Definite matrixIn mathematics, a symmetric matrix with real entries is positive-definite if the real number is positive for every nonzero real column vector where is the transpose of . More generally, a Hermitian matrix (that is, a complex matrix equal to its conjugate transpose) is positive-definite if the real number is positive for every nonzero complex column vector where denotes the conjugate transpose of Positive semi-definite matrices are defined similarly, except that the scalars and are required to be positive or zero (that is, nonnegative).
Orthogonal groupIn mathematics, the orthogonal group in dimension , denoted , is the group of distance-preserving transformations of a Euclidean space of dimension that preserve a fixed point, where the group operation is given by composing transformations. The orthogonal group is sometimes called the general orthogonal group, by analogy with the general linear group. Equivalently, it is the group of orthogonal matrices, where the group operation is given by matrix multiplication (an orthogonal matrix is a real matrix whose inverse equals its transpose).
Orthogonal diagonalizationIn linear algebra, an orthogonal diagonalization of a symmetric matrix is a diagonalization by means of an orthogonal change of coordinates. The following is an orthogonal diagonalization algorithm that diagonalizes a quadratic form q(x) on Rn by means of an orthogonal change of coordinates X = PY. Step 1: find the symmetric matrix A which represents q and find its characteristic polynomial Step 2: find the eigenvalues of A which are the roots of . Step 3: for each eigenvalue of A from step 2, find an orthogonal basis of its eigenspace.
Schur decompositionIn the mathematical discipline of linear algebra, the Schur decomposition or Schur triangulation, named after Issai Schur, is a matrix decomposition. It allows one to write an arbitrary complex square matrix as unitarily equivalent to an upper triangular matrix whose diagonal elements are the eigenvalues of the original matrix. The Schur decomposition reads as follows: if A is an n × n square matrix with complex entries, then A can be expressed as where Q is a unitary matrix (so that its inverse Q−1 is also the conjugate transpose Q* of Q), and U is an upper triangular matrix, which is called a Schur form of A.
Pauli matricesIn mathematical physics and mathematics, the Pauli matrices are a set of three 2 × 2 complex matrices which are Hermitian, involutory and unitary. Usually indicated by the Greek letter sigma (σ), they are occasionally denoted by tau (τ) when used in connection with isospin symmetries. These matrices are named after the physicist Wolfgang Pauli. In quantum mechanics, they occur in the Pauli equation which takes into account the interaction of the spin of a particle with an external electromagnetic field.
Hermitian matrixIn mathematics, a Hermitian matrix (or self-adjoint matrix) is a complex square matrix that is equal to its own conjugate transpose—that is, the element in the i-th row and j-th column is equal to the complex conjugate of the element in the j-th row and i-th column, for all indices i and j: or in matrix form: Hermitian matrices can be understood as the complex extension of real symmetric matrices.
Gamma matricesIn mathematical physics, the gamma matrices, also called the Dirac matrices, are a set of conventional matrices with specific anticommutation relations that ensure they generate a matrix representation of the Clifford algebra It is also possible to define higher-dimensional gamma matrices. When interpreted as the matrices of the action of a set of orthogonal basis vectors for contravariant vectors in Minkowski space, the column vectors on which the matrices act become a space of spinors, on which the Clifford algebra of spacetime acts.
Square matrixIn mathematics, a square matrix is a matrix with the same number of rows and columns. An n-by-n matrix is known as a square matrix of order . Any two square matrices of the same order can be added and multiplied. Square matrices are often used to represent simple linear transformations, such as shearing or rotation. For example, if is a square matrix representing a rotation (rotation matrix) and is a column vector describing the position of a point in space, the product yields another column vector describing the position of that point after that rotation.
Defective matrixIn linear algebra, a defective matrix is a square matrix that does not have a complete basis of eigenvectors, and is therefore not diagonalizable. In particular, an n × n matrix is defective if and only if it does not have n linearly independent eigenvectors. A complete basis is formed by augmenting the eigenvectors with generalized eigenvectors, which are necessary for solving defective systems of ordinary differential equations and other problems.
Main diagonalIn linear algebra, the main diagonal (sometimes principal diagonal, primary diagonal, leading diagonal, major diagonal, or good diagonal) of a matrix is the list of entries where . All off-diagonal elements are zero in a diagonal matrix. The following four matrices have their main diagonals indicated by red ones: Anti-diagonal matrix The antidiagonal (sometimes counter diagonal, secondary diagonal, trailing diagonal, minor diagonal, off diagonal, or bad diagonal) of an order square matrix is the collection of entries such that for all .
Spectral theoryIn mathematics, spectral theory is an inclusive term for theories extending the eigenvector and eigenvalue theory of a single square matrix to a much broader theory of the structure of operators in a variety of mathematical spaces. It is a result of studies of linear algebra and the solutions of systems of linear equations and their generalizations. The theory is connected to that of analytic functions because the spectral properties of an operator are related to analytic functions of the spectral parameter.
Commuting matricesIn linear algebra, two matrices and are said to commute if , or equivalently if their commutator is zero. A set of matrices is said to commute if they commute pairwise, meaning that every pair of matrices in the set commute with each other. Commuting matrices preserve each other's eigenspaces. As a consequence, commuting matrices over an algebraically closed field are simultaneously triangularizable; that is, there are bases over which they are both upper triangular.
