TheoremMatrix exponentiation

For an integer \(r\geq 1\) and a diagonalizable matrix \(\Mtrx{A}\) with \(\Mtrx{D} = \Mtrx{C}^{-1} \Mtrx{A} \Mtrx{C}\) diagonal,

\(\Mtrx{A}^r\)\(=\)\(\Mtrx{C} \Mtrx{D}^r \Mtrx{C}^{-1}\)

Proof

The equality \(\Mtrx{D} = \Mtrx{C}^{-1} \Mtrx{A} \Mtrx{C}\) is equivalent to

\(\Mtrx{A}\)\(=\)\(\Mtrx{C} \Mtrx{D} \Mtrx{C}^{-1}\)

Therefore

\(\Mtrx{A}^r\)\(=\)\(\left( \Mtrx{C} \Mtrx{D} \Mtrx{C}^{-1} \right)^r\)
\(\)\(= \)\(\left( \Mtrx{C} \Mtrx{D} \Mtrx{C}^{-1} \right) \left( \Mtrx{C} \Mtrx{D} \Mtrx{C}^{-1} \right)\ \cdots\ \left( \Mtrx{C} \Mtrx{D} \Mtrx{C}^{-1} \right)\)
\(\)\(= \)\(\Mtrx{C}\, \Mtrx{D}^r\, \Mtrx{C}^{-1}\)

as claimed.