Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2005/ib/paper-2/10c/ii/solution

The cyclic matrix acts by . For each fourth root of unity , the vector satisfies , because . This supplies the four distinct eigenvalues and nonzero eigenvectors:
Eigenvectors for distinct eigenvalues are linearly independent. Thus, with these columns in the indicated order,
They form a basis over , so there are no other eigenvalues. Equivalently the characteristic polynomial is .

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