Go to CCP Homepage Go to Materials Page Go to Linear Algebra Materials Go to Table of Contents
Go Back One Page Go Forward One Page

Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

Part 4: Multiplicities

  1. Enter the matrix X defined in the worksheet. Compute its eigenvalues, and record their multiplicities.


  2. Let x denote the eigenvalue of greatest multiplicity. What must be the dimension of the eigenspace corresponding to x for X to be diagonalizable?


  3. Find a basis for the eigenspace corresponding to x. Is X diagonalizable or not?


  4. If you have a built-in command to construct a matrix whose columns are supposed to be eigenvectors for the matrix X, use this command to construct a matrix R. If R has columns that are eigenvectors, then R-1XR should be a diagonal matrix. Test this. What do you deduce about the command you used to construct R?

    If you don't have such a built-in command, construct a matrix whose columns are eigenvectors of X and compute R-1XR. Explain your result. Why did you get the result you did?



Go to CCP Homepage Go to Materials Page Go to Linear Algebra Materials Go to Table of Contents
Go Back One Page Go Forward One Page


modules at math.duke.edu