REVIEW OF MATRICES
A-9
Characteristic values (eigenvalues) and characteristic vectors (eigenvectors)
Consider the vector-matrix equation
xAy
(A.36)
where
y and x are column vectors, and A is a square n × n matrix. This equation can be viewed
as a transformation of the vector
x into the vector y. The question arises whether there exists a
vector
x, such that the transformation A produces a vector y, which has the same direction in
vector space as the vector
x. If such a vector exists, then y is proportional to x, or
xxAy
= (A.37)
where λ is a scalar of proportionality. This is known as the characteristic value problem, and a
value of λ, e.g.,
i
for which equation (A.37) has a solution )0(
i
x , is called a characteristic
value or eigenvalue of
A. The corresponding vector solution )0(
i
x is called a characteristic
vector or eigenvector of
A associated with the characteristic value
i
.
Equation (A.37) can be written in the form
[]
0xIA
(A.38)
This system of homogeneous equations has a nontrivial solution if, and only if, the determinant
of the coefficients vanishes, i.e., if
0=− IA
λ
(A.39)
The nth order polynomial in λ, given by equation (A.39), is called the characteristic equation
corresponding to the matrix
A. The general form of the equation is
0)(
1
2
2
1
1
=+++++=
−
−−
nn
nnn
aaaaP
λλλλλ
L
(A.40)
The roots of the characteristic equation are precisely the characteristic values or eigenvalues of
A. When all the eigenvalues of A are different, A is said to have distinct roots. When an
eigenvalue occurs m times, the eigenvalue is said to be a repeated root of order m. When a
characteristic root is of the form α + jβ, the root is said to be complex. Complex roots must occur
in conjugate pairs, assuming that the elements of
A are real.
Modal matrix
For each of the n eigenvalues
i
(i = 1, 2, ... n) of A, a solution of equation (A.38) for x can be
obtained, provided that the roots of equations (A.39) are distinct. The vectors
i
x , which are the
solutions of
[]
ni
ii
L,2,1
− 0xIA
(A.41)
are the characteristic vectors or eigenvectors of
A. Since equation (A.41) is homogeneous,
ii
k x ,
where
i
k is any scalar, is also a solution. Thus only the directions of each of the
i
x are uniquely
determined by equation (A.41). The matrix formed by the column vectors
ii
k x is called the
modal matrix.