Definition and Theorems of Chapter 6

Definition. Let $V$ be a vector space over the field $F$ and let $T$ be a linear operator on $V$. A characteristic value of $T$ is a scalar $c$ in $F$ such that there is a non-zero vector $\alpha$ in $V$ with $T\alpha =c\alpha$. If $c$ is a characteristic value of $T$, then
( a ) any $\alpha$ such that $T\alpha =c\alpha$ is called a characteristic vector of $T$ associated with the characteristic value $c$;
( b ) the collection of all $\alpha$ such that $T\alpha =c\alpha$ is called the characteristic space associated with $c$.

Theorem 1. Let $T$ be a linear operator on a finite-dimensional space $V$ and let $c$ be a scalar. The following are equivalent.
(i) $c$ is a characteristic value of $T$.
(ii) The operator $(T-cI)$ is singular (not invertible).
(iii) $\det (T-cI)=0$.

Definition. If $A$ is an $n\times n$ matrix over the field $F$, a characteristic value of $A$ in $F$ is a scalar $c$ in $F$ such that the matrix $(A-cI)$ is singular (not invertible).
The polynomial $f=\det (xI-A)$ is called the characteristic polynomial of $A$.

Lemma. Similar matrices have the same characteristic polynomial.

Definition. Let $T$ be a linear operator on the finite-dimensional space $V$. We say that $T$ is diagonalizable if there is a basis for $V$ each vector of which is a characteristic vector of $T$.

Lemma. Suppose that $T\alpha =c\alpha$. If $f$ is any polynomial, then $f(T)\alpha =f(c)\alpha$.

Lemma. Let $T$ be a linear operator on the finite-dimensional space $V$. Let $c_1,\dots ,c_k$ be the distinct characteristic values of $T$ and let $W_i$ be the space of characteristic vectors associated with the characteristic value $c_i$. If $W=W_1+\cdots +W_k$, then
$$\dim W=\dim W_1+\cdots +\dim W_k$$
In fact, if ${\mathfrak{B}}_i$ is an ordered basis for $W_i$, then $\mathfrak{B}=({\mathfrak{B}}_1,\dots ,{\mathfrak{B}}_k)$ is an ordered basis for $W$.

Theorem 2. Let $T$ be a linear operator on a finite-dimensional space $V$. Let $c_1,\dots ,c_k$ be the distinct characteristic values of $T$ and let $W_i$ be the null space of $(T-c_{i}I)$. The following are equivalent.
(i) $T$ is diagonalizable.
(ii) The characterristic polynomial for $T$ is
$$f=(x-c_1{)}^{d_1}\cdots (x-c_k{)}^{d_k}$$
and $\dim W_i=d_i,i=1,\dots ,k$.
(iii) $\dim W_1+\cdots +\dim W_k=\dim V$.

Definition. Let $T$ be a linear operator on a finite-dimensional vector space $V$ over the field $F$. The minimal polynomial for $T$ is the (unique) monic generator of the ideal of polynomials over $F$ which annihilate $T$.
If $A$ is an $n\times n$ matrix over $F$, we define the minimal polynomial for