Cayley Hamilton Theorem

Statement: Every square matrix satisfies its own characteristic

equation.

Uses:

1. It is used to find the inverse of the square matrix A if A1 exists.

2. It is used to find the higher positive integral powers of the matrix, if
the lower powers of it are known.

Problems:

Example 1 Verify Cayley Hamilton Theorem for the matrix

 2 0 1
A =  0 2 0  and hence find A-1 and A4.
 1 0 2 
 

 2 0 1
Solution: Let A =  0 2 0 
 1 0 2 
 

The characteristic equation is A  I 0

i.e.,  3  C1 2  C2   C3  0   3  6 2  11  6  0

By Cayley Hamilton Theorem A3  6 A2  11A  6I  0 ----------- (1) .

Verification:

 5 0 4   14 0 13 
   
A  0 4 0  ,
2
A  0 8 0 
3

 4 0 5   13 0 14 
   

Consider A3  6 A2  11A  6 I :

 14 0 13   5 0 4   2 0 1
3 2    
A  6 A  11A  6 I =  0 8 0  -6  0 4 0  +11  0 2 0 
 13 0 14   4 0 5   1 0 2 
     
1 0 0
-6  0 1 0 
0 0 1
 
  14  30  22  6 0 13  24  11  0 

= 
0 8  24  22  6 0 
 13  24  22  0    
 0 14 30 22 6 
0 0 0
=  0 0 0 
0 0 0
 

To find 𝐴4 :

Multiplying eqn (1) by A, A4  6 A3  11A2  6 A  0

 14 0 13   5 0 4   2 0 1  41 0 40 

       
A  6 A  11A  6 A  6  0 8 0   11 0 4 0   6  0 2 0    0 16 0 
4 3 2

 13 0 14   4 0 5   1 0 2   40 0 41 
       

1
To find A :

Multiplying equation (1) by A1 ,

A2  6 A  11I  6 A1  0  6 A1  A2  6 A  11I
1 2
 A1  ( A  6 A  11I )
6

 5 0 4   2 0 1  1 0 0   4 0 2
1       1  
  0 4 0   6  0 2 0   11 0 1 0     0 3 0 
6  6
 4 0 5   1 0 2 
 
 0 0 1 
 
 2 0 4
 

 1 2
Example 2: Find An if A    using Cayley Hamilton Theorem
 4 3

Solution: The characteristic equation is A  I 0

i.e., 2  C1  C2  0  2  4  5  0

The eigenvalues are-1, 5

By Cayley Hamilton Theorem , A2  4 A  5I  0 ----------- (1) .

To find An

When  n is divided by 2  4  5 , let the quotientbe𝑄()and

the remainder be𝑎 + 𝑏.

Then  n = (2  4  5)Q( )  (a  b) ----------- (2)

In the above equation,put    1 , we get (1) n  a  b --------- (3)

Put   5 , we get (5) n  5a  b ----------(4)

(3) - (4)  6a= 5 n  (1) n

5 n  (1) n
a=
6

5 n  (1) n
(3)b=(−1)𝑛 +a = (−1)𝑛+
6

5 n  5(1) n
b=
6

By Cayley Hamilton Theorem, eqn (2) can be written as

An = ( A2  4 A  5I )Q( A)  (aA  bI )

 5 n  (1) n  1 2   5 n  5(1) n   1 0
= 0 +        
 6  4 3   6  0 1

 5n  (1) n  1 2   5n  5(1) n   1 0 
=        
 6   4 3   6   0 1 

1 0 0
 
Example: 3 If A   1 0 1  , show that A n = A n2  A 2  I for n  3 using
 0 1 0
 
Cayley Hamilton Theorem.

Proof: The characteristic equation is A  I 0

i.e.,  3  C1 2  C2   C3  0  3  2    I  0

By Cayley Hamilton Theorem , A3  A 2  A  I  0 ----------- (1) .

i.e., A3  A2  A  I
n 3
multiplying (1) by A , we get A3 A n3  A2 . An3  AAn3  IA n3

i.e., An  An1  An2  An3

n4
multiplying (1) by A , we get A3 A n4  A2 . An4  AAn4  IA n4

i.e., An1  An2  An3  An4

Similarly, multiplying (1) by An5 ,we get An2  An3  An4  An5

and so on

………………………
………………………

A4  A3  A2  A

A3  A2  A  I

Adding all these equations, we get

An  An2  A2  I

(or) An  An2  A2  I

Example: Using Cayley Hamilton Theorem, evaluate

 2 1 1
 
A  5 A  7 A  3 A  A  5 A  8 A  2 A  I where A   0 1 0 
8 7 6 5 4 3 2

 1 1 2
 

Solution:The characteristic equation is

i.e.,  3  C1 2  C2   C3  0  3  52  7  3  0

By Cayley Hamilton Theorem , A3  5 A 2  7 A  3I  0 ----------- (1) .

Evaluation

A5  A

A3  5 A2  7 A  3I | A8  5 A7  7 A6  3 A5  A4  5 A3  8 A2  2 A  I

|
A8 5A7  7 A6 3A5


A 4  5 A3  8 A 2  2 A

A 4  5 A3  7 A 2  3 A

A2  A  I

A 8
 5 A 7  7 A 6  3 A5  A 4  5 A3  8 A 2  2 A  I

= ( A  5 A  7 A  3I ) ( A  A) + ( A  A  I )
3 2 5 2

= 0 + (A  A  I)
2

= (A  A  I)
2

8 5 5
 
=  0 3 0
5 5 8
 
Exercise:

1. Use Cayley Hamilton theorem to find A4  4 A3  5 A2  A  2 I where

1 2
A .
 4 3

 3 1
2. Given A    express A  3 A  2 A  16 I as a linear polynomial in A
3 2

 1 4 
and hence evaluate it.

1 2 1
3. If A    find A & A using Cayley Hamilton theorem.
3

3 4

 2 1   37 54 
Ans: A1   & A  
3

 3 / 2 1/ 2   81 118 

4. Verify Cayley Hamilton theorem for the matrix and find A1

 2 1 1  1 3 7
(i) A   1 2 1 (ii)  
A  4 2 3
 
 1 1 2  1 1 
   2

3 1 1  4 11 5 
Ans A1  1  1  A1  1  1 6 25 
3 1
4
 35  

 1 1 3   6 1 10 

5. Find A1& A4 using Cayley Hamilton theorem

1 0 0
 
A  1 0 1
0 0 
 1

 1 0 0 1 0 0
   
Ans A1   0 0 1  & A4   2 1 0 
 1 1 0  2 0 1
   