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Math 6610 • Analysis of Numerical Methods I

Winter 2004 • Question 1

Householder Reflections A Householder Reflection \(H\) is an \(n\times n\) orthogonal matrix of the form \[ H=I-2uu^T \tag {1} \] where \[ \lVert u\rVert _2=1 \tag {2} \] and \(I\) is the \(n\times n\) identity matrix. Let \(a\in \mathbb {R}^n\) be a given (non-zero) vector. Show how to pick \(u\) in (1) such that \[ Ha=\lVert a\rVert _2 e_1 \tag {3} \] where \(e_1\) is the first unit vector. Describe how to use this technique to compute the \(QR\) factorization of an \(n\times n\) matrix \(A\).

Raw LaTeX

{Householder Reflections}
A Householder Reflection \(H\) is an \(n\times n\) orthogonal matrix of the form
\[
  H=I-2uu^T \tag{1}
\]
where
\[
  \lVert u\rVert_2=1 \tag{2}
\]
and \(I\) is the \(n\times n\) identity matrix. Let \(a\in\mathbb{R}^n\) be a given
(non-zero) vector. Show how to pick \(u\) in (1) such that
\[
  Ha=\lVert a\rVert_2 e_1 \tag{3}
\]
where \(e_1\) is the first unit vector. Describe how to use this technique to compute
the \(QR\) factorization of an \(n\times n\) matrix \(A\).