41 CHAPTER 5.

Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors

z2 Az1
z3 Az2

From this we see that we can choose z1 arbitrarily and then solve for
the other coordinates:

22 Azi

z4 Azs =°z1

Thus each A E F is an eigenvalue of T and the set of corresponding

eigen-vectors is
(w, Au, A*u,X'u...): w€F}.
9. Suppose TE C(V) and dim range T = k. Prove that T has at most k +1
distinct eigenvalues.

SoLUTION:
Let A1,...,Am be the distinct eigenvalues of T, and let
V1 Um be corresponding nonzero eigenvectors. If Aj #0, then

T(v/)= Uj.
Because at most one of A1,..An equals 0, this iraplies that at least m-1 of
the vectors v],. , vm are in rangeT. These vectors are linearly
independent (by 5.6), which implies that

m-1 dim rangeT = k.

Thus m k+1, as desired.
10. Suppose T e C(V) is invertible and Ae F\{0}. Prove that A is an eigenvalue
of T if and only if
is an eigenvalue of T
SOLUTION: First suppose that A is an eigenvalue of T. Thus there exists
a nonzero vector v €V such that

Tu = Av.
 42 CHAPTER 5. Eigenvalues and
Eigenvectors

Applying T to both sides of the equation above, we get v = ATlv,

is equivalent to the equation T-ly = fu. Thusis an eigenvalue of T.
which

by To prove the implication in the other direction, replace T by T*l and

and then
A apply the result from the paragraph above.
11. Suppose S,TE C(V). Prove that ST and TS have the same eigenvalues.
SoLUTION:
Suppose that A E F is an eigenvalue of ST. We want to
prove that A is
an eigenvalue of TS. Because A is an eigenvalue of ST,
there exists a nonzero vector v E V such that
(STw = Av.
Now

(TS)(T») = T(STv)
T(Au)
= ATv.
If Tu #0, then the equation above shows that A is an eigenvalue of TS, as
desired.
If Tv = 0, then A = 0 (because S(Tv) = Au) and furthermore T is
not invertible, which implies that TS is not invertible (by Exercise 22 in
Chapter 3), which implies that A (which equals 0) is an eigenvalue of TS.
Regardless of whether or not Tu = 0, we have shown that A is an eigen-
value of TS. Because A was an arbitrary eigenvalue of ST, we have shown
that every eigenvalue of ST is an eigenvalue of TS.
Reversing the roles of S and T, we conclude that every eigenvalue of TS is
also an eigenvalue of ST. Thus ST and TS have the same eigenvalues.

12. Suppose 1TE C(V) is such that every vector in V is an eigenvector of T.

Prove that T is a scalar multiple of the identity operato.
SOLUTION: For each v € V, there exists a, € F such that

Tv = G.
Because T0 = 0, we can choose ag to be any number in F, but for vEV\
{0} the value of o, is uniquely determined by the equation above.
To show that T is a scalar multiple of the identity, we must show that
a is independent of v for v E V\ {0}. To do this, suppose v, w € V\ {0}.
We want to show that a, = au. First consider the case where (v, w) is
linearly dependent. Then there exists b E F such that w = bu. We have