Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2003/ib/paper-2/15e/d/solution

Choose a fixed reference basis and let have columns . Both matrices are invertible. The vectors are dependent exactly when . This is a polynomial in of degree , whose leading coefficient is . A nonzero degree- polynomial has at most distinct real roots. Thus there are at most exceptional parameters. This is the determinant argument for the matrix pencil .

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