Elementary Linear Algebra 7th Edition

Published by Cengage Learning
ISBN 10: 1-13311-087-8
ISBN 13: 978-1-13311-087-3

Chapter 7 - Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors - 7.3 Symmetric Matrices and Orthogonal Diagonalization - 7.3 Exercises - Page 370: 17

Answer

See below.

Work Step by Step

The characteristic equation of the matrix is $det(xI_2-A)= det\left(\begin{bmatrix} x& -1&-1 \\ -1& x&-1\\ -1&-1&x\\ \end{bmatrix} \right)=0$ Hence $x^3-x^2-3x-1=0\\(x+1)((x-1)^2-2)=0$ Thus the eigenvalues are $x=-1$ with multiplicity $1$, $x=1+\sqrt2$ with multiplicity $1$, and $x=1-\sqrt2$ with multiplicity 1. A is symmetric; thus by Theorem 7.7, the corresponding $x=-1$'s eigenspace will have a dimension of $1$, the corresponding $x=1+\sqrt2$'s eigenspace will have a dimension of $1$ and the corresponding $x=1-\sqrt2$'s eigenspace will have a dimension of $1$.
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