REDUCTION OF QUADRATIC FORM TO CANONICAL FORM THROUGH ORTHOGONAL

TRANSFORMATION [OR SUM OF SQUARES FORM OR PRINCIPAL AXES FORM]

Working rule:

Step 1: Write the matrix of the given quadratic form

Step 2: To find the characteristic equation

Step 3: To solve the characteristic equation

Step 4: To find the eigen vectors orthogonal to each other

Step 5: Form the Normalized matrix N

Step 6: Find TV7

Step 7: Find AN

Step 8: Find D = NTAN

yi
Step 9: The canonical form is Ta
The ellipsoid of inertia of a solid body is given by
P(x) = 4.q + 4xf + .rj - 2x|.y2.
Find its standard form in terms of a new orthogonal set of axes O{yi, yz* and
find the linear transformation that connects the two sets of coordinates.

Solution Hie quadratic form /J(x) can be writton as x[ Ax by defining

"xi" 4 -1 ()"
K = and A = -1 4 0
_^J 0 0 1
'Fhe eigenvalues of A are Xi = Lt Xj = 5, and X3 = 3, so the standard form of 7J(x)
is
P(x) = yf + 5^ +
The eigenvalues and corresponding normalized eigenvectors of A are
 "0"
—
■-1/V2' "l/TT
m = is i] = □ , X2 = r x2 = 1/75 . M = 3, x3 = 1/72
I 0 _ (J _

sc the orthogonal diagonalizing matrix tor A is

-1/72 1/751
Q= D 1/72 1/72
J 0 0
and the change of variables between x and y determined by x = Qv becomes
= (-yz + xO/T^, = (yz + *a = yi
The equation /J(x) = constant is seen to be an ellipsoid for which 0| v-. _v2, y_7 are
the principai axes. ■
 1. Reduce the given quadratic form Q to its canonical form using orthogonal
transformation Q = 4- 3zz - 2yz

coeff .of x2 ^[Link] ± [Link] xz

Solution: The matrix of the Q.F is A = | coeff. of yx coeff. of y2 -i coeff. of yz

coeff. of zx | [Link] zy [Link] z2

' £i
1 0 0‘
i.e., A = 0 3 -1
_0 -1 3 .
The characteristic equation of A is A3 - S^2 + = 0 where

= Sum of the main diagonal elements = l + 3 + 3 = 7

S2 = S™ of the minors of the main diagonal elemeents = (9 — 1} + (3 — 0) + (3 — 0}
= 8+3 + 3 = 14

S3 = |?1| = 1(9-1)+ 0 + 0 = 8

The characteristic equation of A is A’ — 72’ + 142 — 8 — 0

Ta find the eigen vectors:

(» - =o
[1-A 0 0 1 XL- 0
a 3-2 -1 *2 — 0
a -1 3-2. *2 .0.
0 0 0 PM roi
Case 1: When A = 1, 0 2 -1 *2 — 0
.0 -1 2 . *2. .0.

OX; + ()X2 + 0x3= 0-------- (1)

ri
OXj + 2x2 — r3 = 0-------- {2) = o
()Xj - x2 + 2x3 = 0-------- {3)
[o.
 -1 0 0 Fil 0
Case 2: When A = 2, o 1 -1 *2 — 0
.0—1 1 *3. .0.

—Xj + 0x2 + 0x3= 0......... (1)

Oxr + r2 — r3 = 0------- (2)

Oxj — x2 + x3 = 0

0
1
1.
-3 0 [Xf 0
Case 3: When 1 = 4, o —1 x2 — 0
. 0 -1 *3. .0.
3*! + Ox2 + 0x3= 0--------- (1)
0
0*i — x2 — x3 = 0 (2) -1
OXT — X2 — X3 = 0 -(3)
. 1 .

1 0
vT V2
o Ol
i
o 1
The Normalized matrix N = vT V?
;N V2 V2
-l
0 1
V2 v7.
LvT V2

r 1 0 O-|
vT V2 y[2
1 0
1 0 0 1 -1
2
AN = 0 3 -1 7?
vT V2 V2
.0 -1 3 1 1
V2
Lt V2 V2-

rl 0
1
01 rl 0
2
0
—4
o o — 1 0
ntan = 75 V2 75 0 0
-1 1 A 2 4 .0 4.
0 o —
75 7?- V2 75-
 1 0 0' 7i
The canonical form is [y1y2y3] 0 2 0 >2 yl + 2yl + 4y|
.0 0 4. 73.

8 0 0 yr
canonical form is [yj y2 0 2 0 >2
0 0 2 73

1. Reduce the quadratic form to a canonical form by an orthogonal reduction

2xxxz + 2xxx3 - [Link] find its nature.

coeff. of xf | coeff. of xxx2 ^[Link] xxx3

Solution: The matrix of the Q.F is A = ± coeff. of x2xx coeff. of x2 \coeff. of x2x3
± coeff. of x3xx ^[Link] x3x2 coeff. of xj

0 1 1
,A = 1 0 -1
.1 -1 0J

The characteristic equation of A is A3 - SXA2 + S2A - S3 = 0 where

 = Sum of the main diagonal elements = 0

S2 — Sum of the minors of the main diagonal elements - — 1 — 1 — 1 = — 3

= |j4| = 0(0 - 1) - 1( 0 + 1) + 1 (—1 -0) = 0-1-1 =-2

The characteristic equation of A is A3 - 0A2 - 3-1 + 2 = 0 => A3 - 3A + 2 = 0

The eigen values are 11,1, -2

To find the eigen vectors:

(X-XQX = 0

Hl 1 [*i 0
1 -A -1 *2 = 0
. 1 -1 -A. *3. .0.
 -1 1 1 Fll 0
Case 2: When A = 1, 1 -1 -1 *2 0
. 1 -1 -1. *3. .0.
-Xi + x2 + x3 = 0......... (1)

Xj - x2 - x3 = 0------ (2)

Xi - x2 - x3 = 0------ (3)

All three equations are one and the same.

Put - 0, x2 — —x3 . Let r3 = 1. Then x2

 q
Let X3 = m , Since X3 is orthogonal to Xj and X2, X[ 3 = 0 and X2X3 = 0
.n.
r
[-1 1 U m = 0 and [0
.n.
—I + m 4- n — 0------- (1)

01 — m + n = 0 (2)

—1 o J -| —1 1 11
Ta 7* vs 7a 73
1 -1 i 0 -i i
The Normalized matrix N = 75 75 75 \Nt = 75 75 75
1 i i 2 i i
-75 Vfi- -V6 \'6-
 l~1 0 2 -i 2

0 1 1 75 75
l -i i l
AN = 1 0 -1 75 75 Vs
.1 -1 0 . i i i 1
-75 7T 75. <6-

r—1 1 11 r 2 0 2 i r-6 0 o ■
73 73 73 V3 72 76 3 Vg vis
0 -1 1 -2 -1 1 0 2 0 -2 0 0
ntan = — 0 1 o
V2 72 72 V3 72 76 V6 2 vT2 0 0 1
2 1 1 -2 1 1 0 0 6
[76 V6 TeJ
76-1 Its 72 -xTb 6 .

0 0
ntan = 0 1 0
0 0 1.

-2 0 0 yr
The canonical form is [yx y2 y3) 0 1 0 y2 2yf + y?+y|
^3.
.001.