Cayley-Hamilton Theorem
Statement: Every square matrix satisfies its own characteristic equation.
1 0 2
Suppose a matrix A = [0 −1 1]. Verify Cayley-Hamilton theorem. Hence find 𝐴−1.
0 1 0
Solution: The characteristic equation is |𝐴 − 𝜆𝐼| = 0
1 0 2 1 0 0
𝐴 − 𝜆𝐼 = [0 −1 1] − 𝜆 [0 1 0]
0 1 0 0 0 1
1−𝜆 0 2
=[ 0 −1 − 𝜆 1]
0 1 −𝜆
|𝐴 − 𝜆𝐼| = 0
1−𝜆 0 2
| 0 −1 − 𝜆 1 |=0
0 1 −𝜆
−1 − 𝜆 1 0 −1 − 𝜆
∴ (1 − 𝜆) | |+2| |=0
1 −𝜆 0 1
𝑜𝑟, (1 − 𝜆)(𝜆 + 𝜆2 − 1) = 0
𝑜𝑟, 𝜆 + 𝜆2 − 1 − 𝜆2 − 𝜆3 + 𝜆 = 0
𝑜𝑟, −𝜆3 + 2𝜆 − 1 = 0
𝑜𝑟, 𝜆3 − 2𝜆 + 1 = 0
1 0 2 1 0 2
𝐴2 = [0 −1 1] [0 −1 1]
0 1 0 0 1 0
1 2 2
= [0 2 −1]
0 −1 1
𝐴3 = 𝐴2 . 𝐴
1 2 2 1 0 2
= [0 2 −1] [0 −1 1]
0 −1 1 0 1 0
1 0 4
= [0 −3 2 ]
0 2 −1
𝐴3 − 2𝐴 + 𝐼
1 0 4 1 0 2 1 0 0
= [0 −3 2 ] − 2 [0 −1 1] + [0 1 0]
0 2 −1 0 1 0 0 0 1
0 0 0
= [ 0 0 0]
0 0 0
=0
𝐴3 − 2𝐴 + 𝐼 = 0
𝑜𝑟, 𝐼 = 2𝐴 − 𝐴3
Pre-multiplying by 𝐴−1
𝐴−1 = 2𝐼 − 𝐴2
2 0 0 1 2 2
= [0 2 0] − [0 2 −1]
0 0 2 0 −1 1
1 −2 −2
= [0 0 1]
0 1 1
𝟎 𝟎 𝟏
Verify Cayley-Hamilton Theorem for the matrix 𝑨 = [ 𝟑 𝟏 𝟎]
−𝟐 𝟏 𝟒
Solution: The characteristic equation is |𝐴 − 𝜆𝐼| = 0
0 0 1 1 0 0
𝐴 − 𝜆𝐼 = [ 3 1 0 ] − 𝜆 [0 1 0]
−2 1 4 0 0 1
−𝜆 0 1
=[ 3 1−𝜆 0 ]
−2 1 4−𝜆
|𝐴 − 𝜆𝐼| = 0
1−𝜆 0 3 1−𝜆
𝑜𝑟, −𝜆 | |+1| |=0
1 4−𝜆 −2 1
𝑜𝑟, −𝜆(1 − 𝜆)(4 − 𝜆) + (3 + 2 − 2𝜆) = 0
𝑜𝑟, −𝜆(4 − 5𝜆 + 𝜆2 ) + 5 − 2𝜆 = 0
𝑜𝑟, −𝜆3 + 5𝜆2 − 6𝜆 + 5 = 0
𝑜𝑟, 𝜆3 − 5𝜆2 + 6𝜆 − 5 = 0
𝐴3 − 5𝐴2 + 6𝐴 − 5𝐼 = 0 ➔ Suppose to verify
0 0 1 0 0 1 −2 1 4
𝐴2 = [ 3 1 0] [ 3 1 0] = [ 3 1 3 ]
−2 1 4 −2 1 4 −5 5 14
0 0 1 −2 1 4 −5 5 14
𝐴3 = [ 3 1 0] [ 3 1 3 ] = [ −3 4 15]
−2 1 4 −5 5 14 −13 19 51
𝐴3 − 5𝐴2 + 6𝐴 − 5𝐼
−5 5 14 −2 1 4 0 0 1 5 0 0
= [ −3 4 15] − 5 [ 3 1 3 ] + 6 [ 3 1 0] − [ 0 5 0]
−13 19 51 −5 5 14 −2 1 4 0 0 5
0 0 0
= [ 0 0 0] = 0
0 0 0
∴ 𝐶𝑎𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑦 − 𝐻𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑚 𝑖𝑠 𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑.
