Core Mathematical Concepts: Theorems, Matrices, and Vector Fields

The Cayley-Hamilton Theorem

Let $A$ be an $n \times n$ matrix, and let $P_A(\lambda)$ be its characteristic polynomial. The characteristic polynomial is defined as:

$$P_A(\lambda) = \det(\lambda I – A)$$

Expanding this determinant, we can write it as a polynomial in $\lambda$:

$$P_A(\lambda) = a_n \lambda^n + a_{n-1} \lambda^{n-1} + \cdots + a_1 \lambda + a_0$$

The Cayley-Hamilton Theorem states that every square matrix $A$ satisfies its own characteristic equation. This means that if we substitute the

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Discrete Mathematics Problem Solving Techniques and Solutions

Discrete Mathematics Problem Set Solutions

1. (d) Constructing Venn Diagrams for Set Expressions

Illustrate the following set expressions using Venn diagrams:

  1. \( \bar{A} \) (Complement of A)
  2. \( A \Delta B \) (Symmetric Difference)

Solution Instructions:

  • For \( \bar{A} \): Shade the region outside set \( A \) in a single circle diagram.
  • For \( A \Delta B \) (Symmetric Difference): Shade the regions in two circles representing \( A \) and \( B \) that are exclusively in \( A \) or \( B \) (i.e., \( A \cap
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Verifying a Solution for a First-Order Partial Differential Equation

Problem Statement and Given Solution

We are tasked with showing that the given function $u$ satisfies the following partial differential equation (PDE):

𝑥𝜕𝑢𝜕𝑥−𝑦𝜕𝑢𝜕𝑦=𝑦2𝑢3

The proposed solution is:

𝑢=(1+2𝑥𝑦+𝑦2)−12

1. Calculate the Partial Derivative 𝜕𝑢/𝜕𝑥

Using the chain rule, we differentiate $u$ with respect to $x$:

𝜕𝑢𝜕𝑥=−12(1+2𝑥𝑦+𝑦2)−32⋅(2𝑦)=−𝑦(1+2𝑥𝑦+𝑦2)−32

2. Calculate the Partial Derivative 𝜕𝑢/

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