Solution

ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-year-2-of-the-natural-sciences-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2025/paper-1/6/c/solution

The anticommutator condition and invertibility give the matrix similarities
Since matrix trace is invariant under matrix similarity,
Hence . Taking determinants in the first matrix similarity also gives
Since is an invertible matrix, , and . In terms of eigenvalues, the same matrix similarity pairs each nonzero eigenvalue with , with the same algebraic multiplicity, so an odd number of them is impossible.

New to topics? Read the docs here!