Matrix consimilarity explained

In linear algebra, two n-by-n matrices A and B are called consimilar if

A=SB\bar{S}-1

for some invertible

n x n

matrix

S

, where

\bar{S}

denotes the elementwise complex conjugation. So for real matrices similar by some real matrix

S

, consimilarity is the same as matrix similarity.

Like ordinary similarity, consimilarity is an equivalence relation on the set of

n x n

matrices, and it is reasonable to ask what properties it preserves.

The theory of ordinary similarity arises as a result of studying linear transformations referred to different bases. Consimilarity arises as a result of studying antilinear transformations referred to different bases.

A matrix is consimilar to itself, its complex conjugate, its transpose and its adjoint matrix. Every matrix is consimilar to a real matrix and to a Hermitian matrix. There is a standard form for the consimilarity class, analogous to the Jordan normal form.

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