MATH 1211-Tutorial III

Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

1. Consider the matrix A given by

 
5 2 −4
A =  7 −8 −7 .
−4 12 5

(i) Find the eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors of A.

(ii) Let B = A + kI. Show that if e is an eigenvector of A with cor-
responding eigenvalue λ, then e is also an eigenvector of B and
state the corresponding eigenvalue of B.
Hence, find the eigenvalues of B in terms of k and correspond-
ing eigenvectors of B.
(iii) Let C = A + 2I. Find the matrix Q and the diagonal matrix D
such that C 3 = QDQ−1 .

2. Consider the matrix A given by

 
2 1 2
A = 1 2 2 .
2 2 1

(i) Find the eigenvalues of A.

(ii) Determine the matrix P with columns of unit length and the di-
agonal matrix D such that A = P DP −1 .
(iii) Verify that P T P = I.
(iv) Show that A−1 = P D−1 P T and hence calculate A−1 .
(v) Use the Cayley-Hamilton Theorem to show that

2 1 −1
A−1


=I+ A −A .
5

2
Hence find A−1 .

1
3. Past Exams 2007:
(a) Consider the matrix given by:
 
2 3 5
A = 0 0 3  ,
0 3 0
and let I be the identity matrix of the same order as A.
(i) Find the eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors of A.
(ii) Write down the eigenvalues of the following matrix: A7 .
(iii) Find an invertible real matrix X for which X −1 AX is diag-
onal.
(iv) Use the Cayley-Hamilton theorem to find A−1 .
(b) Let u be the eigenvector of a square matrix M , associated with
the eigenvalue λ (λ 6= 0) of M . Show that u is the eigenvector of
M −1 , associated with the eigenvalue 1/λ.

Answers:
1. (i) The eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors are
     
54 3 1
λ1 = 2, eλ1 = 7 , λ2 = −1, eλ2 = −1 , λ3 = 1, eλ3 = 0 .
    
44 4 1
(ii) The eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors of B are
     
54 3 1
λB
1 = 2+k, eB
λ1 =  7  , λ B
2 = −1+k, eλ2 = −1  , λ 3 = 1+k, eB
λ3 =  0 .
44 4 1
(iii)    
54 3 1 64 0 0
Q =  7 −1 0 , D =  0 1 0 .
44 4 1 0 0 27
2. (i) Eigenvalues of A are λ1 = 1, λ2 = −1 and λ3 = 5.
(ii) The eigenvectors are
     
1 1 1
λ1 = 1, e1 = −1 , λ2 = −1, e3 =
   1 , λ3 = 5, e2 = 1 .
 
0 −2 1
Thus
√1 √1 √1
   
2 6 3 1 0 0
− √1 √1 √1 
P =  2 6 3
, D = 0 −1 0 .
0 − √26 √1
3
0 0 5

2
 (iii)
2
− 35 2
 
5 5
 3 2 2
A−1 = − 5 .

5 5
2 2
5 5 − 35

(iv)
17 8 8
− 25 − 25
 
25
− 8 17 8 
A−2 =  25 25 − 25 .
8 8 17
− 25 − 25 25

3.(a) (i) The eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors are

     
1 8 −2
λ1 = 2, eλ1 = 0 , λ2 = 3, eλ2 = 1 , λ3 = −3, eλ3 = −5 .
0 1 5

(ii) The eigenvalues of A7 are 128, 2187, −2187.

(iii)  
1 8 −2
X = 0 1 −5 .
0 1 5
(iv)  
9 −15 −9
1 
A−1 = 0 0 6 .
18
0 6 0