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5.28 Theorems of self-adjoint map

\(f: V \rightarrow V / f^{*} \circ f = f \circ f^{*}\) normal operators

Aim: \(\dim_k V < \infty\), if \(f\) is normal, then \(f\) is diagonalizable and \(\exists\) an orthonormal basis of eigenvectors.


Theorem 1

\((V,\lang,\rang)\) be k-IPVS, let \(f:V\to V\) be a self-adjoint and k-linear map. Suppose \(\lambda\in k\) is an eigenvalue of \(f\)

Then

  1. \(\lambda \in \R\)

  2. If \(v\) is an eigenvector of eigenvalue \(\lambda\) and \(\mu\) is another eigenvalue of \(f\) s.t. \(\lambda \neq u\) and \(w\) is an eigenvector with eigenvalue \(\mu\), then \(v\perp w\)

Proof

  1. Let \(\lambda\) be an eigenvalue of \(f\), then suppose \(v\neq 0\), \(v\) is eigenvector of eigenvalue \(\lambda\)

    Then \(\lambda \cdot ||v||^{2}=\lambda \lang v,v\rang=\lang \lambda v,v\rang=\lang f(v),v\rang\) and since \(f\) is self-adjoint, then \(f(v)=f^{*}(v)\), then \(=\lang v,\lambda v\rang=\bar \lambda\lang v,v\rang =\bar\lambda ||v||^2\)

    Since \(||v||\neq 0\), we have \(\lambda =\bar\lambda\) then \(\lambda\in \R\)

  2. \(\lambda ,\mu\in \R\) and \(\lambda\neq \mu\) where \(f(v)=\lambda v\) and \(f(w)=\mu w\) where \(v,w\neq 0_V\), then \(\lambda \lang v,w\rang=\lang \lambda v,w\rang =\lang f(v),w\rang=\lang v,f^*(w)\rang=\lang v,f(w)\rang=\lang v,\mu w\rang=\mu \lang v,w\rang\) since \(\bar u=u\)

    Then \((\lambda -\mu)\lang v,w\rang=0\), since \(\lambda \neq \mu\), then \(\lang v,w\rang=0\)

Theorem 2

Suppose \((V,\lang,\rang)\) is a finite dimension k-IPVS. Let \(f:V\to V\) be a self-adjoint linear map.

Then \(\exists v\in V:v\neq 0_{V}:v\) is an eigenvector of \(f\) corresponding to an eigenvalue \(\lambda\)

Proof

Denote \(n=\dim V\), \(f:V\to V,f=f^{*}\), let \(B\) be an orthonormal basis of \(V\)

Denote \(A=[f]_B\), since \(f=f^*\), we have \(A=[f]_{B}=[f^{*}]_{B}=A^*\), so \(A^*=A\)

Let \(W=\mathbb{C}^{n\times1}\) with inner product \(\lang X,Y\rang =\underbrace{Y^{*}}_{\in \mathbb{C}^{1\times n}}\underbrace{X}_{\in\mathbb{C}^{n\times 1}}\in \mathbb{C}\)

Define a \(\mathbb{C}\)-linear map, \(U:W\to W\) by \(U(X)=AX\), we know that \(U=U^{*}\) since the following

\(\forall X,Y\in W\), \(\lang U(X),Y\rang =\lang AX,Y\rang=Y^*AX=Y^*A^*X=(AY)^*X=\lang X,AY\rang =\lang X,U(Y)\rang\)

Then \(\chi_{U}(x)\in\mathbb{C}[x]\) and \(\deg=n>0\), so it has at least one root \(\lambda\in\mathbb{C}\), that is \(\chi_{U}(\lambda)=0=\det(\lambda\cdot Id_{n}-A)=\det(\lambda\cdot Id_{n}-[U]_{E} )\)

Thus \(\lambda Id_n-A\) is not invertible, that is \(\exists X\in \mathbb{C}^{n\times 1}\) s.t. \((\lambda Id_{n}-A)\cdot X=0_{W}\iff \lambda Id_n\cdot X=\lambda X=AX\)

Thus \(\lambda\) is an eigenvalue of \(U\) with eigenvector \(X\), since we know \(U\) is self-adjoint, by theorem 1, we conclude that \(\lambda\in\R\)

Moreover, \(\chi_U(x)=\chi_A(x)\), now we have \(\chi_{A}(x)=\chi_{f}(x)\), so \(\lambda\) is a root of \(\chi_f(x)\), that is \(\lambda\) is an eigenvalue of \(f\), so there exists \(v\neq 0_V\) s.t. \(f(v)=\lambda v\)

  1. why \(A=[U]_{E}\). Write \(X\) is basis

  2. why \(\lambda Id_n-A\) is not invertible, that is \(\exists X\in \mathbb{C}^{n\times 1}\) s.t. \((\lambda Id_{n}-A)\cdot X=0_{W}\iff \lambda Id_n\cdot X=\lambda X=AX\).

    Because this is says that \(X\) is in the kernel

  3. why \(\chi_U(x)=\chi_A(x)\). Since \(\det(\lambda\cdot Id_{n}-A)=\det(\lambda\cdot Id_{n}-[U]_{E})\)

Remark

If \(V\) is not finite dimension, then \(f\)(self-adjoint) may have eigenvalue

Example

\(V=\{f:[0,1]\to \R:f\text{ is continuous}\}\), \(\displaystyle\lang f,g\rang=\int^{1}_{0}f(t)g(t)dt\) where \(V\) is infinite dimension

Consider \(\phi:V\to V\) defined by \(\phi(f)(t)=t\cdot f(t)\)

  • \(\phi\) is self-adjoint: Given \(f,g\in V\), \(\displaystyle\lang \phi(f),g\rang=\int^1_0\phi(f)(t)\cdot g(t)dt=\int^1_0f(t)\cdot t\cdot g(t)dt=\lang f,\phi(g)\rang\)

Suppose \(\lambda\in \R\) s.t. \(\lambda\) is an eigenvalue of \(\phi\), let \(f\in V\) be an eigenvector with eigenvalue \(\lambda\) : \(t\cdot f(t)=\phi(f)(t)=\lambda f(t)\)

Then \((\lambda -t)\cdot f(t)=0\), then since \(f\) is continuous, then \(f(t)=0\), contradiction

Theorem 3

\((V,\lang,\rang)\) k-IPVS, finite dimensional. \(f:V\to V\) be \(k\)-linear. Suppose \(W\subseteq V\) is a subspace s.t. \(W\) is \(f\)-invariant. Then \(W^\perp\) is \(f^*\)-invariant.

Proof

Let \(v\in W^{\perp}\), we want to prove that \(f^*(v)\in W^\perp\). Let \(w\in W\), \(\lang w,f^{*}(v)\rang=\lang \underbrace{f(w)}_{\in W},\underbrace{v}_{\in W^\perp}\rang\) because \(w\in W\) and \(W\) is \(f\)-invariant, then \(=0\)

Remark

If \(V\) is not finite dimension but \(f^*\) exists, then the result is also true.

Theorem 4

Let \((V,\lang,\rang)\) a k-IPVS, finite dimension. Let \(f:V\to V\) be k-linear and self-adjoint.

Then there exists an orthonormal basis \(B\) of \(V\), \(B=\{v_1,...,v_n\}\) s.t. \(v_i\) is eigenvector of \(f\), \(\forall i,1\leq i\leq n\)

Proof

Let \(n=\dim V\). By theorem 2: \(\exists \lambda\in \R\) : \(\lambda\) is an eigenvector of \(f\).

Let \(0_{V}\neq v\) be an eigenvector of eigenvalue \(\lambda\). Let \(v_1=\frac{v}{||v||}\), then \(v_1\) is an eigenvector of \(f\) with eigenvalue \(\lambda\) and \(||v_1||=1\)

If \(n=1\), there is nothing to do.

If not, we will proceed by induction \(n\). Let \(W=\lang v_1\rang\). \(W\) is \(f\)-invariant since it's an eigenvector

Here \(W^\perp\) is \(f^*=f\) invariant by theorem 3 and \(\dim W^\perp=n-1<n\). Restrict the inner product of \(V\) to \(W^\perp\).

So \((W^{\perp},\lang,\rang_{V}\Big|_{W^\perp})\) is a k-IPVS, let \(\tilde f=f\Big|_{W^\perp}: W^{\perp}\to W^{\perp}\) and \(\tilde f\) is also self-adjoint.

Then use inductive hypothesis, which says that there is an orthonormal basis \(\tilde B\) of \(W^\perp\) where all the vectors are eigenvectors of \(\tilde f\)

\(\tilde B=\{v_2,...,v_n\}\), now \(B=\{v_1\}\cup \tilde B\) is such that \(||v_i||=1,\forall i\) and \(v_i\) is an eigenvector of \(f\), \(\forall i\)

It is also orthogonal since \(v_{1}\in W\), \(v_i\in W^\perp,\forall i,2\leq i\leq n\)

Corollary

Let \(A\in M_n(k)\) s.t. \(A=A^*\). Then \(\exists P\in Gl_n(k)\) s.t.

  1. \(P\) is unitary (\(P^*=P^{-1}\)​)

    Change of basis matrix satisfy this exercise

  2. \(P^{-1}AP\) is diagonal


Now let's consider \(f\) normal

Theorem 5

\((V,\lang,\rang)\) be k-IPVS, finite dimension. \(f:V\to V\) be \(k\)-linear normal (\(f^{*}\circ f=f\circ f^*\))

Let \(v\in V\), \(v\) is an eigenvector of \(f\) with eigenvalue \(\lambda\)\(\iff\)\(v\) is an eigenvector of \(f^*\) with eigenvalue \(\bar\lambda\)

Proof

Let \(g:V\to V\) be k-linear and normal. Given \(v\in V\), \(||g(v)||^{2}=\lang g(v),g(v)\rang=\lang v,g^*\circ g(v)\rang\)

Since \(g\) is normal, then \(=\langle v,g\circ g^{*}(v)\rangle=\langle g^{*}(v),g^{*}(v)\rangle=||g^{*}(v)||^{2}\)

Let \(\lambda\in k\), let \(g=f-\lambda\cdot Id_{V}\), then \(g^{*}=f^{*}-(\lambda Id_{V})^{*}=f^{*}-\bar\lambda Id_{V}\)

Given \(v_1,v_2\in V\), \(\lang g(v_{1}),v_{2}\rang=\lang v_1,g^*(v_2)\rang\). Also \(g^{*}\circ g=g\circ g^*\) exercise

Then \(g\) is normal, \(||g(v)||^2=||g^*(v)||^2\). So \(v\) is eigenvector of \(f\) with eigenvalue \(\lambda\)\(\iff\)\(v\) is an eigenvector of \(f^*\) with eigenvalue \(\bar \lambda\)