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From: patrick@nmtvax.UUCP (Patrick Madden)
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: I need an A in linear algebra!  Help!
Message-ID: <967@nmtvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 10-Mar-86 18:46:54 EST
Article-I.D.: nmtvax.967
Posted: Mon Mar 10 18:46:54 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 14-Mar-86 04:23:21 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: New Mexico Tech, Socorro
Lines: 27

*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MATRIX ***

Help!  I'd like to get an A in linear, but I'm looking at a B....  However,
there's a chance I can get a lot of brownie points for the following:
Given matrix A of the form below, there are at most 4 matrices M1, M2, M3 and
M4, such that Mi*Mi = I (M sub i squared is the identity matrix), and
M1*M2*M3*M4 = A.  The "A" matrix is:
[K 0 0 ..   0    ]                     [2  0]
[0 K 0 ..   0    ]  and in particular  [0 .5]
[. 0 K 0.   0    ]
[. . 0 K    0    ]
[.....0 1/k^(n-1)]
   etc, and the nth row, nth column entry is 1/K^(n-1).
The determinant of these beasts is 1.

I have a feeling that these may have been discussed at a conference in Dallas
on March 8th or thereabouts.  The prof just got back from there with a smirk
on his face....

Chances are this is a pretty rough one--he seemed pretty sure no one would
get it.  Anyway, if anyone has any ideas (or pointers, or knows anything
about the confrence), I'd love to hear.  My GPA would love to hear too.

Thanx in advance,
Patrick Madden, at a dusty terminal in a dusty town in a dusty state....
!cmcl2!lanl!unmc!nmtvax!patrick | "Mid the sagebrush and the thistle,
!ucbvax!unmvax!nmtvax!patrick   |  I'll watch that guided missile"