Eigenpictures: Picturing the Eigenvector Problem

Author(s): Steven Schonefeld

Source: The College Mathematics Journal, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Sep., 1995), pp. 316-319
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. on behalf of the Mathematical Association of America
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/2687037
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 COMPUTER
CORNER

EDITOR

Richard F. Johnsonbaugh
School of Computer Science,
Telecommunication Systems,
and Information Systems
DePaul University
Chicago, IL 60604-2287
johnsonbaugh@cs.depaul. edu

In this cotumn, readers are encouraged to share their expertise and experiences with computers as they
relate to college-level mathematics. Articles that illustrate how computers can be used to enhance
pedagogy, solve problems, and model real-life situations are especially welcome.

Classroom Computer Capsules feature new examples of using the computer to enhance teaching.
These short articles demonstrate the use of readily available computing resources to present or
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Send submissions for both columns to Richard Johnsonbaugh.

Classroom Computer Capsules

Eigenpictures: Picturing the Eigenvector Problem

Steven Schonefeld, Tri-State University, Angola, IN 46703

One picture is worth many words. Yet if you look through books that treat
eigenvalue and eigenvector problems, few pictures appear. Perhaps the pictures
described here can help remedy this lack of visual images?at least for real 2 by 2
matrices. My inspiration came from Professor Gilbert Strang's talk at the meeting
of the Indiana section of the MAA at DePauw University on March 19, 1994, in
which Strang suggested a moving picture of a 2 by 2 matrix A. His moving picture
would simultaneously display both u and A ? u as the unit vector u moves around
the unit circle. The "stroboscopic" pictures described here I call eigenpictures for
want of a better name. An eigenpictures capture the essence of Strang's movie in a
single image.
The reader may recall that a nonzero vector v is an eigenvector for matrix A if
the product A-\ is a scalar multiple, A, or v. The corresponding scalar, A, is an
eigenvalue of A In geometric terms, A-\ and v are parallel when v is an
eigenvector of A.
Can we find a way to search visually for real eigenvectors of a real 2 by 2 matrix
A! Since any nonzero scalar multiple of an eigenvector is also an eigenvector, we
need only search through the unit vectors in our guest for real eigenvectors. We
will picture a typical unit vector u as a directed line segment having initial point at
the origin, and we will attach the product A ? u to the terminal point of u, as in
Figure 1. The vector u shown in Figure 1 is not an eigenvector since the vectors u
and A ? u do not align.

3-J 5 THE COLLEGE MATHEMATICS JOURNAL

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 Figure 1

Technology to the rescue. Since we cannot look examine the real unit vectors,
we try a large, representative sample of them: vectors of the form

u = [cos 0,sin0], for 0 = 0.0,0.1,0.2,. ..,6.2.

The following eigenpictures were generated using the computer algebra system
Derive. However, with a little work, any computer algebra system should produce
similar eigenpictures. The Derive procedures are given at the end of this article.

A typical eigenpicture. For the matrix

1 13 9
A = -
3 7

we get the eigenpicture in Figure 2. The line segments rep

were plotted with large dots at their endpoints. It is e
(approximate) eigenvectors and to approximate the correspon
the unit eigenvector u in the first quadrant, the line segment A
twice as long as u, so Xx = 2 is the eigenvalue corresponding
For the eigenvector in the fourth quadrant, the correspondi

Eigenvectors

Figure 2
Eigenvalues A,i = 2, X2 = 1/2.

You can see the symmetry in the eigenpictures with respect to the origin. This
symmetry illustrates that if u is an eigenvector for matrix A, then -u is also, with
the same eigenvalue.

VOL 26, NO. 4, SEPTEMBER 1995 317

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 Complex eigenvalues. The matrix

cos -sin

77
sinl ? cosi-

has complex eigenvalues:

l + ?

TT IT
Figure 3 shows the eigenpicture for this matrix. Multiplying a (real) vector
has the effect of rotating the vector through an angle of tt/4 radians?ther
no real eigenvectors. If matrix A has only complex eigenvalues, none of the v
A ? u will be parallel to the vector u.

Figure 3
Complex eigenvalues.

One zero eigenvalue. The matrix

2 -2
A =
-1 1

has eigenvalues A1 =0, A2 = 3. Figure 4 is an eigenpicture for this matrix. As the

vector u gets close to an eigenvector with zero eigenvalue, the vector A ? u gets
close to the zero vector. In this example, all the nonzero vectors A ? u are parallel
?they are eigenvectors corresponding to the eigenvalue A2 = 3.

A double eigenvalue. The matrix

^ -3
A
2 + ^

has a double eigenvalue: Xx = 1, A2 = 1. In Figure 5 we see an eigenpicture for this

matrix. Whereas we expect a 2 by 2 matrix to have two pairs of unit eigenvectors,
this matrix has only one pair. Question: In the eigenpictures, it appears that the

318 THE COLLEGE MATHEMATICS JOURNAL

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 Figure 4
A zero eigenvalue.

Figure 5
k\ = X2 = 1.

locus of points at the end of vectors u +A ? u is an ellipse. Is this locus an ellipse

for any matrix Al

Derive procedures

1: a:=[[13/8f 9/8], [3/8, 7/8]]

2: TEMP(u) := [[0f 0], u, u + a.u]

3: VECTOR(TEMP([COS(t), SIN(t)]), t, 0, 6.2, 0.1)

Here is a brief explanation of the Derive procedures. Line 1 defin

used for the eigenpicture in Figure 2. Line 2 defines a temporary fun
u (which also depends on matrix a), resulting in a triple of point
terminal point of u, and the terminal point of u + a ? u. We appr
to get a vector of triples of points. A connected plot of this vecto
the eigenpicture in Figure 2. In order to generate the eigenpictur
matrix, you need only: redefine matrix a, appro [X] imate line
result.

VOL 26, NO. 4, SEPTEMBER 1995 319

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