PROBLEM SET 7
LINEAR ALGEBRA (MTH201) (2025 - 2026 (I))
(1) For each of the following matrices A ∈ Mn×n (F ):
(i) Determine all the eigenvalues of A.
(ii) For each eigenvalue λ of A, find the set of eigenvectors corresponding to λ.
(iii) If possible, find a basis for F n consisting of eigenvectors of A.
(iv) If A is diagonalizable, determine an invertible matrix Q and a diagonal matrix D such
that
Q−1 AQ = D.
The matrices are:
1 2
(a) A = over F = R.
3 2
0 −2 −3
(b) A = −1 1 −1 over F = R.
2 2 5
i 1
(c) A = over F = C.
2 −i
2 0 −1
(d) A = 4 1 −4 over F = R.
2 0 −1
(2) For each linear operator T on V , find the eigenvalues of T and an ordered basis B for V such
that [T ]B is a diagonal matrix.
(a) V = R2 , T (a, b) = (−2a + 3b, −10a + 9b).
(b) V = R3 , T (a, b, c) = (7a − 4b + 10c, 4a − 3b + 8c, −2a + b − 2c).
(c) V = R3 , T (a, b, c) = (−4a + 3b − 6c, 6a − 7b + 12c, 6a − 6b + 11c).
(d) V = P1 (R), T (ax + b) = (−6a + 2b)x + (−6a + b).
(e) V = P2 (R), T (f (x)) = xf ′ (x) + f (2)x + f (3).
(f) V = P3 (R), T (f (x)) = f (x) + f (2)x.
(g) V = P3 (R), T (f (x)) = xf ′ (x) + f ′′ (x) − f (2).
(h) V = M2×2 (R), T (A) = At + 2 Tr(A) · I2 .
(3) (a) Prove that a linear operator T on a finite-dimensional vector space is invertible if and
only if zero is not an eigenvalue of T .
(b) Let T be an invertible linear operator. Prove that a scalar λ is an eigenvalue of T if and
only if λ−1 is an eigenvalue of T −1 .
(4) A scalar matrix is a square matrix of the form λI for some scalar λ.
(a) Prove that if a square matrix A is similar to a scalar matrix λI, then A = λI.
(b) Show that a diagonalizable matrix having only one eigenvalue is a scalar matrix.
1 1
(c) Prove that the matrix A = is not diagonalizable.
0 1
(5) For any square matrix A, prove that A and At have the same characteristic polynomial and
hence the same eigenvalues.
(6) Let T be a linear operator on a vector space V , and let v be an eigenvector of T corresponding to
the eigenvalue λ. For any positive integer m, prove that v is an eigenvector of T m corresponding
to the eigenvalue λm .
1
2
(7) Let T be the linear operator on Mn×n (R) defined by T (A) = At .
(a) Show that ±1 are the only eigenvalues of T .
(b) Describe the eigenvectors corresponding to each eigenvalue of T .
(c) Find an ordered basis B for M2×2 (R) such that [T ]B is a diagonal matrix.
(d) Find an ordered basis B for Mn×n (R) such that [T ]B is a diagonal matrix for n > 2.
(8) Determine the number of distinct characteristic polynomials of matrices in M2×2 (Z2 ).
(9) Suppose that A ∈ Mn×n (F ) has two distinct eigenvalues, λ1 and λ2 , and that dim(Vλ1 ) = n−1.
Prove that A is diagonalizable.
(10) Let T be a linear operator on a finite-dimensional vector space V , and suppose there exists an
ordered basis B for V such that [T ]B is an upper triangular matrix. Prove that the characteristic
polynomial of T splits.
(11) Let T be an invertible linear operator on a finite-dimensional vector space V .
(a) Prove that the eigenspace of T corresponding to λ is the same as the eigenspace of T −1
corresponding to λ−1 .
(b) Prove that if T is diagonalizable, then T −1 is diagonalizable.
(12) Let T be a linear operator on a vector space V , let v be a nonzero vector in V , and let W be the
T -cyclic subspace of V generated by v. Prove that any T -invariant subspace of V containing
v also contains W .
(13) Let A denote the k × k matrix
0 0 0 ··· 0 −a0
1
0 0 ··· 0 −a1
0 1 0 ··· 0 −a2
A = 0 ,
0 1 ··· 0 −a3
.. .. .. .. .. ..
. . . . . .
0 0 0 ··· 1 −ak−1
where a0 , a1 , . . . , ak−1 are arbitrary scalars. Prove that the characteristic polynomial of A is
(−1)k a0 + a1 t + a2 t2 + · · · + ak−1 tk−1 + tk .
(14) Let T be a linear operator on a two-dimensional vector space V . Prove that either V is a
T -cyclic subspace of itself or T = cI for some scalar c.
(15) Let T be a linear operator on an n-dimensional vector space V such that T has n distinct
eigenvalues. Prove that V is a T -cyclic subspace of itself.
