When eigenvalues repeat, why does the similarity class split — and what keeps 4I forever stranded as a family of one?
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Two disjoint families for the eigenvalues
State that the matrices with repeated eigenvalue break into two families rather than one, and contrast this with the distinct-eigenvalue case where every matrix reaches .
similar only to itself
Reproduce the computation holding for every invertible , and record that this family has exactly one member.
The large non-diagonalizable family and its Jordan representative
List members such as and , verify trace and determinant , and name the Jordan form as the best representative.
Independent eigenvector count as the separator
Record that has two independent eigenvectors while every member of the other family has one, and that this count is preserved across a similarity family.