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5 Hermitian and Skew-Hermitian Matrices: Definitions: A Matrix With Complex Elements Is Said To

Charles Hermite proved an important theorem in 1855 concerning matrices A where A = A*, which are now called Hermitian matrices. Hermitian and skew-Hermitian matrices are generalizations of real symmetric and real skew-symmetric matrices, respectively. A matrix A is Hermitian if A = A* and skew-Hermitian if A = -A*. The document then provides examples and theorems about properties of Hermitian and skew-Hermitian matrices.

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Jessica Reddy
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838 views

5 Hermitian and Skew-Hermitian Matrices: Definitions: A Matrix With Complex Elements Is Said To

Charles Hermite proved an important theorem in 1855 concerning matrices A where A = A*, which are now called Hermitian matrices. Hermitian and skew-Hermitian matrices are generalizations of real symmetric and real skew-symmetric matrices, respectively. A matrix A is Hermitian if A = A* and skew-Hermitian if A = -A*. The document then provides examples and theorems about properties of Hermitian and skew-Hermitian matrices.

Uploaded by

Jessica Reddy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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5

Hermitian and Skew-Hermitian Matrices


Charles Hermite (1822-1901), in 1855, proved an
important theorem concerning any matrix 𝑨 for which
𝑨 = 𝑨∗ , resulting in such matrices being named after him.
Hermitian and Skew-Hermitian matrices are
generalizations of real symmetric and real skew-symmetric
matrices respectively.
Definitions: A matrix 𝑨 with complex elements is said to
be Hermitian if 𝑨 = 𝑨∗ (conjugate transpose), that is, the
(𝑖, 𝑗)𝑡𝑕 element 𝑎𝑖𝑗 is the complex conjugate of the (𝑗, 𝑖)𝑡𝑕
element, 𝑎𝑗𝑖 = 𝑎𝑖𝑗 , that is,
𝑎11 𝑎12 ⋯ 𝑎1𝑚
𝑎 𝑎22 ⋯ 𝑎2𝑚
𝑨 = 12
⋮ ⋮ ⋱ ⋮ ,
𝑎1𝑚 𝑎2𝑚 ⋯ 𝑎𝑚𝑚
where the 𝑎𝑖𝑖 , 𝑖 = 1, … , m, are real.
and 𝑨 skew-hermitian if 𝑨 = −𝑨∗ , that is, the (𝑖, 𝑗)𝑡𝑕 element
𝑎𝑖𝑗 𝑖𝑠 − 1 times the complex conjugate of the (𝑗, 𝑖)𝑡𝑕 element,
−𝑎𝑗𝑖 = 𝑎𝑖𝑗 , that is,
𝑎11 𝑎12 ⋯ 𝑎1𝑚
−𝑎12 𝑎22 ⋯ 𝑎2𝑚
𝑨= ⋮ ⋮ ⋱ ⋮ ,
−𝑎1𝑚 −𝑎2𝑚 ⋯ 𝑎𝑚𝑚
where the 𝑎𝑖𝑖 , 1 ≤ 𝑖 ≤ 𝑚 is either zero or purely imaginary.
Example: If 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐, 𝑑, 𝑒, 𝑓, 𝑔, 𝑕, 𝑘 are real numbers and if
𝑖 = −1, then
𝑎 𝑏 + 𝑖𝑐 𝑒 + 𝑖𝑓
𝑏 − 𝑖𝑐 𝑑 𝑕 + 𝑖𝑘
𝑒 − 𝑖𝑓 𝑕 − 𝑖𝑘 𝑔
is hermitian and
𝑖𝑎 𝑏 + 𝑖𝑐 𝑒 + 𝑖𝑓
−𝑏 + 𝑖𝑐 𝑖𝑑 𝑕 + 𝑖𝑘
−𝑒 + 𝑖𝑓 −𝑕 + 𝑖𝑘 𝑖𝑔
is skew-hermitian.
Theorem: A Hermitian (skew-Hermitian) matrix is square,
and a real Hermitian (skew-Hermitian) matrix is symmetric
(skew-symmetric).
Proof: The proof that Hermitian and skew-Hermitian
matrices are square is left to the student. If 𝑨 is real
𝑇
Hermitian, then 𝑨 = 𝑨∗ = 𝑨 = 𝑨𝑇 , and 𝑨 is symmetric; if 𝑨
𝑇
is real skew-Hermitian, then 𝑨 = −𝑨∗ = − 𝑨 = −𝑨𝑇 , and
𝑨 is skew-symmetric.

We now list some theorems whose straightforward proofs


are left as exercises for the student.
Theorem: If 𝑨 is Hermitian (skew-Hermitian), then 𝑖𝑨 and
– 𝑖𝑨 are skew-Hermitian (Hermitian).
Theorem: If 𝑨 is Hermitian, then 𝑨 = 𝑴 + 𝑖𝑵, where 𝑴 is
real symmetric and 𝑵 is real skew-symmetric.
Theorem: If 𝑨 is a square matrix, then 𝑨 + 𝑨∗ is Hermitian
and 𝑨 − 𝑨∗ is skew-Hermitian.
Theorem: Any square matrix can be expressed as the sum
of a Hermitian and a skew-Hermitian matrix.
Theorem: If 𝑨 is any matrix (not necessarily square), then
𝑨∗ 𝑨 and 𝑨𝑨∗ are both Hermitian.
Theorem: If 𝑨 is Hermitian, then so also is 𝑩∗ 𝑨𝑩 for every
conformable matrix (a matrix is conformable if its
dimensions are suitable for defining some operations) 𝑩.

Some more Results


1. 𝑨 𝑚 × 𝑚 real: 𝑨 is Hermitian ⟺ A is symmetric.
2. 𝑨, 𝑩 𝑚 × 𝑚 Hermitian, 𝑐 ∈ ℝ:
a. 𝑐𝑨 is Hermitian.
b. 𝑨 ± 𝑩 is Hermitian.
c. 𝑨𝑩 = 𝑩𝑨 ⇔ 𝑨𝑩 is Hermitian.
d. 𝑨 ⊙ 𝑩 is Hermitian.
3. 𝑨 𝑚 × 𝑚 Hermitian, 𝑩 𝑛 × 𝑛 Hermitian:
a. 𝑨 ⊗ 𝑩 is Hermitian
b. 𝑨 ⊕ 𝑩 is Hermitian
4. 𝑨 = 𝑎𝑖𝑗 𝑚 × 𝑚 Hermitian:
a. 𝑨𝑇 is Hermitian.
b. 𝑨∗ is Hermitian.
c. 𝑨−1 is Hermitian, if 𝐴 is nonsingular.
d. 𝑨𝑖 is Hermitian for 𝑖 = 1,2, …
e. 𝑨 is Hermitian.
f. 𝑨 𝑎𝑏𝑠 is Hermitian.
g. 𝑨∗ 𝑨 = 𝑨𝑨∗ , that is, 𝐴 is normal.
5. 𝑨 𝑚 × 𝑚 :
a. 𝑨𝑨∗ is Hermitian
b. 𝑨∗ 𝑨 is Hermitian.
c. Three exist unique Hermitian 𝑚 × 𝑚 matrices 𝑩, 𝑪
such that 𝑨 = 𝑩 + 𝑖𝑪.
6. 𝑨 𝑚 × 𝑚 : 𝑨 is Hermitian ⟺ 𝑨∗ 𝑨 = 𝑨.

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