Why are positive eigenvalues, positive pivots, and positive leading sub-determinants three equivalent tests for positive definiteness—and why does det(A)>0 alone fail to certify it?
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Definition and the three equivalent tests
Write the definition, symmetric with all eigenvalues positive, beside the two equivalent tests: all pivots positive, and every leading upper-left determinant positive.
A worked example
Take , get pivots 5 and from the determinant 11, then solve for .
Counterexample with a positive full determinant
Compute for the determinant 3 alongside the upper-left determinant , and record that every leading sub-determinant must be positive.