TABLE OF CONTENTS Bocher's method for the generation of the characteristic polynomial, p( ?), of the n n matrix A involves the traces [3] various powers of A.
The first step is to compute n powers of A, where n corresponds to the order of A. Then, n traces are obtained:
through
Then, the coefficients of the characteristic polynomial, p( ?),
are obtained from the sequence of operations
down through
With
A 2 is obtained
as is A 3
Then
and
Then
and
Thus
[3]The trace is often referred to as the spur
