Eigenvalues come from solving det(A - λI) = 0, and eigenvectors are found as the null space of (A - λI) for each eigenvalue.
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The characteristic equation
Rewrite as , state the singularity condition that a nonzero demands, and record that an matrix yields a degree- polynomial in .
Eigenvectors as the null space of
State that for each eigenvalue the eigenvectors come from elimination on , and record that a whole line or subspace results, so one basis vector suffices.
Worked example with
Expand , factor it to and , and carry the two null spaces through to and .
The shift by and the trap for
Write with the eigenvectors unchanged, then record the flawed shared-eigenvector argument that wrongly predicts the eigenvalues of and .