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A complex nilpotent matrix of size six is determined up to matrix similarity by its matrix rank and nilpotency index. Its Nilpotent Jordan block sizes form an integer partition of six. If there are $k$ blocks and the largest size is $m$, then its matrix rank is $6-k$ and its minimal polynomial is $t^m$. The eleven possible size lists areNo two have the same pair $(m,k)$, which proves the assertion by Jordan normal form. The dimension restriction matters: in size seven, block lists $(3,3,1)$ and $(3,2,2)$ both have matrix rank four and minimal polynomial $t^3$, but give different Jordan normal forms.

A stationary iterative method for a linear system converges to its specified fixed point for every initial vector if and only if its iteration matrix satisfies $\rho (H)<1$, where the spectral radius is the largest modulus of an eigenvalue.^[ref]

For a diagonalizable matrix, write $H=V\Lambda V^{-1}$. Then $H^k=V{\Lambda }^k{V}^{-1}$, so each eigenvector coefficient tends to zero exactly when its eigenvalue has modulus less than one. For a general matrix, the Jordan normal form gives the same result: a Jordan block $J=\lambda I+K$ with a nilpotent matrix $K$ of size $m$ satisfiesIf $0<|\lambda |<1$, every coefficient tends to zero because exponential decay beats any fixed polynomial in $k$; if $\lambda =0$, the block vanishes once $k\ge m$. Conversely, an eigenvector with $|\lambda |\ge 1$ provides an initial error that cannot tend to zero. For a real matrix with complex eigenvalues, the same obstruction appears in the real invariant subspace spanned by the real and imaginary parts of an eigenvector.

The words "every initial vector" matter. For example, $H=\mathrm{diag}(3/2,1/2)$ fails the criterion, but $e^{(0)}=(0,1{)}^T$ still tends to zero. Here a generic initial error has a nonzero first coordinate and diverges; the exceptional errors lie on the second coordinate axis. With $H=\mathrm{diag}(-1,1/2)$, generic errors oscillate rather than diverge in norm, while the same exceptional axis still converges. Both are valid matrix splittings with $M=I$ and $A=I-H$. In general the convergent errors form the direct sum of the generalized eigenspaces for $|\lambda |<1$; if $\rho (H)\ge 1$, this is a proper linear subspace.

A small spectral radius describes eventual convergence, but does not imply that the Euclidean norm of the error decreases on every step for a non-normal matrix. An operator norm bound $\Vert H\Vert <1$ does give the stepwise estimate $\Vert e^{(k)}\Vert \le \Vert H{\Vert }^k\Vert e^{(0)}\Vert$. For a real symmetric matrix, the matrix 2-norm equals its spectral radius, making this particularly direct.

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.

Perturb each diagonal position of a Jordan normal form matrix by a different arbitrarily small scalar, avoiding the finitely many collisions between diagonal entries. The resulting upper triangular matrix has distinct eigenvalues, hence is diagonalizable. Conjugate back to approximate any complex matrix. Continuous identities proved for diagonalizable matrices can therefore extend to all matrices.

For $P$ cyclic of order $q=p^n$ in characteristic $p$, its group algebra is $k[t]/(t^q)$. The nilpotent Jordan normal form classifies its indecomposable finite-dimensional modules as $V_i$, $1\le i\le q$. A module homomorphism $V_i\to V_j$ is determined by an element annihilated by $t^i$, so its dimension is $\min (i,j)$.

A Jordan basis is a basis consisting of Jordan chains of generalized eigenvectors for a linear operator. Its matrix is in Jordan normal form. Over the complex numbers every finite-dimensional linear operator has such a basis; a real matrix with nonreal eigenvalues requires complexification for this form.

This is the multiplicative Jordan–Chevalley decomposition in a linear algebraic group. Every element $g$ of an affine algebraic group has unique commuting semisimple and unipotent parts $g_s,g_u$ such that $g=g_s{g}_u$. The construction agrees with the multiplicative Jordan decomposition in every rational representation.

For a nilpotent linear map with minimal polynomial $x^m$, set $K_i=\ker T^i$ and $d_i=\dim K_i$, with $d_0=0$. ThenFor strictness, choose $w$ with $T^{m-1}w\ne 0$. The vector $T^{m-1-i}w$ belongs to $K_{i+1}\setminus K_i$ for $0\le i<m$. For the second inequality, the rank-nullity theorem givesThe first image is contained in the second because $T(K_{i+1})\subseteq K_i$.

If the Nilpotent Jordan block sizes are $s_1,\dots ,s_r$, thenThus successive increments count the Jordan blocks reaching a given size, and $(d_i-d_{i-1})-(d_{i+1}-d_i)$ counts blocks of size exactly $i$, with $d_{m+1}=d_m$. The nullities determine the entire Jordan normal form. Conversely any positive nonincreasing integer increments summing to $\dim V$ are realized by taking the corresponding numbers of each Nilpotent Jordan block.

Linear operator theory studies linear maps, their spectra, invariant subspaces, and normal forms such as Jordan normal form. In a finite-dimensional vector space, eigenvalues identify parameters for which a shifted linear operator cannot be inverted. In an infinite-dimensional vector space, inversion can fail even without an eigenvector. The spectrum of a bounded operator captures this larger obstruction and connects linear algebra with the approximation questions of functional analysis.

If every eigenvalue of a finite square matrix $A$ has negative real part, its matrix exponential decays and its integral converges. The Jordan normal form shows that polynomial factors in $t$ are dominated by exponential decay. Integrating $d(e^{tA})/dt=A{e}^{tA}$ gives $A{\int }_0^{\infty }{e}^{tA}dt=-I$, proving the displayed matrix inverse formula. In particular, for a Hermitian matrix with negative eigenvalues, the spectral theorem reduces the integral to scalar exponentials with integrals $-1/{\lambda }_j$. The minus sign is essential: the integral is positive definite in this Hermitian case, while $A^{-1}$ has negative eigenvalues.

A square matrix is nilpotent when one of its positive powers is zero. It represents a nilpotent linear map in a chosen basis; changing basis preserves nilpotence. Over an algebraically closed field, its Jordan normal form has only zero-eigenvalue blocks.

The minimal polynomial factors over $\mathbb{C}$ as $(t-3)(t-3i)(t+3i)$ with distinct roots. The diagonalizability criterion using the minimal polynomial therefore makes $\alpha$ diagonalizable. Its characteristic polynomial gives multiplicities two, one and one, so its Jordan normal form isup to reordering the one-dimensional Jordan blocks.

Apply the decomposition to the module on which $X$ acts as $\alpha$. On $\mathbb{C}[X]/((X-\lambda {)}^m)$ put $t=X-\lambda$ and use the ordered basisMultiplication by $X=\lambda +t$ has diagonal entries $\lambda$ and superdiagonal entries $1$, so its matrix is the Jordan block $J_m(\lambda )$. Concatenating the bases of the direct sum gives a basis of $V$ in whichThis proves existence of Jordan normal form; uniqueness of the primary cyclic decomposition also proves uniqueness of its blocks up to order.

By Jordan normal form, each complex nilpotent matrix of size six can be put by matrix similarity into a block diagonal matrix whose Nilpotent Jordan blocks have sizesA Nilpotent Jordan block of size $s$ has matrix rank $s-1$ and minimal polynomial $t^s$. Therefore, for the whole matrix,Thus the given matrix rank determines the number $k$ of Jordan blocks, and the given minimal polynomial determines the largest size $s_1$. For size six these two data determine the entire integer partition. Here is the complete list, arranged by the largest size:To see that the list is exhaustive, choose the largest part $s_1$ between one and six and partition the remainder $6-s_1$ into parts at most $s_1$. The resulting rows all have distinct pairs $(s_1,k)$. Hence $A$ and $B$ have the same Jordan normal form $J$.

Explicitly, choose invertible matrices $X,Y$ such that $A=XJ{X}^{-1}$ and $B=YJ{Y}^{-1}$. ThenThis proves matrix similarity and illustrates the classification of six-dimensional nilpotent matrices by rank and nilpotency index.

We construct a cube root of a matrix on each Jordan block. Since $A$ is an invertible matrix over the complex numbers, its Jordan normal form isConsider one block $J_m(\lambda )=\lambda I+N$, where $N=J_m(0)$ is a Nilpotent Jordan block and $N^m=0$. Choose a complex cube root $\beta$ of $\lambda$, so ${\beta }^3=\lambda$.

We need a polynomial $q(z)$ with constant term one satisfyingThis can be constructed using only polynomial multiplication. Write $q(z)=1+{\sum }_{j=1}^{m-1}{c}_j{z}^j$. Once $c_1,\dots ,c_{j-1}$ have been chosen, the coefficient of $z^j$ in $q(z{)}^3$ is $3c_j$ plus an expression depending only on those earlier coefficients. Choose $c_j$ to make this coefficient one at $j=1$ and zero at $2\le j<m$. Division by three is possible over the complex numbers, so the recursion always succeeds. Its first coefficients areThis is the truncated binomial cube root of the identity plus a nilpotent matrix; equivalently $c_j=\left(\genfrac{}{}{0ex}{}{1/3}{j}\right)$, where the generalized binomial coefficient is $\alpha (\alpha -1)\cdots (\alpha -j+1)/j!$ and the empty product is one.

Substitute $z=N/\lambda$. The polynomial remainder is a multiple of $N^m$, hence zero. It follows thatFor $m=1$, take $q=1$, so the same construction covers single-entry blocks. Assemble the block diagonal matrix $C={⨁}_r{C}_{m_r}({\lambda }_r)$. Taking matrix powers respects these blocks, and conjugating back givesThus every invertible matrix over the complex numbers has at least one cube root of a matrix. The construction uses only finitely many matrix powers.

Write $J_k(\lambda )$ for the Jordan block with diagonal $\lambda$ and ones on the superdiagonal. Its characteristic polynomial and minimal polynomial are both $(x-\lambda {)}^k$. Therefore one answer to the first request isFor the second request, takeThe algebraic multiplicities are five and two, and the largest block at each eigenvalue has size two, so both prescribed polynomials hold. They are not similar matrices: the eigenspace at three has dimensions three and four respectively, and similarity preserves eigenspace dimension.

There is no third similarity class. At eigenvalue one, the total size two and maximal block size two force the single block $J_2(1)$. At eigenvalue three, the blocks partition five, each has size at most two, and at least one has size two. The only partitions are $2+2+1$ and $2+1+1+1$. The uniqueness of Jordan normal form up to block order therefore leaves exactly the two classes already exhibited.

Using ${\chi }_M(t)=\det (tI-M)$, expansion or triangular reordering givesThe eigenspace for $1$ is spanned by $e_1$, so its algebraic multiplicity two requires a size-two Jordan block. A convenient Jordan chain isFor eigenvalue $2$, the eigenspace has basis $w_1=e_1+e_3$, $w_2=e_4$, hence both corresponding blocks have size one. Therefore a Jordan normal form and the minimal polynomial areThe ordered basis $(v_1,v_2,w_1,w_2)$ supplies the change-of-basis matrixIts determinant is one, and the chain equations give $MP=PJ$, proving $P^{-1}MP=J$. The square at $t=1$ in the minimal polynomial is essential: $M$ is not diagonalizable.

The linearization of this reduction of the FitzHugh-Nagumo model at its trivial equilibrium point isA double zero eigenvalue requires both the constant and linear coefficients to vanish. Hence the codimension-two point isThere the polynomial is $m^2(m+3/2)$. The kernel of a linear map of $L$ is one-dimensional, so its zero eigenvalue has a nontrivial size-two block in Jordan normal form. This is a reflection-symmetric double-zero point of Bogdanov–Takens bifurcation type, with one stable direction; the nonlinear coefficients are computed below rather than assumed.

Choose an invertible change-of-basis matrix $P$ so that $J=PT{P}^{-1}$ is the Jordan normal form of $T$. Write each block aswhere $N_{m_j}$ has ones on its first superdiagonal and all other entries zero. DefineEvery ${\lambda }_j\ne 0$ because $T$ is invertible, so $D_0$ is an invertible diagonal matrix. The matrix $N$ is strictly upper triangular and hence nilpotent. On each block $D_0$ is a scalar multiple of the identity, so it commutes with $N$ on that block and therefore on the whole space. This gives

The minimal polynomial divides the annihilating polynomial $t^2(t-1)$, since $A^3-A^2=0$. Every nonconstant monic divisor can occur in dimension four: use Jordan blocks of sizes at most two at eigenvalue $0$ and of size one at eigenvalue $1$, adding scalar blocks as needed. The complete list isFor example the first four occur for $0$, $J_2(0)\oplus 0\oplus 0$, $I$, and $\mathrm{diag}(0,0,1,1)$, respectively; the final one occurs for $J_2(0)\oplus 0\oplus 1$.

Failure to be diagonalizable requires a size-two Jordan block at zero. The condition $A^2\ne 0$ requires at least one block at one, since every allowed zero block squares to zero. A size-two zero block and one scalar block at one leave only one dimension. It can carry zero or one. Thus, up to permutation of blocks, the only possible Jordan normal forms are