Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur

Department of Mathematics
MAT 101 Tutorial 2- Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors of a matrix, Cayley- Hamilton theorem,
Diagonalization of a matrix.

2
1. Find the eigenvalues of a matrix
 A. Hence
 find the eigenvalues of matrix A = AA?
  5 2 0
3 2
(i) A = , (ii) A =  2 5 0 .
2 3
−3 4 6
Ans. (i) (1,5), (1, 25), (ii) (6, 3, 7), (36, 9, 49)
2. (i) Let λ be an eigenvalue ofmatrix A. Identify the corresponding eigenvalue of adj(A).  
3 7 5 −7
(ii) Eigenvalues of a matrix are λ1 , λ2 , then determine the characteristic roots of .
2 5 −2 3
det(A) 1 1
Ans. (i) (ii) ,
λ λ1 λ2
3. If 1 and 2 are the eigenvalues of 2 × 2 matrix A , what are the eigenvalues of A2 and A−1 . Ans. (i)1, 4,
1
1,
2
4. Find the eigenvalues (characteristic roots) and eigenvectors (characteristic vectors) of the following ma-
trices:
   
8 −6 2 −2 2 −3
(i)  −6 7 −4  (ii)  2 1 −6 .
2 −4 3 −1 −2 0
           
1 2 2 −2 3 1
Ans. (i) 0,3,15,  2 ,  1 ,  −2 , (ii) -3,-3,5,  1 ,  0 ,  2 ,
2 −2 1 0 1 −1
     
1 2 −2 3 2 6 −55 104 24
5. Using Cayley-Hamilton theorem, find A−1 and A4 , if A = −1 3 0 . Ans. 1 1 2 , −20 −15 32 
0 −2 1 2 2 5 32 −40 −23
   
1 0 0 1 0 0
6. If A = 1 0 1, then show that An = An−2 + A2 − I for n ≥ 3. Hence, find A50 . Ans. 25 1 0
0 1 0 25 0 1
 
2 1 1
7. Find the characteristic equation of the matrix A = 0 1 0. Hence find the matrix represented by
1 1 2  
8 5 5
A8 − 5A7 + 7A6 − 3A5 + A4 − 5A3 + 8A2 − 2A + I. Ans. λ3 − 5λ2 + 7λ − 3 = 0, 0 3 0
5 5 8
 
1 0 −4
8. State Cayley-Hamilton theorem. Verify it for the matrix A =  0 5 4 . Hence find A−1 . Ans.
−4 4 3
 
17 16 −20
1 
16 13 4 
81
20 4 −5
 
4 1
9. Find a matrix P that diagonalizes the matrix A = . Verify P −1 AP = D where D is the diagonal
2 3
 
−1 1
matrix. Ans. .
2 1

1
    
3/2 1/2 1 0
10. Diagonalize the matrix A = and hence find the matrix representation of eA . Ans. ,
1/2 3/2 0 2
1 e + e2 −e + e2
 
.
2 −e + e2 e + e2
 
3 1 −1
11. Show that the matrix A = −2 1 2  is diagonalizable. Hence, find P such that P −1 AP is a diagonal
0 1 2
matrix.  
1 1 0
Ans. λ = 1, 2, 3; P = −1 0 1
1 1 1
12. Show that
(i) The eigenvalues of a square matrix and its transpose are the same.
(ii) If A and B be two square invertible matrices, then AB and BA have the same characteristic roots.
13. (a) Let X1 and X2 be eigenvectors of a matrix A corresponding to distinct eigenvalues λ1 and λ2
respectively. Then show that X1 and X2 are linearly independent.
(b) Let λ be an eigenvalue of an invertible matrix A. Then show that λ1 is an eigenvalue of A−1 .
Solution:
(a) Consider
c1 X1 + c2 X2 = 0, (1)
=⇒ c1 AX1 + c2 AX2 = 0
=⇒ c1 λ1 X1 + c2 λ2 X2 = 0. (2)
Solving above equations we get
c1 (λ1 − λ2 )X1 = 0 =⇒ c1 = 0,
and c2 (λ1 − λ2 )X2 = 0 =⇒ c2 = 0.
as λ1 ̸= λ2 and X1 and X2 are non-zero vectors. Thus, whenever c1 X1 + c2 X2 = 0, we must have
c1 = 0 = c2 .
(b) Since λ is an eigenvalue of A, there exists a nonzero vector X such that
AX = λX (3)
−1
=⇒ X = λA X
1
=⇒ A−1 X = X. (4)
λ
As det(A) ̸= 0, therefore λ ̸= 0, therefore 1
λ is an eigenvalue of A−1 .
exists. Hence 1
λ

1 1 3
" # " # " #
14. The eigenvectors of 3 X 3 matrix A corresponding to the eigenvalues 1, -1, 2 are 1 , 0 , 1
0 1 1
respectively. Find matrix A and hence find A5 .
Solution:  
1 1 3
P = 1 0 1 . (5)
0 1 1
 
1 0 0
D = 0 −1 0 . (6)
0 0 2
A = P DP −1 (7)
 
6 −5 −7
A = 1 0 −1 . (8)
3 −3 4
A5 = P D5 P −1 (9)
 
96 −95 −97
A5 = 31 −30 −31 . (10)
33 −33 −34

2
15. (a) Let A be a square matrix such that Ak = 0 for some positive integer k. Then show that all the
eigenvalues of A are zero.
(b) Let A be a square matrix such that A2 = A. Then show that the eigenvalues of A are either 0 or 1.
Solution:
(a) Let λ be an eigenvalue of A, then there exists a nonzero vector X such that

AX = λX
=⇒ Ak X = λk X
=⇒ λk X = 0.

As X ̸= 0, therefore λ = 0.
(b) Let λ be an eigenvalue of A, then there exists a nonzero vector X such that

AX = λX
=⇒ A2 X = λ2 X
=⇒ λ2 X = λX.

As X ̸= 0, therefore λ(λ − 1) = 0. Hence either λ = 0 or λ = 1.