19–23 concern the polynomial \(p\left( t \right) = {a_{\bf{0}}} + {a_{\bf{1}}}t + ... + {a_{n - {\bf{1}}}}{t^{n - {\bf{1}}}} + {t^n}\) and \(n \times n\) matrix \({C_p}\) called the companion matrix of \(p\): \({C_p} = \left( {\begin{aligned}{*{20}{c}}{\bf{0}}&{\bf{1}}&{\bf{0}}&{...}&{\bf{0}}\\{\bf{0}}&{\bf{0}}&{\bf{1}}&{}&{\bf{0}}\\:&{}&{}&{}&:\\{\bf{0}}&{\bf{0}}&{\bf{0}}&{}&{\bf{1}}\\{ - {a_{\bf{0}}}}&{ - {a_{\bf{1}}}}&{ - {a_{\bf{2}}}}&{...}&{ - {a_{n - {\bf{1}}}}}\end{aligned}} \right)\).
23. Let \(p\) be the polynomial in Exercise \({\bf{22}}\), and suppose the equation \(p\left( t \right) = {\bf{0}}\) has distinct roots \({\lambda _{\bf{1}}},{\lambda _{\bf{2}}},{\lambda _{\bf{3}}}\). Let \(V\) be the Vandermonde matrix
\(V{\bf{ = }}\left( {\begin{aligned}{*{20}{c}}{\bf{1}}&{\bf{1}}&{\bf{1}}\\{{\lambda _{\bf{1}}}}&{{\lambda _{\bf{2}}}}&{{\lambda _{\bf{3}}}}\\{\lambda _{\bf{1}}^{\bf{2}}}&{\lambda _{\bf{2}}^{\bf{2}}}&{\lambda _{\bf{3}}^{\bf{2}}}\end{aligned}} \right)\)
(The transpose of \(V\) was considered in Supplementary Exercise \({\bf{11}}\) in Chapter \({\bf{2}}\).) Use Exercise \({\bf{22}}\) and a theorem from this chapter to deduce that \(V\) is invertible (but do not compute \({V^{{\bf{ - 1}}}}\)). Then explain why \({V^{{\bf{ - 1}}}}{C_p}V\) is a diagonal matrix.
