Chapter 5: Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

Multiple Choice Questions

" #
3 0
1. Which of the following is not an eigenvector of the matrix ?
1 9
" # " # " # " #
0 2 0 −6
(A) (B) (C) (D)
1 2 2 1

2. What is the sum of the dimensions of the eigenspaces of the following matrix?
 
2 0 0 0
 
0 2 0 0
 
 
0 0 2 2
 
0 0 2 3

(A) 1 (B) 2 (C) 4 (D) 8

" #
1 1
3. Which matrix is similar to ?
1 1
" # " # " # " #
2 2 0 −3 1 −3 −1 −3
(A) (B) (C) (D)
1 1 −3 1 1 0 1 3
" #
3 1
4. What is the value of the term in row 1, column 1 of the matrix A5 where A = ?
1 4
(A) 636 (B) 0
(C) 243 (D) 905


5. Given u = 7, 3 + i, 4 − 6i , what is Re(u)?


(A) 0, 1, −6


(B) 7, 3 + i, 4 − 6i


(C) 7, 3, 4


(D) 7, 3 − i, 4 + 6i

6. Which of the following expressions is not equivalent to ku · ( v + w )?

(A) k u · ( v + w )
(B) ku · ( v + w )
(C) ku · ( v + w )
(D) k u · ( v + w )
Elementary Linear Algebra 11e –2– Anton/Rorres
" #
−4 2
7. Which of the following is a solution to the system y0 = y?
0 −2
" # " #
−4t
1 −2t
1
(A) y = c1 e + c2 e
1 1
" # " #
t
−4 2
(B) y = c1 e + c2 et
0 −2
" # " #
1 1
(C) y = c1 e−4t + c2 e2t
0 −1
" # " #
1 1
(D) y = c1 e−4t + c2 e−2t
0 1

8. The solution to the system y 00 − 5y 0 + 6y = 0 with initial conditions y(0) = 3, y 0 (0) = 7 is

of the form y = c1 eλ1 t + c2 eλ2 t . What are the values of the constants c1 and c2 ?
(A) c1 = 1, c2 = 2
(B) c1 = 5, c2 = −2
(C) c1 = 35 , c2 = 4
3
(D) c1 = −1, c2 = 4

9. Which of the following is a stochastic matrix?

       
0.1 0.2 0.8 0 −1 1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.6 0.9
       
(A) 
0.1 0.2 0.2 (B) 0
  2 0  (C)

0.1
 0.3 0.7
 (D) 
0.7 0.1 0

0.8 0.6 0.2 1 0 0 0.4 0.2 0.8 0.1 0.3 0.1

10. Let P be a transition matrix and q be its steady state vector. What is the eigenvalue
associated with q?
(A) λ = 0 (B) λ = 1 (C) λ = −1 (D) none of the above

Chapter 5
Elementary Linear Algebra 11e –3– Anton/Rorres

Free Response Questions

 
−9 −6 −22
 
1. Let A = 
 1 2 .
2
4 2 10

(a) Find the characteristic equation of A.

(b) Find the eigenvalues of A.
(c) Find bases for the eigenspaces of A.

2. Given that the characteristic polynomial of a matrix A is p(λ) = (λ + 1)(λ − 2)2 (λ + 3)2 ,
find det (A−1 ).

3. Prove that if λ is an eigenvalue of A, then k

λ
is an eigenvalue of kA−1 for every scalar k.

4. Prove that if v1 , v2 are eigenvectors of a matrix A corresponding to the eigenvalue λ,

then the vector v = av1 + bv2 is an eigenvector of A with corresponding eigenvalue λ for
every scalar a and b.
" #
5 2
5. Find a matrix P that diagonalizes A = and determine P −1 AP .
2 2
" #
4 −5
6. Find An if n is a positive integer and A = .
−3 2

7. Prove that if A and B are similar matrices, then if λ is an eigenvalue of A it is also an

eigenvalue of B.

8. Let A, B, and C be matrices. Prove that if A and B are similar, and B and C are similar,
then A and C are similar.

9. Find the eigenvalues and bases for the eigenspaces of the following matrix.
" #
6 −13
1 0



10. Compute 1, 4 + i, 3 − 2i · 2, −3i, 4 + 2i .

11. Let A be a real matrix. Prove that if v is an eigenvector of A with corresponding

eigenvalue λ, then v is also an eigenvector of A with corresponding eigenvalue λ.

12. Let A be a real matrix with real and complex eigenvalues λ1 , λ2 , ..., λn . Use the fact
that det (A) = λ1 λ2 · · · λn to prove that det (A) is always a real number.

Chapter 5
Elementary Linear Algebra 11e –4– Anton/Rorres

13. Let the solution to some system of equations in y1 and y2 be y1 = 2c1 e3t + c2 et and
y2 = 4c1 e3t + 5c2 et . Given the initial conditions y1 (0) = 1 and y2 (0) = 0, find the values of
c1 and c2 .

14. Find the solution to y0 = Ay" #if the eigenvalues

" # of A are λ1 = 2 and λ2 = 3 with
1 −1
corresponding eigenvectors v1 = and v2 = ?
0 1

15. Prove that if y1 = eλ1 x x1 and y2 = eλ2 x x2 are solutions to the system y0 = Ay, then
c1 y1 + c2 y2 is also a solution for real scalars c1 and c2 .
" #
2 6
16. Let A = , let P diagonalize A, and let D = P −1 AP . Show by finding a coun-
0 1
terexample that the two systems y0 = Ay and u0 = Du do not have the same solutions.

17. Fill in the missing entries of the stochastic matrix.

 
1 1 5
0 10 4 9

3 1 1 2
P =  85 10 2 9

3 1 2


 8 10 8 9 
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

18. In a certain region, there are people who live in the city and people who live in the
country. Records show that every year 90% of people living in the country stay in the
country, and 50% of people living in the city move to the country. Initially, 70% of people
in the region live in the city and the rest live in the country.
(a) Find a transition matrix for this scenario.
(b) What percentage of the region will live in the country in 1 year?
(c) If there are 1,000,000 people living in the region, how many people will be living in
the country and the city in 2 years?

19. Find the value of p in the following probability vector.

 
2p
 
x=  p

3p
" #
0.7 0.1
20. Let P = be a transition matrix. Find the steady state vector of the Markov
0.3 0.9
Chain.

Chapter 5
Elementary Linear Algebra 11e –5– Anton/Rorres

Answers

Multiple Choice Answers

1. (B)

2. (C)

3. (D)

4. (A)

5. (C)

6. (D)

7. (D)

8. (A)

9. (D)

10. (B)

Free Response Answers

1. (a) λ3 − 3λ2 + 2λ = 0

(b) λ = 0, λ = 1, λ = 2,
     
−8 −5 −2
     
(c) 
 1 ,  1 ,  0
    
3 2 1

1
2. − 36
" # " #
−1 2 1 0
5. Possible answer: P = , P −1 AP =
2 1 0 6

" #
1 5(7)n + 3(−1)n −5(7)n + 5(−1)n
6. An =
8 −3(7)n + 3(−1)n 3(7)n + 5(−1)n

Chapter 5
Elementary Linear Algebra 11e –6– Anton/Rorres



9. λ = 3 ± 2i, v1 = 3 + 2i, 1 , v2 = 3 − 2i, 1

10. 21 − 14i

13. c1 = 65 , c2 = − 23
" # " #
1 −1
14. y = c1 e2t + c2 e3t
0 1

" #
c1 e2x
16. Possible Answer: u = is a solution to u0 = Du but u0 6= Au.
x
c2 e

17. 0, 21 , 81 , 0
" #
0.9 0.5
18. (a) Possible answer:
0.1 0.5

(b) 62%

(c) 748,000 in the country, 252,000 in the city

1
19. p = 6

" #
1
4
20. q = 3
4

Chapter 5