Chapter 7: Problem 18
Find the eigenvalues \(\lambda_{i}\) and the corresponding eigenspaces of the linear transformation \(T\). Determine whether the linear transformation is diagonalizable. \(T\) defined on \(\mathbb{R}^{2}\) by \(T([x, y])=\) \([x-y,-x+y]\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
Eigenvalues: 0 and 2; Eigenspaces: Span\{[1, 1]\} and Span\{[1, -1]\}. The transformation is diagonalizable.
Step by step solution
01
Represent Linear Transformation as a Matrix
The linear transformation \( T \) can be expressed as a matrix when applied to a vector \([x, y]\). For \( T([x, y]) = [x-y, -x+y] \), we can write this transformation as the matrix \( A = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & -1 \ -1 & 1 \end{bmatrix} \).
02
Set Up the Characteristic Equation
To find the eigenvalues, we need to solve the characteristic equation, which is \( \det(A - \lambda I) = 0 \). For our matrix \( A \), this translates to solving \( \det\left(\begin{bmatrix} 1-\lambda & -1 \ -1 & 1-\lambda \end{bmatrix}\right) = 0 \).
03
Calculate the Determinant
The determinant of matrix \( \begin{bmatrix} 1-\lambda & -1 \ -1 & 1-\lambda \end{bmatrix} \) is \((1-\lambda)(1-\lambda) - (-1)(-1) = (1-\lambda)^2 - 1 \). Expanding this gives \( \lambda^2 - 2\lambda = 0 \).
04
Solve the Characteristic Equation
Factor the quadratic equation \( \lambda^2 - 2\lambda = 0 \) to \( \lambda(\lambda - 2) = 0 \). The solutions to this equation, i.e., the eigenvalues, are \( \lambda_1 = 0 \) and \( \lambda_2 = 2 \).
05
Find Eigenspaces for Each Eigenvalue
For \( \lambda_1 = 0 \), solve \( (A - 0I)x = 0 \), leading to \( \begin{bmatrix} 1 & -1 \ -1 & 1 \end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix} x \ y \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} 0 \ 0 \end{bmatrix} \). Solving the system shows all vectors as \([x, x] \), forming the eigenspace \( \text{Span}\{[1, 1]\} \). For \( \lambda_2 = 2 \), solve \( (A - 2I)x = 0 \) to get \( \begin{bmatrix} -1 & -1 \ -1 & -1 \end{bmatrix}\begin{bmatrix} x \ y \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} 0 \ 0 \end{bmatrix} \). Simplifying shows all vectors as \([1, -1] \), forming the eigenspace \( \text{Span}\{[1, -1]\} \).
06
Determine if the Transformation is Diagonalizable
A linear transformation is diagonalizable if there are \( n \) linearly independent eigenvectors, where \( n \) is the dimension of the space. Since we have two distinct eigenvalues \( \lambda_1 = 0 \) and \( \lambda_2 = 2 \), each with a corresponding linearly independent eigenvector, the transformation is diagonalizable.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Linear Transformation
A linear transformation is a fundamental concept in linear algebra that involves shifting, scaling, rotating, or flipping a vector in a way that preserves straight lines and parallelism. Consider the transformation
- It can be defined as a function that maps vectors from one vector space to another.
- Importantly, the transformation should satisfy two main properties: additivity and homogeneity. In simpler terms, this means the transformation of a sum is the same as the sum of transformations, and that scaling a vector before or after transformation gives the same result.
Matrix Representation
Matrix representation is about writing a linear transformation as a matrix, so we can easily manipulate and analyze it mathematically. This involves representing a function in terms of a grid of numbers that translates each vector from its original position to the transformed position.
- For a transformation like \( T([x, y]) = [x-y, -x+y] \), the matrix form simplifies calculations and provides clarity.
- The matrix \( A = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & -1 \ -1 & 1 \end{bmatrix} \) captures the effect of the transformation.
Characteristic Equation
The characteristic equation is a polynomial equation derived from a matrix that encapsulates information about a linear transformation's eigenvalues. These values are crucial for understanding the dynamics of the transformation.
- We derive the characteristic equation from \( \det(A - \lambda I) = 0 \). Here, \( \lambda \) is the eigenvalue we are looking for, \( A \) is the matrix, and \( I \) is the identity matrix.
- For our matrix \( A = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & -1 \ -1 & 1 \end{bmatrix} \), the determinant calculation results in \( \lambda^2 - 2\lambda = 0 \).
Diagonalizability
Diagonalizability is a mathematical property that tells us whether we can express a linear transformation as a diagonal matrix in some basis. This property helps simplify matrix operations significantly, including raising matrices to powers, which can be computationally intensive with non-diagonal matrices.
- For a linear transformation to be diagonalizable, it must have enough linearly independent eigenvectors to fill its space.
- In our \(2\)-dimensional space, this means we need 2 linearly independent eigenvectors.