Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2003/paper-1/5/solution

If for a Hermitian matrix and a nonzero eigenvector, then . The scalar on the left equals its complex conjugate because , while . Thus is real. If also , then
Consequently distinct eigenvalues force , proving orthogonality of their eigenvectors.
For a unitary matrix, preserves the norm induced by the standard Hermitian inner product. If with , then , so .

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