Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2002 / ia / Paper 1 / 2D (Algebra and Geometry)

The fundamental theorem of algebra says that every nonconstant polynomial with complex number coefficients has a root in the complex numbers. Repeated polynomial division by a factor of degree one therefore factors a degree-three polynomial with complex number coefficients into three factors of degree one, with algebraic multiplicities included.

For a matrix with complex number entries $A$ of size three, its characteristic polynomial is ${\chi }_A(t)=\det (tI-A)$, and its characteristic equation is ${\chi }_A(t)=0$. A complex number $\lambda$ is an eigenvalue exactly when $\lambda I-A$ is singular, equivalently when its null space contains a nonzero vector. Thus the three roots of the characteristic polynomial are the three eigenvalues counted with algebraic multiplicity.

For the specified matrix, expansion along the first row givesHence the eigenvalues are $1,1,-1$. Corresponding eigenvectors areThe matrix with these three columns has determinant $2i\ne 0$, so these eigenvectors are linearly independent. A repeated eigenvalue does not in general guarantee two independent eigenvectors; here they have been exhibited directly.