvectors, it is diagonalizable. The matrix C whose columns consist of n linearly independent eigenvectors can be used in a similarity transformation C–1AC to give a diagonal matrix D. The diagonal elements of D will be the eigenvalues of A.
  2. If A is diagonalizable, then it has n linearly independent eigenvectors

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Proof

(a) Let A have eigenvalues λ1, …, λn, with corresponding linearly independent eigenvectors v1, …, vn. Let C be the matrix having v1, …, vn as column vectors.

C = [v1vn]

Since Av1 = λ1v1, …, Avn = λ1vn, matrix multiplication in terms of columns gives

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Since the columns of C are linearly independent, C is nonsingular. Thus

Therefore, if an n × n matrix A has n linearly independent eigenvectors, these eigenvectors can be used as the columns of a matrix A that diagonalizes A. The diagonal matrix has the eigenvaules of A as diagonal elements.

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(b) The converse is proved by retracting the above steps. Commence with the assumption that C is a matrix [v1vn] that diagonalizes A. Thus, there exist scalars γ1, …, γn, such that

Retracting the above steps, we arrive at the conclusion that

Av1 = γ1v1, …, Avn = γnvn

The v1, …, vn are eigenvectors of A. Since C is nonsingular, these vectors (column vectors of C) are linearly independent. Thus if an n × n matrix A is diagonalizable, it has n linearly independent eigenvectors.

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Example 2

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  1. Show that the following matrix A is diagonalizable.
  2. Find a diagonal matrix D that is similar to A.
  3. Determine the similarity transformation that diagonalizes A.

Solution

  1. The eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvector of this matrix were found in Example 1 of Section 5.1. They are

Since A, a 2 × 2 matrix, has two linearly independent eigenvectors, it is diagonalizable.

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(b) A is similar to the diagonal matrix D, which has diagonal elements λ1 = 2 and λ2 = –1. Thus

(c) Select two convenient linearly independent eigenvectors, say

Let these vectors be the column vectors of the diagonalizing matrix C.

We get

隨堂作業:3(a)

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If A is similar to a diagonal matrix D under the transformation

C–1AC, then it can be shown that Ak = CDkC–1.

This result can be used to compute Ak. Let us derive this result and then apply it.

This leads to

Note

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Example 3

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Compute A9 for the following matrix A.

Solution

A is the matrix of the previous example. Use the values of C and D from that example. We get

隨堂作業:9(a)

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Example 4

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Show that the following matrix A is not diagonalizable.

Solution

The characteristic equation is

There is a single eigenvalue, λ = 2. We find the corresponding eigenvectors. (A – 2I2)x = 0 gives

Thus x1 = r, x2 = r. The eigenvectors are nonzero vectors of the form

The eigenspace is a one-dimensional space. A is a 2 × 2 matrix, but it does not have two linearly independent eigenvectors. Thus A is not diagonalizable.

隨堂作業:3(c)

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Theorem 5.5

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Let A be an n × n symmetric matrix.

  1. All the eigenvalues of A are real numbers.
  2. The dimensional of an eigenspace of A is the multiplicity of the eigenvalues as a root of the characteristic equation.
  3. The eigenspaces of A are orthogonal.
  4. A has n linearly independent eigenvectors.

Definition

A square matrix A is said to be orthogonally diagonalizable if there exists an orthogonal matrix C such that D = C1AC is a diagonal matrix.

Orthogonal Diagonalization

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Theorem 5.6

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Let A be a square matrix. A is orthogonally diagonalizable if and only if it is a symmetric matrix.

Example 5

Orthogonally diagonalize the following symmetric matrix A.

Solution

The eigenvalues and corresponding eigenspaces of this matrix are

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Let us determine the transformation. The eigenspaces V1 and V2 are orthogonal. Use a unit vector in each eigenspace as columns of an orthogonal matrix C. We get

隨堂作業:6(a)

The orthogonal transformation that leads to D is

Since A is symmetric, it can be diagonalized to give

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Homework

  • Exercise 5.3:�1, 2, 6, 9

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