Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2024 / ia / Paper 1 / 8B / a / Solution

The characteristic polynomial ${\chi }_A(t)=\det (tI-A)$ has degree $n$. By the fundamental theorem of algebra, it has a complex root $\lambda$. Henceso $\lambda I-A$ has a nonzero kernel. Any nonzero $v$ in that kernel satisfiesThus $\lambda$ is an eigenvalue and $v$ is a corresponding eigenvector.