The question is :
If a square matrix $A$ is row-equivalent to a matrix $B$ but not congruent to $B$ then can it be said that two matrices have the same minimal polynomial?Please help me.
Thank you in advance.
The question is :
If a square matrix $A$ is row-equivalent to a matrix $B$ but not congruent to $B$ then can it be said that two matrices have the same minimal polynomial?Please help me.
Thank you in advance.
No. The row operations preserve the determinant, but almost none else.
For example, take the matrices $$ I = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0\\ 0 & 1 \end{pmatrix} \qquad J = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1\\ 0 & 1 \end{pmatrix}. $$
They are row equivalent, but their minimal polynomials are different $p_I(x)=1-x$, $p_J(x) = (1-x)^2$.
Call $A$ the original matrix. Let's build a row-equivalent but not congruent matrix $B$.
Modify $A$ into an upper triangular form $T$ with at least one non-zero element on the diagonal (you can always do so, except when $A$ is the zero matrix). Then multiply all the rows by a gigantic number $a$, so that the determinant of $aT$ is different from the determinant of $A$. Then $B=aT$.
If you don't want to use the rows rescaling or swapping(that modify the determinant) is a bit more complicated..