Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2023 / ib / Paper 1 / 8F (Linear Algebra)

True. By Jordan normal form, the characteristic polynomial records the total size of the blocks for each eigenvalue, while the minimal polynomial records the largest block for each eigenvalue. In dimension three this determines every block partition: for algebraic multiplicity three the possibilities $3$, $2+1$, and $1+1+1$ have largest block sizes three, two, and one; multiplicities one and two are equally immediate. Thus the two matrices have the same Jordan form and are conjugate. This is the characteristic and minimal polynomials determine similarity in dimension three phenomenon.

False. At eigenvalue $2$, algebraic multiplicity two and minimal-polynomial exponent two force one block $J_2(2)$. At eigenvalue $1$, the blocks have total size five and largest size two, so there are only two possible partitions,Hence there are exactly two conjugacy classes satisfying the given polynomial data, represented byandThere cannot be three mutually non-conjugate examples.

True. Since $\alpha$ is invertible, every eigenvalue $\lambda$ is nonzero. If $\alpha$ had a nontrivial Jordan block $\lambda I+N$, then for the stated positive integer $N_0$,would still have a nonzero nilpotent part and could not be diagonalizable. Therefore all Jordan blocks of $\alpha$ have size one. This also proves diagonalizability inherited from an invertible power.

False. The real matrixhas the two distinct complex eigenvalues $i$ and $-i$, so it is diagonalizable over $\mathbb{C}$. It has no real eigenvalue and hence no real eigenbasis, so it is not diagonalizable over $\mathbb{R}$.

True. Suppose $A,B$ are real and $AP=PB$ for an invertible complex matrix $P=X+iY$, with $X,Y$ real. Taking real and imaginary parts givesThe polynomial $q(t)=\det (X+tY)$ is not identically zero, since $q(i)=\det P\ne 0$. Choose a real $t$ outside its finite zero set. Then $Q=X+tY$ is real and invertible, and $AQ=QB$. Thus $A$ and $B$ are conjugate over $\mathbb{R}$, as stated by complex similarity of real matrices implies real similarity.