# Simple linear algebra problem: prove a matrix is invertible

I'm preparing for a test in linear algebra and I've come across a problem I'm having trouble with for some reason:

Given a square matrix A, $A^2=2I$, prove that $A-I$ is invertible.

I know this is pretty simple but I can't seem to play with the equations to get it so that for some $B$, $B(A-I)=I$

It's pretty easy to see that $A^{-1}=\frac{1}{2}A$, but beyond that I haven't been able to get very far.

Can anyone help with this?

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From your original equation subtract $\;I\;$ from both sides, and you'll get at once what you want:

$$A^2=2I\implies A^2-I=2I-I=I\implies (A-I)(A+I)=I\;\;\color{green}\checkmark$$

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+1 for the green checkmark – Martijn Feb 20 at 18:32

No “guess and check” is needed. Set $B=A-I$, so $A=B+I$; then $$(B+I)^2=2I$$ that becomes $$B^2+2B+I=2I$$ or $$I=B^2+2B=B(B+2I)$$ Thus $$(A-I)^{-1}=B^{-1}=B+2I=A+I$$

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I would say that setting $B=A-I$ counts as a guess-and-check, how do you know it will help? – David Feb 20 at 8:15
@David No guess: it's the matrix we want to know about. By using $A=B+I$ and substituting, we get rid of $A$. Whether the method works is not known in advance, of course, but it's an attempt to be made. – egreg Feb 20 at 9:24
@David What on Earth would you consider not to be "guess-and-check" in this case? You have to think at least a tiny bit to do mathematics! – Najib Idrissi Feb 20 at 13:31
@David I'm not saying this method is better or worse than “guess-and-check”. Of course, observing that $(A-I)(A+I)=I$ (in this particular case) is much faster. A “safe-though-slower” method should always be available and this was the purpose of my answer. – egreg Feb 20 at 14:05

Note the if $A-I$ is not invertible then exist a vector $v$ such that $(A-I)v=0$ and $Av=v$. Therefore $v$ is an eigenvector with eigenvalue $1$ but the possible eigenvalues of $A$ are $\pm \sqrt 2$. Indeed if $v$ is an eigenvector for $A$ with eigenvalue $\lambda$ then $$\lambda ^2v-2v=0$$ $$v(\lambda ^2-2)=0$$ from here $\lambda =\pm \sqrt 2$

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This argument can be made somewhat more elementary by eschewing the concept of "eigenvalue" and simply noting that since $Av=v$ we have $2v=A^2v=Av=v$ so $v=0$, contradiction. – Meni Rosenfeld Feb 20 at 18:05
@MeniRosenfeld right – Domenico Vuono Feb 20 at 18:07
But the concept of eigenvalue is beautiful – Domenico Vuono Feb 20 at 18:08
Of course it is. But there's merit in not bringing into a solution heavier machinery than is necessary. – Meni Rosenfeld Feb 20 at 18:33
Not to mention, there's a reasonable chance the OP hasn't yet gotten as far as eigenvalues in their studies. – Meni Rosenfeld Feb 20 at 18:58

We have $$(A + I)(A - I) = A^2 - I^2 = 2I - I = I.$$ So $(A - I)^{-1} = A + I$.

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Cool. Was that kind of a "guess and check" situation or did you know that if you'd multiply $(A+I)(A-I)$ you'd get 0 as the coefficient of $A$ in the resultant polynomial and that that might solve the problem? – Or Bairey-Sehayek Feb 19 at 22:11
I knew that because of the difference of two squares formula. The answer below shows a more deductive way of finding the inverse. – Ethan Alwaise Feb 19 at 22:16
Difference-of-squares is useful in many areas of math. The generalized difference-of-powers is also useful in places you might not expect: proofwiki.org/wiki/Difference_of_Two_Powers – mephistolotl Feb 20 at 6:22

Suppose that $A-I$ is not invertible. Then $\lambda = 1$ is an eigenvalue of $A$, but then $1$ is an eigenvalue of $A^{2}$. So that $v = A^{2}v = 2v \implies 1 = 2$ a contradiction.

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