Maths Olympiad Prep

Library / /12 of 43

Algebra Difficulty 7.7 National olympiad, round 2 Find the answer

Determine all positive integers nn for which there exist n×nn \times n real invertible matrices AA and BB that satisfy ABBA=B2AA B-B A=B^{2} A.

A number or a short expression. Spacing and $ signs are ignored.

Solution

We prove that there exist such matrices AA and BB if and only if nn is even. I. Assume that nn is odd and some invertible n×nn \times n matrices A,BA, B satisfy ABBA=B2AA B-B A=B^{2} A. Hence B=A1(B2+B)AB=A^{-1}\left(B^{2}+B\right) A, so the matrices BB and B2+BB^{2}+B are similar and therefore have the same eigenvalues. Since nn is odd, the matrix BB has a real eigenvalue, denote it by λ1\lambda_{1}. Therefore λ2:=λ12+λ1\lambda_{2}:=\lambda_{1}^{2}+\lambda_{1} is an eigenvalue of B2+BB^{2}+B, hence an eigenvalue of BB. Similarly, λ3:=λ22+λ2\lambda_{3}:=\lambda_{2}^{2}+\lambda_{2} is an eigenvalue of B2+BB^{2}+B, hence an eigenvalue of BB. Repeating this process and taking into account that the number of eigenvalues of BB is finite we will get there exist numbers klk \leq l so that λl+1=λk\lambda_{l+1}=\lambda_{k}. Hence λk+1=λk2+λkλl=λl12+λl1λk=λl2+λl\lambda_{k+1} =\lambda_{k}^{2}+\lambda_{k} \ldots \lambda_{l} =\lambda_{l-1}^{2}+\lambda_{l-1} \lambda_{k} =\lambda_{l}^{2}+\lambda_{l} Adding these equations we get λk2+λk+12++λl2=0\lambda_{k}^{2}+\lambda_{k+1}^{2}+\ldots+\lambda_{l}^{2}=0. Taking into account that all λi\lambda_{i} 's are real (as λ1\lambda_{1} is real), we have λk==λl=0\lambda_{k}=\ldots=\lambda_{l}=0, which implies that BB is not invertible, contradiction. II. Now we construct such matrices A,BA, B for even nn. Let A2=[0110]A_{2}=\left[\begin{array}{ll}0 & 1 \\ 1 & 0\end{array}\right] and B2=[1111]B_{2}=\left[\begin{array}{cc}-1 & 1 \\ -1 & -1\end{array}\right]. It is easy to check that the matrices A2,B2A_{2}, B_{2} are invertible and satisfy the condition. For n=2kn=2 k the n×nn \times n block matrices A=[A2000A2000A2],B=[B2000B2000B2]A=\left[\begin{array}{cccc} A_{2} & 0 & \ldots & 0 \\ 0 & A_{2} & \ldots & 0 \\ \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ 0 & 0 & \ldots & A_{2} \end{array}\right], \quad B=\left[\begin{array}{cccc} B_{2} & 0 & \ldots & 0 \\ 0 & B_{2} & \ldots & 0 \\ \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ 0 & 0 & \ldots & B_{2} \end{array}\right] are also invertible and satisfy the condition.

Want a route through all this instead of an archive? The track puts 2,000 problems in a working order, from AMC 10 level to the IMO shortlist.

Source: Omni-MATH, licensed Apache-2.0. Statement and solution reproduced as published; topic and difficulty added by this site.