Practice Problems

MTH 2201

1. Find the" eigenvalues

# and eigen vectors of " #
10 −9 3
i) A = . Solution: (i) λ = 4, 4; X = t
4 −2 2
 
3 4 −1
 −1 −2
(ii) A =  1 
3 9 0
   
−1 −1
 1  ; λ2 = −3; X = t  1  .
Solution: (i) λ1 = 2, 2; X = t 
  

3 −2
2. Find the eigen values and eigen vectors of A and of the stated power of A.
−1 −2 −2
(i) A =  1 2 1   ; A25


−1 −1 0
     
2 0 1
Solution: λ1 = −1; X = t  −1  ; λ2 = 1; X = t  −1  + s  −1  .
     

1 1 0
25 25 25
The eigen values of A are λ = (−1) = −1 and λ2 = (1) = 1.
 
3 0 0
3. For what value(s) of x if any does the matrix A =  0 x 2  , has atleast
 

0 2 x
one repeated eigenvalue. (solution: x = 1 or x = 5.)
4. Let A be a (2 × 2) matrix such that A2 = I. For any x ∈ IR2 , if x + Ax and
x − Ax are eigenvectors of A find the corresponding eigenvalue.
5. Prove that if A is a square matrix then A and AT have the same characteristic
polynomial.
" #
2 0
6. Let A = . Show that A and AT do not have the same eigen spaces.
2 3
7. If λ is an eigen value of A and X is the corresponding eigenvector, then prove
that λ − s is an eigen value of A − sI for any scalar s and X is the
corresponding eigenvector.
" #
2 0
8. Let A = and B1 , B2 , B3 be the matrices obtained by the elementary
2 3
row operations R2 → R2 − R1 , R2 ↔ R1 and R2 → (−2)R2 respectively on A.
Find the eigen values of A, B1 , B2 and B3 .

1
 9. Do you observe any relation between the eigenvalues of the matrices A, B1
and A + B1 .

10. What is the relation between the eigen values of a matrix A and those of the
matrix A + 3I ?