Past exam of the year 1 of the computer science course of the University of Oxford / 2022 / Digital systems, linear algebra, introduction to formal proof resit / 6 / b / iv / Solution

The all-ones matrix is diagonalizable for every $n\ge 1$. The vector $u$ together with the $n-1$ vectors from part (ii) is an eigenbasis. Independence follows because a multiple of $u$ has coordinate sum $n$ times that multiple, whereas every other basis vector has coordinate sum zero. In this basis the diagonal matrix is $\mathrm{diag}(n,0,\dots ,0)$. At $n=1$ the one-vector basis suffices. Alternatively, the spectral theorem for real symmetric matrices applies. If dimension zero is allowed by the convention for $\mathbb{N}$, the empty $0\times 0$ matrix has no eigenvalues, an empty basis and a vacuous diagonalization.