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Section 25.2 Terminology and notation

similar matrices

a pair of square matrices A and B for which there exists an invertible matrix P satisfying B=P−1AP

transition matrix

an invertible matrix P that realizes a similarity relationship B=P−1AP for similar matrices A and B

Note 25.2.1.

We have already used the term transition matrix to mean a change-of-basis matrix (see Section 22.2), and we will justify this double definition of the term when we study similarity in more generality in Chapter 26.

diagonalizable

a square matrix that is similar to a diagonal matrix

The next two definitions apply to an eigenvalue of a square matrix.

algebraic multiplicity

the number of times the eigenvalue is repeated as a root of the characteristic polynomial of the matrix

geometric multiplicity

the dimension of the corresponding eigenspace