Home > Matrix & Vector > Matrix Structure > Negative Definite Matrix checker example

22. is Negative Definite Matrix example ( Enter your problem )
  1. Definition & Examples
  2. Example-2

1. Definition & Examples





1. is Negative Definite Matrix ?
`[[-3,0,0],[0,-2,0],[0,0,-1]]`


Solution:
`A` = 
`-3``0``0`
`0``-2``0`
`0``0``-1`


A matrix is negative definite if it's symmetric and all its pivots are negative.

Test method 1: Existence of all negative Pivots.
First apply Gaussian Elimination method to find Pivots
`A` = 
`-3``0``0`
`0``-2``0`
`0``0``-1`


Pivots are the first non-zero element in each row of this eliminated matrix.

`:.` Pivots are `-3,-2,-1`

Here all pivots are negative, so matrix is negative definite.


A matrix is negative definite if Determinants `D_i<0` for odd i and `D_i>0` for even i .


Test method 2: Determinants of all upper-left sub-matrices.
`A` = 
`-3``0``0`
`0``-2``0`
`0``0``-1`


 `-3` 
`=-3`


 `-3`  `0` 
 `0`  `-2` 
`=6`


 `-3`  `0`  `0` 
 `0`  `-2`  `0` 
 `0`  `0`  `-1` 
`=-6`


Determinants are `-3,6,-6`

Here all odd determinants `D_1,D_3<0` and even determinants `D_2>0`, so matrix is negative definite.



A matrix is negative definite if it's symmetric and all its eigenvalues are negative.

Test method 3: All negative eigen values.
`|A-lamdaI|=0`

 `(-3-lamda)`  `0`  `0` 
 `0`  `(-2-lamda)`  `0` 
 `0`  `0`  `(-1-lamda)` 
 = 0


`:.(-3-lamda)((-2-lamda) × (-1-lamda) - 0 × 0)-0(0 × (-1-lamda) - 0 × 0)+0(0 × 0 - (-2-lamda) × 0)=0`

`:.(-3-lamda)((2+3lamda+lamda^2)-0)-0(0-0)+0(0-0)=0`

`:.(-3-lamda)(2+3lamda+lamda^2)-0(0)+0(0)=0`

`:. (-6-11lamda-6lamda^2-lamda^3)-0+0=0`

`:.(-lamda^3-6lamda^2-11lamda-6)=0`

`:.-(lamda+1)(lamda+2)(lamda+3)=0`

`:.(lamda+1)=0 or(lamda+2)=0 or(lamda+3)=0 `

`:.` The eigenvalues of the matrix `A` are given by `lamda=-3,-2,-1`,

Here all determinants are negative, so matrix is negative definite.




This material is intended as a summary. Use your textbook for detail explanation.
Any bug, improvement, feedback then Submit Here





Share this solution or page with your friends.
 
 
Copyright © 2026. All rights reserved. Terms, Privacy
 
 

.