Past exam of the year 1 of the computer science course of the University of Oxford / 2023 / Digital systems, linear algebra and introduction to formal proof / 4 / g / Solution

Fix one common eigenvector $v\ne 0$, and write $A{A}^{\top }v=\lambda v$ and $B{B}^{\top }v=\mu v$. By (d),so $\lambda \mu v=0$ and at least one of the two eigenvalues is zero.

To exclude both being zero, use the kernel of a Gram product identity:If both products annihilate $v$, then $A^{\top }v=B^{\top }v=0$. By (b), $v\in \mathrm{im}L$, and by (e), this is $\mathrm{im}B$. On the other hand, $B^{\top }v=0$ makes $v$ orthogonal to every vector in $\mathrm{im}B$. In particular $v$ is orthogonal to itself, so $\Vert v{\Vert }^2=0$ and $v=0$, a contradiction.

Therefore each specified common eigenvector belongs to exactly one of $\ker (A{A}^{\top })$ and $\ker (B{B}^{\top })$. Both eigenvalues are nonnegative by the displayed squared-norm identities, so the other eigenvalue is strictly positive. This is the spectral mechanism behind orthogonal null-space completion of a square matrix.