Looking for a simple proof from linear algebra
Here's the theorem I want to prove. If you're given a complex vector space any vector v with an operator T that \[v^\dagger T v = 0\] then this implies \[T=0\]
Note that this is not true for real vectors, you could rotate a vector 90 degrees to itself to make its dot product 0, which is quite peculiar!
Does that dagger denote the transpose, adjoint, adjugate, or something else entirely?
Oh sorry so it means: \[A^{* \top} = A^\dagger\] So you take the complex conjugate of all the entries and transpose the matrix (in any order, transposing and taking the complex conjugate aren't order dependent).
Ah ok, adjoint it is. Thanks for clearing that up
Yeah I think there are like a ton of different names for this, Hermitian adjoint, Hermitian conjugate, Hermitian transpose, Conjugate transpose, uhhh... I don't know I guess the difference might be between the words representing the actual matrix you get from the operation and one the operation itself so I tried to not say it ambiguously haha.
All I am really staring at is taking the conjugate of this and maybe multiplying in complex numbers and stuff: \[v^\dagger Tv = 0\]\[ v^\dagger T^\dagger v= 0\] Add 'em together after multiplying by some arbitrary constant idk why not \[v^\dagger(T+e^{i \theta}T^\dagger) v = 0\] I don't really feel like I'm closer to T=0 haha.
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