Maths - Matrix algebra - Eigenvectors and Eigenvalues

These quantities can have a geometric meaning and are also useful in matrix algebra, the geometric meaning is discussed on this page, it tells us something about the symmetry of a transform.

An eigenvector is a vector whose direction is not changed by the transform, it may be streached, but it still points in the same direction.

Each eigenvector has a corresponding eigenvalue which gives the scaling factor by which the transform scales the eigenvector. So the eigenvector is a vector and the eigenvalue is a scaler.

A given transform may have more than one eigenvector and eigenvalue pair depending on how many dimensions we are working in. For instance:

and so on.

As an example, if we have a rotation transform in 3 dimensions, then the eigenvector would be the axis of rotation since this is not altered by the transform and the corresponding eigenvalue would be +1 since the axis is not scaled by the rotation. If we have a rotation in 2 dimensions then the eigenvectors would be ±i where i is √-1 since all vectors in the plane change direction.

Eigenvalues

The eigenvalues of a matrix [M] are the values of λ such that:

[M] v = λ v

where:

this gives:

|M - λ I| = 0

where I = identity matrix

this gives:

m00-λ m01 m02
m10 m11-λ m12
m20 m21 m22-λ
= 0

so

(m00- λ) (m11- λ) (m22- λ) + m01 m12 m20 + m02 m10 m21 - (m00- λ) m12 m21 - m01 m10 (m22- λ) - m02 (m11- λ) m20 = 0

the values of λ are the eigenvalues of the matrix


Eigenvectors

Associated with each eigenvalue λi is an eigenvector {ui} such that:

[M] {ui} = λi {ui}

where:

Program

There are a number of open source programs that can calculate eigenvalues and eigenvectors. I have used Axiom, how to install Axiom here.

To get a numeric solution for a given matrix, we can use eigenvalues(m) and eigenvectors(m) as shown here:

I have put user input in red:

(1) -> m := matrix[[1,4,7],[2,5,8],[3,6,9]]
         +1  4  7+
         |       |
    (1)  |2  5  8|
         |       |
         +3  6  9+
 Type: Matrix Integer
(2) -> ev := eigenvalues(m)
               2
(2)  [0,%A | %A  - 15%A - 18]


Type: List Union(Fraction Polynomial Integer,SuchThat(Symbol,
Polynomial Integer))
(3) -> eigenvectors(m)
 (3)
                                + 1 +
                                |   |
[[eigval= 0,eigmult= 1,eigvec= [|- 2|]],
                                |   |
                                + 1 +
                                                     +%G - 12+
                                                     |-------|
                                                     |   6   |
                  2                                  |       |
 [eigval= (%G | %G  - 15%G - 18),eigmult= 1,eigvec= [|%G - 6 |]]]
                                                     |------ |
                                                     |  12   |
                                                     |       |
                                                     +   1   +
Type: List Record(eigval: Union(Fraction Polynomial
Integer,SuchThat(Symbol,Polynomial Integer)),eigmult:
NonNegativeInteger,eigvec: List Matrix Fraction Polynomial Integer)
       

Or we can find a general formula for a given matrix as shown here:

(1) -> msymb := matrix[[a,b,c],[d,e,f],[g,h,i]] 
        +a  b  c+
        |       |
(1)     |d  e  f|
        |       |
        +g  h  i+
Type: Matrix Polynomial Integer
       
(2) -> evsymb := eigenvalues(msymb)
 (2)
[
         %B
         |
                            2
((a - %B)e - b d - %B a + %B )i + ((- a + %B)f + c d)h
         +
                                  2                2      3
(b f - c e + %B c)g + (- %B a + %B )e + %B b d + %B a - %B
         ]
Type: List Union(Fraction Polynomial Integer,
   SuchThat(Symbol,Polynomial Integer))
(3) -> eigenvectors(msymb)
 (3)
         [
         [
eigval =
         %H
         |
                                     2
         ((a - %H)e - b d - %H a + %H )i + ((- a + %H)f + c d)h
         +
                                           2                2      3
         (b f - c e + %H c)g + (- %H a + %H )e + %H b d + %H a - %H
         ,
eigmult= 1,
         +                         2                     2             +
         | ((e - %H)h + b g)i - f h  + (- c g - %H e + %H )h - %H b g  |
         | ----------------------------------------------------------  |
         |                    2                     2                  |
         |                 d h  + (- e + a)g h - b g                   |
         |                                                             |
eigvec= [|                                            2             2  |]]
         |(- d h + (- a + %H)g)i + (f g + %H d)h + c g  + (%H a - %H )g|
         |-------------------------------------------------------------|
         |                     2                     2                 |
         |                  d h  + (- e + a)g h - b g                  |
         |                                                             |
         +                              1                              +
         ]
Type: List Record(eigval: Union(Fraction Polynomial Integer,
SuchThat(Symbol,Polynomial Integer))
,eigmult: NonNegativeInteger,eigvec:
List Matrix Fraction Polynomial Integer)

 


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