AI engineering glossary · Linear algebra
What is characteristic polynomial?
Characteristic polynomial (also called Characteristic equation): The polynomial obtained as the determinant of (A minus lambda times the identity). Its roots are exactly the eigenvalues of A, which gives the classical hand method of finding them.
Characteristic polynomial: an example
For [[2,1],[1,2]] the polynomial is (2 - lambda)^2 - 1, with roots 1 and 3.
Related terms
More Linear algebra terms
- Cholesky decomposition
- Column space
- Column vector
- Cosine similarity
- Covariance matrix
- Cross product
- Dense matrix
- Design matrix
Where you learn it
Characteristic polynomial is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.