Determine Commutativity

Algebra Level 3

True or False ?

Let V M n ( C ) \mathcal V\subset M_n(\mathbb C) be a subspace consisting of diagonalizable matrices such that A B B A V AB-BA\in\mathcal V for all A , B V . A,B\in\mathcal V. Then every pair of matrices in V \mathcal V commute.

False True

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1 solution

Brian Lie
Mar 12, 2019

The linear transformation T A T_A ( A V ) (A\in\mathcal V) on vector space M n ( C ) , M_n(\mathbb C), defined by T A ( X ) = A X X A , T_A(X)=AX-XA, is diagonalizable since A A is diagonalizable. (See this problem .) So is T A V , T_A|_{\mathcal V}, the restriction of T A T_A to the invariant subspace V . \mathcal V. (Consider their minimal polynomials respectively.)

We have to show that T A V = O T_A|_{\mathcal V}=O for all A A in V . \mathcal V. Since T A V T_A|_{\mathcal V} is diagonalizable, this amounts to showing that T A V T_A|_{\mathcal V} has no nonzero eigenvalues. Suppose, on the contrary, that T A V ( B ) = a B ( a 0 ) T_A|_{\mathcal V}(B)=aB\, (a\ne 0) for nonzero B B in V . \mathcal V. Then T B V ( A ) = a B T_B|_{\mathcal V}(A)=-aB is itself an eigenvector of T B V , T_B|_{\mathcal V}, of eigenvalue 0. 0. On the other hand, we can write A A as linear combination of eigenvectors of T B V T_B|_{\mathcal V} ( B B being diagonalizable also); after applying T B V T_B|_{\mathcal V} to A , A, all that is left is a combination of eigenvectors which belong to nonzero eigenvalues, if any. This contradicts the preceding conclusion.

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