Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2009/ia/paper-1/7a/d/solution

There is no such universal constant. For a real parameter , consider the real matrix
Its characteristic polynomial is , so both eigenvalues are real and . But
For any proposed finite , choosing violates the proposed bound. This is an explicit illustration that nonnormal eigenvalues do not bound a quadratic quotient.

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