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Every identity-preserving biholomorphism of $\mathbb{C}/\Lambda$ lifts to multiplication by a nonzero complex number $\zeta$ satisfying $\zeta \Lambda =\Lambda$. Relative to a $\mathbb{Z}$-basis of $\Lambda$, multiplication by $\zeta$ is represented by a unimodular matrix $A\in {\mathrm{GL}}_2(\mathbb{Z})$. Its real determinant is $|\zeta {|}^2$, while complex multiplication preserves orientation, so $\det A=1$ and $|\zeta |=1$. The Cayley-Hamilton theorem givesConsequently $2\mathrm{Re}\zeta =\mathrm{tr}(A)\in \{-2,-1,0,1,2\}$, and $\zeta$ is a root of unity of order $1$, $2$, $3$, $4$, or $6$.

A cube root of a matrix $A$ is a square matrix $B$ of the same size over the specified field satisfying $B^3=A$. Every complex invertible matrix has one: put it in Jordan normal form, choose a scalar cube root of each nonzero eigenvalue, and apply the truncated binomial cube root of the identity plus a nilpotent matrix on each block. The Nilpotent Jordan block $J_3(0)$ has none, even though its square is nonzero. If $B^3=J_3(0)$, then $B^9=0$, making $B$ a nilpotent matrix of size three; the Cayley-Hamilton theorem then gives $B^3=0$, a contradiction.

A cyclic subspace generated by $x$ under a linear operator $T$ is the span of its successive iterates $x,Tx,T^{2}x,\dots$. In finite dimension it is already generated by the first $n$ iterates. The first linear dependence expresses the next iterate in previous ones and proves invariance without using the Cayley-Hamilton theorem.

For a square matrix over a field, the minimal polynomial $m_A$ is the unique monic polynomial of least degree satisfying $m_A(A)=0$. The Cayley-Hamilton theorem guarantees at least one such polynomial: the characteristic polynomial. The minimal polynomial divides every polynomial that annihilates $A$, so reducing matrix powers modulo $m_A$ can need fewer coefficients than reducing modulo the characteristic polynomial.

For example, $2I_2$ has minimal polynomial $t-2$, whereas the Jordan block $\left(\begin{array}{cc}2& 1\\ 0& 2\end{array}\right)$ has minimal polynomial $(t-2{)}^2$. Both have the same characteristic polynomial. Their different matrix powers are illustrated in repeated eigenvalues in the Cayley-Hamilton theorem.

Let $A$ be a companion matrix of a monic irreducible polynomial $f\in F[x]$ of degree $n$. Form the $N$-by-$N$ block matrix $B$ with $A$ on its diagonal, $I_n$ immediately above the diagonal, and zero elsewhere. If the field characteristic is $p>0$, write $f(x)=h(x^q)$ with $q=p^r$ maximal, so that $h^{\prime }\ne 0$; in characteristic zero take $q=1$ and $h=f$. ThenThus a separable polynomial gives $m_B=f^N$, but an irreducible polynomial with zero formal derivative can give a smaller exponent. For example, over the rational function field ${\mathbb{F}}_2(t)$, the irreducible polynomial $f(x)=x^2-t$ has $q=2$, so a two-block chain still has minimal polynomial $f$.

To prove the formula, write $B=D+K$, where $D$ has diagonal blocks $A$ and $K$ is the block shift. These are commuting operators, and $K^j$ vanishes exactly when $j\ge N$. The binomial theorem in positive field characteristic gives $B^q=D^q+K^q$. Expanding $h(D^q+K^q)$ gives $f(B)=K^{q}H$, with $H$ commuting with $K$. The diagonal blocks of $H$ are $h^{\prime }(A^q)$, which are invertible by Bézout's identity for polynomials, since $h$ is irreducible with nonzero formal derivative and $h(A^q)=0$. Therefore $f(B{)}^s=K^{qs}{H}^s$ vanishes exactly when $qs\ge N$. Finally, the block upper triangular matrix determinant gives the displayed characteristic polynomial, while the Cayley-Hamilton theorem and irreducibility force the minimal polynomial to be a power of $f$.

Let $m_T$ be the minimal polynomial. If $Tv=\lambda v$ with $v\ne 0$, then $0=m_T(T)v=m_T(\lambda )v$, so $m_T(\lambda )=0$. Conversely, if $m_T(\lambda )=0$, write $m_T(X)=(X-\lambda )q(X)$. If $T-\lambda I$ were invertible, the identity $(T-\lambda I)q(T)=0$ would imply $q(T)=0$, contradicting minimality of the degree. Thus $T-\lambda I$ has a nonzero kernel of a linear map, and $\lambda$ is an eigenvalue. This proves the eigenvalue criterion using the minimal polynomial for roots in the field under consideration.

For the given matrix, direct expansion givesPut $N=A+I$. Direct multiplication givesBy the Cayley-Hamilton theorem, $m_T$ divides $(X+1{)}^3$; the nonzero square rules out every smaller power. Therefore $\boxed{m_T(X)=(X+1{)}^3}$. Its sole eigenvalue is $-1$, but the size of the nilpotent part makes the minimum polynomial cubic rather than linear.

The minimal polynomial $m_T$ is the unique monic polynomial of least degree with $m_T(T)=0$. Existence follows from a linear dependence among powers of $T$ in the finite-dimensional vector space $\mathrm{End}(V)$; polynomial division proves uniqueness and that it divides every annihilating polynomial. The characteristic polynomial is ${\chi }_T(t)=\det (tI-[T{]}_{\mathcal{B}})$, independent of basis because a change of basis conjugates the matrix.

WriteIn the cyclic basis, the companion matrix isFor $q(t)=t^n+a_{n-1}{t}^{n-1}+\cdots +a_0$, the displayed vector relation gives $q(T)v=0$. Polynomial evaluation commutes with $T$, so $q(T)T^{j}v=T^{j}q(T)v=0$ for every basis vector. Thus $q(T)=0$.

No nonzero polynomial of degree below $n$ can annihilate $T$, since applying it to the cyclic vector $v$ would contradict independence of $v,Tv,\dots ,T^{n-1}v$. Hence $m_T=q$. Finally, direct expansion of $\det (tI-C)$, or induction along the last column, gives ${\chi }_T(t)=t^n+a_{n-1}{t}^{n-1}+\cdots +a_0=q(t)$. ThereforeThe argument computes the determinant and annihilator directly and does not invoke the Cayley-Hamilton theorem.

Write $N=T-I$. Cayley-Hamilton theorem gives $N^3=0$. Its minimal polynomial is therefore $X^k$ for exactly one $k\in \{1,2,3\}$, so the possibilities for that of $T$ areLet $d=\dim \ker N$, which is the dimension of the only eigenspace. If $d=3$, then $N=0$ and $T=I$.

If $d=2$, rank-nullity theorem gives $\dim \mathrm{im}N=1$. The restriction of the nilpotent map $N$ to this invariant line is zero, so $N^2=0$. Choose $v_3$ with $v_2=N{v}_3\ne 0$, and choose $v_1\in \ker N$ independent of $v_2$. Then $v_3\notin \ker N$, so these three vectors form a basis; its matrix for $T$ is the printed $J_1(1)\oplus J_2(1)$.

If $d=1$, then $\mathrm{im}N$ has dimension two, so $N^2$ cannot vanish: otherwise $\mathrm{im}N\subseteq \ker N$. Choose $v_3$ with $N^2{v}_3\ne 0$ and set $v_2=N{v}_3$, $v_1=N^2{v}_3$. Applying $N^2$ and then $N$ to a putative linear relation proves these three vectors independent. The matrix is the printed $J_3(1)$.

These cases exhaust the possible eigenspace dimensions. They are pairwise dissimilar because similarity preserves the eigenspace dimension, equivalently the three different minimal polynomials. Hence every matrix is similar to exactly one of the three displayed forms.

Write $N=T-I$. Cayley-Hamilton theorem gives $N^3=0$. Its minimal polynomial is therefore $X^k$ for exactly one $k\in \{1,2,3\}$, so the possibilities for that of $T$ areLet $d=\dim \ker N$, which is the dimension of the only eigenspace. If $d=3$, then $N=0$ and $T=I$.

If $d=2$, rank-nullity theorem gives $\dim \mathrm{im}N=1$. The restriction of the nilpotent map $N$ to this invariant line is zero, so $N^2=0$. Choose $v_3$ with $v_2=N{v}_3\ne 0$, and choose $v_1\in \ker N$ independent of $v_2$. Then $v_3\notin \ker N$, so these three vectors form a basis; its matrix for $T$ is the printed $J_1(1)\oplus J_2(1)$.

If $d=1$, then $\mathrm{im}N$ has dimension two, so $N^2$ cannot vanish: otherwise $\mathrm{im}N\subseteq \ker N$. Choose $v_3$ with $N^2{v}_3\ne 0$ and set $v_2=N{v}_3$, $v_1=N^2{v}_3$. Applying $N^2$ and then $N$ to a putative linear relation proves these three vectors independent. The matrix is the printed $J_3(1)$.

These cases exhaust the possible eigenspace dimensions. They are pairwise dissimilar because similarity preserves the eigenspace dimension, equivalently the three different minimal polynomials. Hence every matrix is similar to exactly one of the three displayed forms.

If $c(\lambda )=\det (\lambda I-T)=0$, then $\lambda I-T$ has nonzero kernel of a linear map. A nonzero vector $v$ in that kernel of a linear map satisfies $Tv=\lambda v$, proving that $\lambda$ is an eigenvalue. Extend $v$ to a basis. Its first column is $(\lambda ,0,\dots ,0{)}^T$, so the matrix has block formHere $B$ represents the induced operator on $V/⟨v⟩$.

If the algebraic multiplicity is $r$, repeat this argument in that quotient: its characteristic polynomial still has $\lambda$ with multiplicity $r-1$. Induction and lifting a quotient basis gives a basis whose first $r$ columns have the prescribed upper-triangular form. With $U$ the span of those $r$ vectors, the full matrix isThus $U$ is invariant and is contained in $W_{\lambda }$. Conversely, if $(T-\lambda I{)}^{s}v=0$, project to $V/U$. The induced map $C-\lambda I$ is invertible, so its $s$th power cannot kill a nonzero class. Hence $v\in U$. Consequently $\boxed{W_{\lambda }=U,\dim W_{\lambda }=r}$; this proves simultaneously that it is a subspace and $T$-invariant. It also proves $(T-\lambda I{)}^r=0$ on this space, without using Cayley-Hamilton theorem in advance.

To prove independence of the different spaces, take a relation ${\sum }_{\lambda }{v}_{\lambda }=0$ with $v_{\lambda }\in W_{\lambda }$. Fix $\lambda$ and apply $P_{\lambda }(T)={\prod }_{\mu \ne \lambda }(T-\mu I{)}^{r_{\mu }}$. It kills all terms except $v_{\lambda }$. On $W_{\lambda }$, each factor $T-\mu I=(\lambda -\mu )I+N$ is invertible: its inverse is a finite geometric series in the nilpotent $N$. Hence $P_{\lambda }(T)v_{\lambda }=0$ implies $v_{\lambda }=0$. The sum is direct, and its dimension is $\sum r_{\lambda }=\dim V$, soFinally $c(T)={\prod }_{\lambda }(T-\lambda I{)}^{r_{\lambda }}$ kills each summand, hence every vector. This proves $\boxed{c(T)=0}$ without circularly assuming the theorem during the decomposition.

The minimal polynomial $m_T(t)$ is the unique monic polynomial of least positive polynomial degree satisfying $m_T(T)=0$. Such an annihilating polynomial exists without using the Cayley-Hamilton theorem: the vector space $\mathrm{End}(V)$ has dimension of a vector space equal to $n^2$, so $I,T,\dots ,T^{n^2}$ are linearly dependent. Normalize a nonzero annihilating polynomial to be monic and choose one of least degree. Two distinct monic choices of that degree would have an annihilating difference of lower degree, contradicting minimality. A nonzero constant cannot annihilate $T$ because $V\ne 0$.

Choose a basis $B$ and let $A=[T{]}_B$. The characteristic polynomial isIt is independent of the chosen basis. Indeed a change of basis replaces $A$ by a similar matrix $P^{-1}AP$, andby multiplicativity of the determinant. Thus this monic degree-$n$ polynomial is an invariant of the linear transformation itself.

Since $v$ is a cyclic vector and $V\ne 0$, $v\ne 0$. Finite dimension of a vector space forces a first dependence in the sequence $v,Tv,T^{2}v,\dots$. Let $k\ge 1$ be the smallest index with $T^{k}v$ in the linear span of its predecessors. Thenis linearly independent. Its linear span $W$ is invariant under $T$: all but the last basis candidate map to the next, and the last maps to $T^{k}v\in W$. Induction therefore puts every $T^{j}v$ in $W$. Cyclicity gives $W=V$, so $B$ is a basis and $k=n$.

WriteThe matrix of $T$ in this basis is the companion matrixFor $p(t)=t^n+a_{n-1}{t}^{n-1}+\cdots +a_0$, the defining relation says $p(T)v=0$. Since $p(T)$ commutes with $T$, it also annihilates every $T^{j}v$ in $B$, hence $p(T)=0$. No nonzero polynomial of degree less than $n$ can annihilate $v$, because that would contradict linear independence of $B$. Thus $m_T=p$.

Finally the characteristic polynomial of a companion matrix is $p$, by direct determinant expansion. Explicitly, expansion along the first row of $tI-C$ gives the recurrencestarting from $D_1=t+a_0$. It yields $D_n=t^n+a_{n-1}{t}^{n-1}+\cdots +a_0$. ConsequentlyThis proves that a cyclic operator has equal minimal and characteristic polynomials by the cyclic basis and a direct determinant calculation, with no appeal to the Cayley-Hamilton theorem.

Give $V$ a $k[t]$-module structure by $t\cdot v=\alpha v$. A finite vector space basis generates it as a module. It is a torsion module: the Cayley-Hamilton theorem gives a nonzero polynomial annihilating all of $V$. Since $k[t]$ is a Euclidean domain, cyclic decomposition giveswith monic nonconstant invariant factors of a linear operator $f_j$ and no free summand. On $k[t]/(f_j)$, use the basis $1,t,\dots ,t^{\mathrm{deg}{f}_j-1}$. Multiplication by $t$ then has the companion matrix $C(f_j)$, because the relation $f_j(t)=0$ expresses the last power in terms of earlier ones. Concatenating these bases yieldsthe rational canonical form of $\alpha$. In particular, its minimal polynomial is $f_s$ and its characteristic polynomial is ${\prod }_j{f}_j$.

A Cartan subalgebra is a nilpotent Lie subalgebra equal to its normalizer of a Lie subalgebra. Write $H=L_{0,x}$ for a choice $x\in A$ attaining the minimum dimension, and let $h=\dim H$. For $y\in A$, the subalgebra $H$ is invariant under $\mathrm{ad}(x+ty)$ because $A\subseteq H$. On $L/H$, the operator induced by $\mathrm{ad}x$ is invertible: $H$ is its full generalized zero eigenspace, and the finite-dimensional Fitting decomposition separates that from the invertible part.

The determinant of the operator induced by $\mathrm{ad}(x+ty)$ on $L/H$ is a polynomial in $t$, nonzero at zero. Thus it is nonzero for all but finitely many $t\in K$. For these values, the generalized zero eigenspace $L_{0,x+ty}$ lies in $H$. Minimality of $\dim H$ among elements from $A$ forces equality. Hence $\mathrm{ad}(x+ty){|}_H$ is nilpotent for all but finitely many $t$.

Each nonleading coefficient of its characteristic polynomial is a polynomial in $t$. Since $K$ is infinite, a polynomial vanishing at all but finitely many elements is identically zero. The coefficient of degree $i$ in the matrix entries is homogeneous of degree $i$; its highest possible $t^i$ coefficient is the corresponding characteristic coefficient of $\mathrm{ad}y{|}_H$. All these vanish, so that operator has characteristic polynomial $T^h$ and is nilpotent by the Cayley-Hamilton theorem. ThusFor existence, choose an $L_{0,x}=H$ of smallest dimension among all $x\in L$. Since $x\in H$, it also minimizes the same set with $x$ restricted to $A=H$. Applying the proved statement makes every $\mathrm{ad}y{|}_H$ nilpotent. Engel's theorem makes $H$ nilpotent, and the allowed self-idealizer property makes it self-normalizing. Therefore it is a Cartan subalgebra, illustrating Cartan subalgebra existence from a minimal Engel subalgebra.

For the three-dimensional example, direct use of the brackets gives $C_L(z)=Kz$ for every nonzero $z$: the equations $[u,z]=0$ are the vanishing of all two-by-two minors of the two coordinate vectors, so they are proportional. Every nonzero nilpotent Lie algebra has a nonzero center, as seen from its last nonzero lower-central term. A nilpotent subalgebra $H$ with a central nonzero element $z$ must therefore satisfy $H\subseteq C_L(z)=Kz$, and has dimension one. The zero subalgebra is not self-normalizing. Thus all Cartan subalgebras have dimension one. For example $Ka$ is nilpotent and its normalizer is $Ka$, so such subalgebras do occur.

The Cayley-Hamilton theorem statesLet $d=\dim V$. Extend the field to an algebraically closed field and choose a basis in which the matrix of $T$ is an upper triangular matrix, as permitted. Write its diagonal entries as ${\lambda }_1,\dots ,{\lambda }_d$ and put $V_i=\mathrm{span}(e_1,\dots ,e_i)$. Each $V_i$ is an invariant subspace, andApply $T-{\lambda }_{d}I$ first, then $T-{\lambda }_{d-1}I$, and continue. The resulting product sends $V_d$ into $V_0=\{0\}$. These factors are commuting operators, soThe determinant of an upper triangular matrix gives ${\chi }_T(x)=(-1{)}^d{\prod }_i(x-{\lambda }_i)$. Thus ${\chi }_T(T)=0$ after the field extension. Its entries were in the original field, whose embedding is injective, so they were already zero there. The zero-dimensional case is immediate as well.

The displayed matrix is the transpose convention for a companion matrix. Expanding $\det (xI-A)$ along its last row givesIndeed, the last entry contributes $(x+{\alpha }_{n-1})x^{n-1}$ and the entry in column $j<n$ contributes ${\alpha }_{j-1}{x}^{j-1}$; the cofactor signs cancel those from the superdiagonal entries $-1$. ConsequentlyThe Cayley-Hamilton theorem gives $f(A)=0$, so $m_T$ divides $f$. To exclude a smaller minimal polynomial, let $e_1,\dots ,e_n$ be the standard basis. The first $n-1$ rows of $A$ showIf ${\sum }_{j=0}^{n-1}{c}_j{A}^j=0$, multiplying on the left by $e_1^{\mathsf{T}}$ gives ${\sum }_j{c}_j{e}_{j+1}^{\mathsf{T}}=0$, so every coefficient is zero. No nonzero polynomial of degree below $n$ vanishes at $A$. Since $f$ and $m_T$ are monic polynomials,

Take the Nilpotent Jordan blockThenSuppose that a complex matrix $B$ of size three satisfied $B^3=A$. We would have $B^9=A^3=0$, so $B$ would be a nilpotent matrix. Every eigenvalue of $B$ must then be zero: if $Bv=\theta v$ with $v\ne 0$, applying $B^9$ gives ${\theta }^{9}v=0$. Its characteristic polynomial is therefore $t^3$, and the Cayley-Hamilton theorem gives $B^3=0$. This contradicts $B^3=A\ne 0$. HenceThe obstruction is that a nilpotent matrix of size three cannot have nilpotency index greater than three.

All calculations here take place in the finite field $F={\mathbb{F}}_3$. For the given matrix $S$, its characteristic polynomial isThe values $q(0),q(1),q(2)$ are $2,2,1$, so this quadratic polynomial has no polynomial root in $F$ and is an irreducible polynomial. Direct calculation givesNeither $S$ nor $q(S)$ is zero. The Cayley-Hamilton theorem says that the minimal polynomial divides $xq(x)$; its proper monic polynomial divisors cannot annihilate $S$, so $m_S=xq$.

The two kernels give the required primary decomposition theorem for linear maps explicitly:The determinant of the matrix with these three basis vectors as columns is $1$ in $F$, proving $W=W_1\oplus W_2$. To check these are invariant subspaces, writing $u=(1,2,0{)}^T$ and $z=(0,0,1{)}^T$ gives $Su=u+2z$ and $Sz=2u$. Hence the matrix of the restriction to $W_2$ in the basis $(u,z)$ iswith minimal polynomial $q$; the nonzero vector space $W_1$ has zero restriction and minimal polynomial $x$.

Write $M=\left(\begin{array}{cc}a& b\\ c& d\end{array}\right)$. The two off-diagonal entries of $M^2=M$ giveor $b(\mathrm{tr}M-1)=c(\mathrm{tr}M-1)=0$. If both $b,c$ vanish, $M$ is diagonal; if either is nonzero, the trace must be one. Thus the trace criterion for a two-by-two idempotent isFor the diagonal case, idempotence further forces $a,d\in \{0,1\}$. The stated alternative is only necessary: $\left(\begin{array}{cc}1& 1\\ 1& 0\end{array}\right)$ has trace one but its square is $\left(\begin{array}{cc}2& 1\\ 1& 1\end{array}\right)$, so it is not idempotent. Among two-by-two matrices of trace one, the additional condition $\det M=0$ is sufficient by the Cayley-Hamilton theorem, which gives $M^2-M+(\det M)I=0$.

Put $t=\mathrm{tr}A=a+d$ and $\delta =\det A=ad-bc$. Direct matrix multiplication gives the two-dimensional Cayley-Hamilton theorem identity $A^2-tA+\delta I=0$. If $A^2=0$, determinant multiplicativity gives ${\delta }^2=0$, hence $\delta =0$. The identity then says $tA=0$. If $A=0$, its trace is zero; otherwise a nonzero entry forces $t=0$. Thus $d=-a$ and $bc=ad=-a^2$.

Conversely, those two scalar relations give $t=\delta =0$, so the same Cayley-Hamilton theorem identity implies $A^2=0$. ThereforeThis is the square-zero criterion for a two-by-two matrix. If $A^3=0$, determinant multiplicativity first gives ${\delta }^3=0$, hence $\delta =0$. Now $A^2=tA$ and $A^3=t^{2}A$. Either $A=0$, or a nonzero entry gives $t^2=0$ and hence $t=0$; in both cases $A^2=0$. The converse follows by multiplying $A^2=0$ by $A$. Consequently $A^3=0⟺A^2=0$. A nonzero nilpotent matrix of this size therefore has nilpotency index two.