In
mathematics, and more specifically in
abstract algebra
In mathematics, more specifically algebra, abstract algebra or modern algebra is the study of algebraic structures. Algebraic structures include groups, rings, fields, modules, vector spaces, lattices, and algebras over a field. The te ...
, an element ''x'' of a
*-algebra is self-adjoint if
. A self-adjoint element is also
Hermitian {{Short description, none
Numerous things are named after the French mathematician Charles Hermite (1822–1901):
Hermite
* Cubic Hermite spline, a type of third-degree spline
* Gauss–Hermite quadrature, an extension of Gaussian quadrature m ...
, though the reverse doesn't necessarily hold.
A collection ''C'' of elements of a
star-algebra
In mathematics, and more specifically in abstract algebra, a *-algebra (or involutive algebra) is a mathematical structure consisting of two involutive rings and , where is commutative and has the structure of an associative algebra over . Invo ...
is self-adjoint if it is closed under the
involution operation. For example, if
then since
in a star-algebra, the set is a self-adjoint set even though ''x'' and ''y'' need not be self-adjoint elements.
In
functional analysis
Functional analysis is a branch of mathematical analysis, the core of which is formed by the study of vector spaces endowed with some kind of limit-related structure (e.g. inner product, norm, topology, etc.) and the linear functions defined ...
, a
linear operator on a
Hilbert space
In mathematics, Hilbert spaces (named after David Hilbert) allow generalizing the methods of linear algebra and calculus from (finite-dimensional) Euclidean vector spaces to spaces that may be infinite-dimensional. Hilbert spaces arise natu ...
is called self-adjoint if it is equal to its own
adjoint ''A''. See
self-adjoint operator
In mathematics, a self-adjoint operator on an infinite-dimensional complex vector space ''V'' with inner product \langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle (equivalently, a Hermitian operator in the finite-dimensional case) is a linear map ''A'' (from ''V'' to ...
for a detailed discussion. If the Hilbert space is
finite-dimensional and an
orthonormal basis
In mathematics, particularly linear algebra, an orthonormal basis for an inner product space ''V'' with finite dimension is a basis for V whose vectors are orthonormal, that is, they are all unit vectors and orthogonal to each other. For ex ...
has been chosen, then the operator ''A'' is self-adjoint if and only if the
matrix
Matrix most commonly refers to:
* ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise
** '' The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film
** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchi ...
describing ''A'' with respect to this basis is Hermitian, i.e. if it is equal to its own
conjugate transpose
In mathematics, the conjugate transpose, also known as the Hermitian transpose, of an m \times n complex matrix \boldsymbol is an n \times m matrix obtained by transposing \boldsymbol and applying complex conjugate on each entry (the complex c ...
. Hermitian matrices are also called self-adjoint.
In a
dagger category, a
morphism
In mathematics, particularly in category theory, a morphism is a structure-preserving map from one mathematical structure to another one of the same type. The notion of morphism recurs in much of contemporary mathematics. In set theory, morphis ...
is called self-adjoint if
; this is possible only for an
endomorphism
In mathematics, an endomorphism is a morphism from a mathematical object to itself. An endomorphism that is also an isomorphism is an automorphism. For example, an endomorphism of a vector space is a linear map , and an endomorphism of a ...
.
See also
*
Hermitian matrix
In mathematics, a Hermitian matrix (or self-adjoint matrix) is a complex square matrix that is equal to its own conjugate transpose—that is, the element in the -th row and -th column is equal to the complex conjugate of the element in the -t ...
*
Normal element In mathematics, an element ''x'' of a *-algebra is normal if it satisfies x x^ = x^ x.
This definition stems from the definition of a normal linear operator in functional analysis, where a linear operator ''A'' from a Hilbert space into itself ...
*
Symmetric matrix
In linear algebra, a symmetric matrix is a square matrix that is equal to its transpose. Formally,
Because equal matrices have equal dimensions, only square matrices can be symmetric.
The entries of a symmetric matrix are symmetric with ...
*
Self-adjoint operator
In mathematics, a self-adjoint operator on an infinite-dimensional complex vector space ''V'' with inner product \langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle (equivalently, a Hermitian operator in the finite-dimensional case) is a linear map ''A'' (from ''V'' to ...
*
Unitary element
References
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Self-Adjoint
Abstract algebra
Linear algebra