How to Find Jordan Canonical Forms

Here is a method to nd a Jordan canonical form of matrices and some examples showing the method at
work:

Method Outline

(i) For a transformation T : V → V , use a basis β to get a matrix A = [T ]β for the transformation. If
you are just given a matrix, use that matrix.
Qm(ii) Compute pA (x) = det(xI − A), the characteristic polynomial of the transformation and factor is as
k=1 (x − λ k ) αk
where λk 6= λj for k 6= j and αk ≥ 1 for all k. If the characteristic polynomial does not
split, we will not be able to put the transformation into Jordan canonical form.
(iii) For each λk , compute the dimensions of N ((A−λk I)r ) for r = 1, 2, . . . until dim N ((A−λk I)r ) = αk ,
say dim N ((A − λI)rk ) = αk . Letting di = dim N ((A − λk I)i ), this will give us a sequence 0 = d0 < d1 <
d2 < · · · < d`k = αk .
(iv) The sequence d0 , . . . , d`k determines how many Jordan blocks corresponding to λk we have and their
respective sizes. Here is one way to interpret the sequence: d1 − d0 = d1 tells us how many blocks of size
at least one there are. Then, d2 − d1 tells how many of those blocks are actually of size at least two. Then,
d3 − d2 tells us how many of those blocks are actually of size at least three. Repeating this, we can see
exactly how many blocks of each size we have.

Let's look at some examples.

 
2 2 3
Example 1. Let T be a transformation with matrix A =  1 3 3 .
−1 −2 −2
(i) This is already in matrix form.
 
x−2 −2 −3
(ii) We see det(xI − A) = det  −1 x − 3 −3  = (x − 2)((x − 3)(x + 2) + 6) + 2(−(x + 2) + 3) −
1 2 x+2
3(−2 − (x − 3)) = (x − 2)(x2 − x) + 2(−x + 1) − 3(−x + 1) which is x3 − 2x2 − x2 + 2x − 2x + 2 + 3x − 3 =
x3 − 3x2 + 3x − 1 = (x − 1)3 .
 
1 2 3
(iii) For λ = 1, we have A − I =  1 2 3  which has rank 1. Thus, d1 = dim N ((A − I)) = 2.
−1 −2 −3
Now, (A − I)2 = 0, so d2 = 3 (note that the di sequence strictly increases until it reaches αk , so because
α = 3 for λ = 1 and dim N ((A − I)) = 2, we could actually immediately conclude dim N ((A − I)2 ) = 3
without any computation).

(iv) The d1 = 2 tells us the Jordan canonical form of our matrix has 2 blocks with eigenvalue 1. The
d2 − d1 = 1 condition tells us one
 of these
 blocks has size at least 2, and so the other has size 1. Thus, a
1 0 0
Jordan canonical form for A is 0 1 1.
0 0 1
 
1 0 0 0 0
 1 −1 0 0 −1
Example 2. Let T be a transformation with matrix A =  1
.
 
 −1 0 0 −1
0 0 0 0 −1
−1 1 0 0 1
(i) This is already in matrix form.

1
  
x−1 0 0 0 0  
 −1 x+1 0 0 1
x+1 0 0 1  
 1 x 0 1 
(ii) det(xI − A) = det 

 −1  = (x − 1) det  0
1 x 0 1    = (x − 1)(x +
 0 0 x 1 
0 0 x 1 
−1 0 0 x−1
1 −1 0 0 x−1
1)x2 (x − 1) − (x − 1)(−x2 ) = (x2 − 1)x2 (x − 1) + x2 (x − 1) This is x4 (x − 1).
 
1 0 0 0 0
 1 −1 0 0 −1
(iii) For λ = 1, we already have d1 = 1. For λ = 0, we see A − 0 = A
 
=  1 −1 0 0 −1
0 0 0 0 −1
−1 1 0 0 1
 
1 0 0 0 0
1 0 0 0 0
which has rank 3 and hence d1 = dim N (A) = 2. Now, A2 =   which has rank
2, so
 
 1 0 0 0 0
 1 −1 0 0 −1
−1 0 0 0 0
 
1 0 0 0 0
 1 0 0 0 0
 1 0 0 0 0 and so d3 = dim N (A ) = 4 (note this computation
d2 = dim N (A2 ) = 3. We see A3 = 
  3

 1 0 0 0 0
−1 0 0 0 0
was unnecessary as we must have d3 > d2 as d2 6= 4).

(iv) From the above, we have 1 Jordan block with eigenvalue 1 and 2 Jordan blocks with eigenvalue 0. The
sequence 2, 3, 4 tells us there are 2 blocks, with 3−2 = 1 having size at least 2 and 4−3 = 1 having
 size at least

1 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0
3. That is, there is 1 block of size 1 and 1 of size 3. Hence, a Jordan canonical form for A is 
 
0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0
 
1 0 0 0 0 0
0
 0 0 0 −1 1 
−1 −1 1 1 −1 1
Example 3. Let T be a transformation with matrix A =  
0 0 0 1 0 0
 
0 1 0 0 2 0
0 0 0 0 0 1
(i) This is already in matrix form.
 
x−1 0 0 0 0 0  
 0
 x 0 0 1 −1   x 0 0 1
 1 1 x−1 −1 1 −1   = (x−1)2 det  1 x − 1 −1 1 
(ii)det(xI−A) = det 

=
 0
 0 0 x−1 0 0    0 0 x−1 0 
 0 −1 0 0 x−2 0  −1 0 0 x−2
0 0 0 0 0 x−1
 
x 0 1
(x − 1)3 det  1 x − 1 1  This is (x − 1)3 (x(x − 1)(x − 2)) + (x − 1)3 (x − 1) = (x − 1)3 (x3 − 3x2 +
−1 0 x−2
2x + x − 1) = (x − 1)3 (x3 − 3x2 + 3x − 1) = (x − 1)6 .

2
  
0 0 0 0 0 0
 0 −1 0 0 −1 1
 
−1 −1 0 1 −1 1
(iii) For λ = 1, we have A − I = 0
 which has rank 3. Thus, d1 = dim N ((A −
 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 0 0 0
 
0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0
 0 0 0 −1
0 0 0 0 0 −1
I)) = 3. Now, (A − I)2 = 
0 0
, which has rank 1. Thus, d2 = dim N ((A − I)2 ) = 5. As
 0 0 0 0 
0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 0
above, from here we can conclude d3 = 6.

(iv) As d1 = 3, we have 3 Jordan blocks corresponding to λ = 1. As d2 − d1 = 5 − 3 = 2, 2 of these blocks

have size at least 2. As d3 − d2 = 6 − 5 = 1, 1 of these blocks has size at least 3. Thus,
 we have 1 block of

1 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 1 0 0 0
 
0 0 1 0 0 0
size 1, 1 block of size 2, and 1 block of size 3. Hence, a Jordan canonical form for A is 
0

 0 0 1 1 0
0 0 0 0 1 1
0 0 0 0 0 1