Need Help: New kind of Matrix formula?

ErAnushka
@eranushka-4BgWe8 โ€ข Oct 26, 2024

In my book, I've:

Problem: Express the matrix [] as a sum of symmetric and skew symmetric matrices.

Okay, as far as I know, symmetric matrix remains the same even if we transpose it.
And the skew symmetric matrix is the same as it's -1 x the transpose of itself.

How do I suppose to solve this?
here [] =
| 2 -4 9 |
| 14 7 13 |
| 3 5 11 |


I think, first I should write the transpose of matrix which is the symmetric matrix and then write the transpose again multiplied by -1.

After that I can add both matrix and prove that it is equal to the [] matrix.

but in book, they used these formula,

B = 1/2 (A+A')
C = 1/2 (A-A')

I'm not sure what is this... and where it came from ๐Ÿ˜จ

Anyone can explain me? My method is right or the method used in the book? โ˜•

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  • ErAnushka

    @eranushka-4BgWe8 Sep 3, 2012

    No problem I got ๐Ÿ˜€

    A direct proof is as follows:

    Let X be the given square matrix

    Let X=A+B where A is symmetric and B is skew symmetric

    That is A'=A and B' = - B .......(1)
    Therefore,
    X'=A'+B' ( using the property of transpose of a matrix)
    or, X'=A - B from (1) above

    Now, as X is square , therefore, X+X' and X-X' are defined.

    Therefore X+X'=A+B +A-B= 2A

    and X-X'=A+B- (A-B) = 2B

    Therefrore A=(X+X')/2

    and B= (X-X')/2

    It is easy to verify that A'=A and B'= - B

    That is A is symmetric and B is skew symmetric

    Therefore , X can be uniquely expressed as sum of a symmetric matrix and a skew symmetric matrix, which is

    X =(X+X')/2 + (X-X')/2




    I understood the green part ๐Ÿ˜€ , but the red part is little confusing๐Ÿ˜• .. A'=A and B' = -B but how? we got only A=(X+X')/2 and B= (X-X')/2.... ??? ๐Ÿ˜จ

  • silverscorpion

    @silverscorpion-iJKtdQ Sep 4, 2012

    I'm not sure what you are not getting here.. A = A' and B = -B' are assumptions that you made in the beginning, right? (ie., you have assumed that A is symmetric and B is skew symmetric)

    You can probably take the transpose of (X+X')/2 and (X-X')/2, and check that they are indeed the same as A and -B.. but, here it's actually assumed that it is true.

  • ErAnushka

    @eranushka-4BgWe8 Sep 4, 2012

    silverscorpionI'm not sure what you are not getting here.. A = A' and B = -B' are assumptions that you made in the beginning, right? (ie., you have assumed that A is symmetric and B is skew symmetric)

    You can probably take the transpose of (X+X')/2 and (X-X')/2, and check that they are indeed the same as A and -B.. but, here it's actually assumed that it is true.

    Omg wait... I got it ๐Ÿ˜€

    We are actually proving that any square matrix is a sum of symmetric matrix and skew symmetric matrix, so here, A is symmetric matrix and B is skew symmetric matrix.

    We got both value, so,

    A+B = (X+X')/2 + (X-X')/2
    A+B = (X+X' + X-X') /2
    A+B = 2X/2
    A+B = X

    Here X is a square matrix! OMG! I'm so stupid ๐Ÿ˜
    By the by thanks for the reply, I got the idea at the moment of reading this again ๐Ÿ˜€