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I know that given two matrices $A$ and $B$, estimating the eigenvalues of $A + B = C$ as a function of the eigenvalues of $A$ and of the eigenvalues of $B$ is generally a non-easy problem. I was wondering if the solution is known in the case where $A$ is symmetric and $B$ is diagonal. Thanks!

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    $\begingroup$ Read Fulton's survey, arxiv.org/abs/math/9908012 $\endgroup$
    – Misha
    Commented Mar 11, 2012 at 1:56
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    $\begingroup$ Assuming that by symmetric you mean real-symmetric, then this case would seem to be at least as hard as the case where A and B are Hermitian (since once can always conjugate A and B by a common matrix which diagonalizes B) $\endgroup$
    – Yemon Choi
    Commented Mar 11, 2012 at 2:07
  • $\begingroup$ One of the works for which Terry Tao was given a Fields medal is precisely solving this problem. More precisely, he (with collaborator Knutson), proved Alfred Horn's conjecture. Well documented in Fulton's paper mentionned above. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 11, 2012 at 16:44
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    $\begingroup$ People mostly know the eigenvalue problem for Hermitian matrices. However, the answer in the symmetric case is given by exactly the same inequalities (Klyachko's inequalities in non-recursive form and Horn's inequalities in the recursive form), see Fulton's survey article. $\endgroup$
    – Misha
    Commented Mar 11, 2012 at 17:15

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