LINEAR ALGEBRA

IMPA - 2016

INSTRUCTOR: EMANUEL CARNEIRO

Problem Set 5
Problem 41. After class today (Friday Feb 05), I was thinking on the bus back
home about a question raised in class: what would be the best way to identify the
sizes of the blocks on the Jordan form? I recommend you read Section 7.4 of the
book, that explains what is called the Smith normal form of a matrix and allows
you to find the invariant factors p1 , p2 , . . . , pr of the rational form of a matrix (and
hence it can be used in the particular case of a nilpotent matrix, which is what is
needed for the Jordan form).
Another way is the following:
(i) Suppose that a nilpotent d d matrix N is in its Jordan form (which is the
same as the rational form!), in which we have n blocks of sizes k1 k2
. . . kn . For 1 j d, let sj be the number of blocks of size exactly j.
Show that
(s1 + 2s2 + 3s3 + . . . + jsj ) + (jsj+1 + . . . + jsd ) = dim Ker(N j ).

(ii) Conclude that if we know all the numbers on the right-hand sides then we
have a system of d variables and d equations with non-zero determinant,
hence the numbers sj are uniquely determined. What are they (in terms
of the right-hand sides)?
(iii) In the general case of an operator T : V V show that this reasoning can
be applied taking dim Ker((T ci I)j ) on the right-hand sides. Hence, if
you know dim Ker((T ci I)j ) for all 1 j n (where dim V = n), and all
eigenvalues ci , then you know exactly the Jordan blocks.
Problem 42.
(i) Which of the following matrices are similar (as matrices over C):

1 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
(a) 0 1 0 (b) 0 1 0 (c) 1 1 0
0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1
(d) 1 1 0 (e) 0 1 0 (f ) 0 1 0
0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0
Date: 6 de fevereiro de 2016.
2000 Mathematics Subject Classification. XX-XXX.
Key words and phrases. XXX-XXX.
1
2 EMANUEL CARNEIRO

(ii) Let A be the complex matrix

2 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 0 0 0 0

1 0 2 0 0 0
A= 0 1 0 2 0 0



1 1 1 1 2 0
0 0 0 0 1 1
Find the Jordan form of A.
(iii) Let A be a 7 7 matrix such that (A I)3 = 0 and (A I)2 has rank 2.
Find the Jordan form of A.
(iv) How many conjugacy classes of complex matrices 5 5 have eigenvalues
contained in the set {1, 1}? List a representative for each of them.

Problem 43.
(i) If N is a nilpotent 3 3 matrix over C, prove that A = I + 21 N 18 N 2
satisfies A2 = I + N , i.e. A is a square root of I + N .
(ii) Use the binomial theorem for (1 + t)1/2 to obtain a similar formula for a
square root of I + N , where N is any nilpotent matrix.
(iii) If c C is non-zero and N is a nilpotent matrix, show that cI + N has a
square root.
(iv) Show that every non-singular complex n n matrix has a square root.
(v) Let N be an n n (with n 2) complex matrix such that N n = 0 but
N n1 6= 0. Show that N does not have a square root.

Problem 44. Let A and B be two real n n matrices. Suppose that there is a
complex invertible n n matrix U such that A = U BU 1 . Show that there is a
real invertible n n matrix V such that A = V BV 1 (in other words, if two real
matrices are similar over C, then they are similar over R).

Problem 45. Let A be a linear transformation on an n-dimensional vector space

over C such that det(xI A) = (x 1)n . Prove that A is similar to A1 .

Problem 46. Prove or disprove: if A is a square complex matrix then A is similar

to its transpose At .

Problem 47. Let A be an n n complex matrix with trace(A) = 0. Show that A

is similar to a matrix with all 0s in the main diagonal.

Problem 48. Let A be a real 4 2 matrix and B be a real 2 4 matrix such that

1 0 1 0
0 1 0 1
AB = 1 0
.
1 0
0 1 0 1
Find BA.

Problem 49. Does there exist a real 3 3 matrix A such that tr(A) = 0 and
A2 + At = I? Justify your answer.
Note: Here At denotes the transpose of A, and I denotes the identity matrix.
 PROBLEM SET 5 3

Problem 50.
(i) For any integer n 2 and two n n matrices with real entries A and B
that satisfy the equation
A1 + B 1 = (A + B)1
prove that det(A) = det(B).
(ii) Does the same conclusion follow for matrices with complex entries?
IMPA - Estrada Dona Castorina, 110, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil 22460-320
E-mail address: carneiro@impa.br