Meanings
plural defective matrices
- linear algebraA square (n×n) matrix that has fewer than n linearly independent eigenvectors, and is therefore not diagonalisable.
Therefore, the sum of the geometric multiplicities of a defective matrix will be less than n.
2007, Thomas S. Shores, Applied Linear Algebra and Matrix Analysis, Springer, page 2612 more examples
1994, Sigal Ar, Jin-Yi Cai, Chapter 5: Reliable Benchmarks Using Numerical Stability, Proceedings of the Fifth Annual ACM-SIAM Symposium on Discrete Algorithms, Association for Computing Machinery, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, page 41, An n x n matrix A is a defective matrix if it has a defective eigenvalue. Obviously, a Jordan block of dimension greater than 1, and a matrix whose Jordan canonical form has a Jordan block of dimension greater than 1, are defective matrices.
Thus, defective matrices exhibit high sensitivity to imperfections. It can be checked that the unperturbed matrices L* are in fact nearly-defective, because they have nearly-parallel eigenvectors. In particular, the matrices are themselves perturbations of order ε of exactly defective matrices L_(id).
2013, Angelo Luongo, “Mode Localization in Dynamics and Buckling of Linear Imperfect Continuous Structures”, in Alexander F. Vakakis, editor, Normal Modes and Localization in Nonlinear Systems, Springer, page 153
Cite this entry
defective matrix. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defective%20matrix
“defective matrix.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/defective%20matrix. Accessed November 4, 2026.
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