How can I ensure that Q'*M*Q=I without using MATLAB?

[nellierd]

Homework Statement

det(K-lambdaM)=0

K is stiffness and M is mass matrix

Homework Equations

How do I make sure that Q'*M*Q=I
Where Q is the matrix whose column entries are the eigen vectors.

The Attempt at a Solution

I want to know how to do it without MATLAB help. Is it always true that I will get a diagonal matrix?

 

[LCKurtz]

You can't always diagonalize a matrix. You might want to read about the Jordan Normal form. Here's a start on Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_normal_form