All Questions
6,178 questions
27
votes
7
answers
9k
views
Why are two "random" vectors in $\mathbb R^n$ approximately orthogonal for large $n$?
I saw that two random independent vectors are approximately orthogonal in high dimensional space.
How can I prove this?
And is there an intuitive explanation?
Thank you.
- 387
27
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Uniquely reconstruct a matrix $M$ from its inverse $M^{-1}$ if $n$ elements of $M^{-1}$ are unknown and $n$ elements of $M$ are given
This question was motivated by a recent MO post. You know $n$ elements of the $N\times N$ matrix $M$ and you do not know $n$ elements of the inverse $M^{-1}$ (but you know the other $N^2-n$ elements ...
- 188k
27
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Continuous functions $f$ with $f(A)$ linearly independent when $A$ is independent
Is there any characterization of continuous functions $f : \Bbb{R}\longrightarrow \Bbb{R}$ such that for any linearly independent set $A$ (over the rationals) $f(A)$ is also linearly independent ?
- 447
27
votes
3
answers
13k
views
What is known about the distribution of eigenvectors of random matrices?
Let $A$ be a real asymmetric $n \times n$ matrix with i.i.d. random, zero-mean elements. What results, if any, are there for the eigenvectors of $A$? In particular:
How are individual eigenvectors ...
- 433
27
votes
1
answer
4k
views
If $V$ is a vector space with a basis. $W\subseteq V$ has to have a basis too?
Suppose $V$ is a vector space, we say that $\mathcal B$ is a basis for $V$ if:
Every $v\in V$ can be written as a linear combination of elements of $\mathcal B$;
If $\sum\alpha_i b_i = 0$, where $\...
- 39.7k
26
votes
6
answers
14k
views
Deriving inverse of Hilbert matrix
The Hilbert matrix is the square matrix given by
$$H_{ij}=\frac{1}{i+j-1}$$
Wikipedia states that its inverse is given by
$$(H^{-1})_{ij} = (-1)^{i+j}(i+j-1) {{n+i-1}\choose{n-j}}{{n+j-1}\choose{n-...
- 1,254
26
votes
3
answers
4k
views
How are these two ways of thinking about the cross product related?
I was always bothered by the definition of the cross product given in e.g. a calculus course because it's never made clear how one would go about defining the cross product in a coordinate-free manner....
- 118k
26
votes
3
answers
17k
views
Hölder's inequality for matrices
I was wondering if the Hölder's inequality was true for matrix induced norms, i.e. if
$$\|AB\|_1 \leq \|A\|_p\|B\|_q, \quad\forall p,q \in [1,\infty] \text{ s.t. } \tfrac{1}{p}+\tfrac{1}{q} = 1.$$
But ...
- 837
26
votes
5
answers
1k
views
Condition for a matrix to be a perfect power of an integer matrix
I have a question that seems to be rather simple but for I got no clue so far.
Let's say I have a matrix $A$ of size $2\times 2$ and integer entries. I want to know if there is a kind of test or ...
- 1,889
26
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Linear Algebra without Choice
We consider the field of "usual" linear algebra.
Q. Which aspects of it can be carried out without the Axiom of Choice?
Q. Do interesting "exotic" phenomena appear in presence of (some instance of) ...
- 23.3k
26
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Singular values of sequence of growing matrices
I asked this question on math.stackexchange and haven't received an answer in two weeks, so I'm repeating it here.
Let
$$
H=\left(\begin{array}{cccc}
0 & 1/2 & 0 & 1/2 \cr
1/2 & 0 &...
- 656
26
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Sizes of bases of vector spaces without the axiom of choice
Assuming the axiom of choice does not hold we have that there is a vector space without a basis. The situation can be, in some sense, worse. It is consistent that there are vector spaces that have two ...
- 39.7k
26
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Symmetric strengthening of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality
In this great question by Nathaniel Johnston, and in its answers, we can learn the following remarkable inequality: For all $v,w \in \mathbb{R}^n$ we have
\begin{align*}
\|v^2\| \, \|w^2\| - \langle ...
- 12.5k
26
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Generalization of Cauchy's eigenvalue interlacing theorem?
Cauchy's Interlacing Theorem says that given an $n \times n$ symmetric matrix $A$, let $B$ be an $(n-1) \times (n-1)$ principal submatrix of it, then the eigenvalues of $A$ and those of $B$ interlace.
...
- 571
26
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Real square roots of symmetric matrices
In joint work with Andreas Fischle (TU Dresden, Germany) and Patrizio Neff (U Essen, Germany) we needed to use the following statement: If $S$ is a real $n\times n$ matrix with $S^2$ symmetric, then ...
- 5,186
25
votes
16
answers
4k
views
functions satisfying "one-one iff onto"
Hello Everybody.
I need some more examples for the following really interesting phenomenon:
A function from the class ... is one-one iff it is onto.
Some ...
25
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Largest number of vectors with pairwise negative dot product
What is the largest $m$ such that there exist $v_1,\dots,v_m \in \mathbb{R}^n$ such that for all $i$ and $j$, $1\leq i< j\leq m$, we have $v_i \cdot v_j < 0$.
Also, the preview screen is not ...
user5810
25
votes
8
answers
15k
views
Linear Algebra Problems?
Is there any good reference for difficult problems in linear algebra? Because I keep running into easily stated linear algebra problems that I feel I should be able to solve, but don't see any obvious ...
25
votes
5
answers
2k
views
When is a matrix power nonnegative
The following question came up today during a discussion:
Suppose $A$ is an $n \times n$ real matrix. Is there some way to tell whether there exists an integer $q > 0$ such that $A^q$ is ...
- 28.6k
25
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Understanding zeta function regularization
I attended a talk this morning on Ray-Singer torsion, in which Rafael Siejakowski introduced zeta function regularization in a compelling way. The goal is to define the determinant of a positive self-...
- 22.1k
25
votes
2
answers
872
views
Show that these matrices are invertible for all $p>3$
I am working on a paper which will extend a result in my thesis and have boiled one problem down to the following: show that the symmetric matrix $M_p$, whose definition follows, is invertible for all ...
- 261
25
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Does there exist a continuous function $f(x)$ such that $f(0)=0$ and $0<\lim_{n\to\infty}\prod_{k=1}^n f(k/n)<\infty$?
Does there exist a continuous function $f(x)$ such that $f(0)=0$ and $0<\lim\limits_{n\to\infty}\prod\limits_{k=1}^n f(\frac{k}{n})<\infty$ ?
I do not see any reason why such a function could ...
- 3,527
25
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Factorization of a real matrix into Hermitian x Hermitian. Is it stable ?
It is known (see Theorem 4.1.7 in R. Horn & C. Johnson) that every matrix $A\in M_n(\mathbb R)$ (real entries) can be written as the product $HK$ of two Hermitian matrices (complex entries). Of ...
- 52.3k
25
votes
4
answers
7k
views
"Natural" pairings between exterior powers of a vector space and its dual
Let $V$ be a finite-dimensional vector space over a field $k$, $v_1, \dotsc v_n \in V$ a set of vectors, and $f_1, \dotsc f_n \in V^{\ast}$ a set of covectors. Up to permutation, there seem to be at ...
- 118k
25
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What kind of random matrices have rapidly decaying singular values?
I've been told that in machine learning it's common to compute the singular value decomposition of matrices in order to throw out all information in the matrix except that corresponding to, say, the $...
- 118k
24
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Computing a determinant involving roots of unity
Let $d \geq 2$ be an integer and $\xi=\exp(\frac{2\pi i}{d})$. I am trying to compute the determinant of the matrix
$$
(\xi^{ij}-1)_{1 \leq i, j \leq d-1}.
$$ Let me call it $\Delta(d)$. For small ...
- 243
24
votes
3
answers
866
views
Mark some vectors in $\mathbb{R}^n$ in a way that every orthonormal basis has an odd number of marked vectors
Let $n$ be a natural number. Is there a set $S$ of vectors of norm $1$ in $\mathbb{R}^n$ such that every orthonormal basis of $\mathbb{R}^n$ contains an odd number of vectors from $S$?
If $n$ is odd, ...
- 679
24
votes
5
answers
6k
views
Generators for congruence subgroups of SL_2
For positive integers $n$ and $L$, denote by $SL_n(Z,L)$ the level $L$ congruence subgroup of $SL_n(Z)$, i.e. the kernel of the homomorphism $SL_n(Z)\rightarrow SL_n(Z/LZ)$.
For $n$ at least $3$, it ...
- 44.8k
24
votes
1
answer
1k
views
About the abelian category of endofunctors of $\mathsf{Vect}$
Let $k$ be a field, $\mathsf{Vect}$ the category of finite dimensional vector spaces, and $\mathsf{C} = Fun(\mathsf{Vect},\mathsf{Vect})$ the abelian category of pointed endofunctors (sending $0$ to $...
- 7,789
24
votes
0
answers
1k
views
conjectures regarding a new Renyi information quantity
In a recent paper http://arxiv.org/abs/1403.6102, we defined a quantity that we called the "Renyi conditional mutual information" and investigated several of its properties. We have some open ...
- 483
23
votes
13
answers
7k
views
Pedagogical question about linear algebra
Last semester I taught a linear algebra class that is intended to introduce young students (at a sophmore-junior level) to "abstract mathematics". It seems that a major conceptual hurdle for many of ...
23
votes
5
answers
4k
views
Smallest non-zero eigenvalue of a (0,1) matrix
What's the smallest absolute value possible of a non-zero eigenvalue of an $n$ by $n$ square matrix whose entries are either $0$ or $1$ (all operations are over $\mathbb{R}$)? I would be interested ...
- 3,377
23
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Identity for an infinite product
Here is an experimental "result" exhibiting the difference of two (formal) infinite products that "almost factorizes".
QUESTION. Is this true?
$$\prod_{n\geq1}(1+x^{2n-1})^{24} - \...
- 43.2k
23
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Dividing by two in the category of vector spaces
Does every invertible linear map $M$ between $V \oplus V$ and $W \oplus W$ naturally yield an invertible linear map $L$ between $V$ and $W$?
Here "naturally" means "in an $GL(V) \times GL(W)$-...
- 19.7k
23
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Which vector spaces are duals ?
Every finite-dimensional vector space is isomorphic to its dual.
However for an infinite-dimensional vector space $E$ over a field $K$ this is always false since its dual $E^\ast$ is a vector space ...
- 47.5k
23
votes
2
answers
880
views
Possible behaviors of integer sequences that arise from powering nonnegative integer matrices
Let's call a sequence of nonnegative integers $x_1,x_2,\ldots$ matrix-realizable, if there exists a $k\times k$ nonnegative integer matrix $A$ (for some $k$), as well as nonnegative integer vectors $u,...
- 9,823
23
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Formula expressing symmetric polynomials of eigenvalues as sum of determinants
The trace of a matrix is the sum of the eigenvalues and the determinant is the product of the eigenvalues. The fundamental theorem of symmetric polynomials says that we can write any symmetric ...
- 493
23
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Is it consistent with ZF that $V\to V^{\ast \ast}$ is always surjective?
In a comment to a recent question, Jeremy Rickard asked whether it is consistent with ZF that the map $V \to V^{**}$ from a vector space to its double dual is always surjective. We know that "...
- 82.7k
23
votes
0
answers
8k
views
An $n \times n$ matrix $A$ is similar to its transpose $A^{\top}$: elementary proof?
A famous result in linear algebra is the following.
An $n \times n$ matrix $A$ over a field $\mathbb{F}$ is similar to its transpose $A^T$.
I know one proof using the Smith Normal Form (SNF). ...
- 3,320
22
votes
9
answers
17k
views
Fast evaluation of polynomials
Hello everybody !
I was reading a book on geometry which taught me that one could compute the volume of a simplex through the determinant of a matrix, and I thought (I'm becoming a worse computer ...
- 1,654
22
votes
1
answer
13k
views
Non-diagonalizable complex symmetric matrix
This is a question in elementary linear algebra, though I hope it's not so trivial to be closed.
Real symmetric matrices, complex hermitian matrices, unitary matrices, and complex matrices with ...
- 23.3k
22
votes
2
answers
14k
views
Infinite matrices and the concept of "determinant"
Suppose we have an infinite matrix A = (aij) (i, j positive integers). What is the "right" definition of determinant of such a matrix? (Or does such a notion even exist?) Of course, I don't ...
- 1,861
22
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Discriminant of characteristic polynomial as sum of squares
The characteristic polynomial of a real symmetric $n\times n$ matrix $H$ has $n$ real roots, counted with multiplicity.
Therefore the discriminant $D(H)$ of this polynomial is zero or positive.
It is ...
- 8,086
22
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Can one deduce the fundamental theorem of algebra from real calculus and linear algebra?
Motivation: let $A\in\mathbf{R}^{n\times n}$ be symmetric. Then by the method of Lagrange multipliers, a maximum of $x\mapsto x^tAx$ on the compact unit sphere $\mathbf{S}^{n-1}$ must be an ...
- 337
22
votes
2
answers
1k
views
$GL_n(\Bbb Z_p)$ conjugacy classes in a $GL_n(\Bbb Q_p)$ conjugacy class
It is easy to classify conjugacy classes in $GL_n(\mathbb Q_p)$ by linear algebra. How to classify $GL_n(\Bbb Z_p)$ conjugacy classes in a $GL_n(\Bbb Q_p)$ conjugacy class? For example, for general ...
- 6,622
22
votes
1
answer
33k
views
vector to diagonal matrix [closed]
For any column vector we can easily create a corresponding diagonal matrix, whose elements along the diagonal are the elements of the column vector.
Is there a simple way to write this transformation ...
- 247
22
votes
2
answers
742
views
A q-rious identity
Let $[x]_q=\frac{1-q^x}{1-q}$, $[n]_q!=[1]_q[2]_q\cdots[n]_q$ and ${\binom{x}{n}}_{q}=\frac{[x]_q[x-1]_q\cdots[x-n+1]_q }{[n]_q!}$.
Computer experiments suggest that
$$\det \left(q^\binom{i-j}{2}\...
- 5,622
22
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Eigenvalues of permutations of a real matrix: can they all be real?
For a matrix $M\in GL(n,\mathbb R)$, consider the $n!$ matrices obtained by permutations of the rows (say) of $M$ and define the total spectrum $TS(M)$ as the union of all their spectra (counting ...
- 13.4k
22
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Splitting the determinant polynomial into linear factors - a Dedekind problem
Here's the question in a nutshell. For some $n\in\mathbb N$, we consider the polynomial
$\det\left(\left(X_{i,j}\right) _ {1\leq i\leq n,\ 1\leq j\leq n}\right)\in\mathbb Z\left[X_{i,j}\mid 1\leq i\...
- 33.8k
22
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Fast Fourier transform for graph Laplacian?
In the case of a regularly-sampled scalar-valued signal $f$ on the real line, we can construct a discrete linear operator $A$ such that $A(f)$ approximates $\partial^2 f / \partial x^2$. One way to ...
- 3,059