characteristic polynomial

== English == === Noun === characteristic polynomial (plural characteristic polynomials) (linear algebra) The polynomial produced from a given square matrix by first subtracting the appropriate identity matrix multiplied by an indeterminant and then calculating the determinant. (mathematics) A polynomial P(r) corresponding to a homogeneous, linear, ordinary differential equation P(D) y = 0 where D is a differential operator (with respect to a variable t, if y is a function of t). ==== Usage notes ==== Equally many authors instead subtract the matrix from the indeterminant times the identity matrix. The result differs only by a factor of -1, which turns out to be unimportant in the theory of characteristic polynomials. ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === See also === === Further reading === Cayley–Hamilton theorem on Wikipedia.Wikipedia characteristic polynomial on Wikipedia.Wikipedia