On rational calculation of the invariant subspaces of a complex matrix (Q1608263)

An elementary linear-algebraic explanation is proposed for the recently discovered fact that the sum of the eigenspaces of a nondiagonalizable complex matrix can be determined by a rational algorithm, i.e., by a procedure involving only a finite number of arithmetic operations. This assertion turns out to be a special case of a more general fact that also makes it possible to calculate other invariant subspaces of a matrix.