True, false questions about matrices

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SUMMARY

This discussion addresses true or false questions regarding matrices, specifically focusing on properties of Hermitian and diagonalizable matrices. The first question concludes that if \(\mathbf{A}=\mathbf{B}-\mathrm{i}\mathbf{C}\) is a Hermitian matrix, then \(\mathbf{B}\) is symmetric and \(\mathbf{C}\) is anti-symmetric, making the statement false. The second question confirms that if a matrix \(A\) is diagonalizable with eigenvalues \(\{\lambda_1,\lambda_2,\cdots,\lambda_n\}\), the polynomial \(\prod_{k=1}^{n}(x-\lambda_k)=0\) indeed has \(n\) different solutions, affirming the statement as true.

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lukaszh
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Hello,
could you help me with some true false questions about matrices?

First
If [tex]\mathbf{A}=\mathbf{B}-\mathrm{i}\mathbf{C}[/tex] is hermitian matrix [tex]\mathbf{B},\mathbf{C}[/tex] are real, then [tex]\mathbf{B},\mathbf{C}[/tex] are anti-symmetric matrices. True? False?

My solution
If [tex]\mathbf{A}[/tex] is hermitian, then [tex]\mathbf{A}^{\mathrm{H}}=\mathbf{A}[/tex] so [tex](\mathbf{B}-\mathrm{i}\mathbf{C})^{\mathrm{H}}=\mathbf{B}^{\mathrm{H}}-(\mathrm{i}\mathbf{C})^{\mathrm{H}}=\mathbf{B}^{\mathrm{T}}+i\mathbf{C}^{\mathrm{T}}[/tex]. It implies the fact [tex]\mathbf{B}^{\mathrm{T}}+i\mathbf{C}^{\mathrm{T}}=\mathbf{B}-\mathrm{i}\mathbf{C}[/tex]. [tex]\mathbf{B}[/tex] is symmetric and [tex]\mathbf{C}[/tex] is anti-symmetric. FALSE

Second
If A is diagonalizable and its eigenvalues are [tex]\{\lambda_1,\lambda_2,\cdots,\lambda_n\}[/tex], then [tex]\prod_{k=1}^{n}(x-\lambda_k)=0[/tex] has n different solutions

My solution
Matrix is diagonalizable, then [tex]\lambda_i\ne\lambda_j[/tex] for [tex]i\ne j[/tex]. So polynomial has n different soln's. TRUE


Thank you very much for your help...
 
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You have a much bigger problem that whether this statement is true of false! What makes you think that if a matrix is diagonalizable, then [itex]\lambda_i\ne\lambda_j[/itex]?

The identity matrix is diagonalizable because it is diagonal. What are its eigenvalues?

(An n by n matrix is diagonalizable if and only if it has n independent eigenvectors. It doesn't matter what the eigenvalues are.)
 

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