Matrices with prescribed lower triangular part (Q2365656)

Let \(A\) be an \(n\times n\) matrix over a field \(F\) and let \(f(x)\) be a monic polynomial over \(F\) of degree \(n\). Suppose that \(A=\text{diag}(A_{11},\dots,A_{kk})\), and that each \(A_{tt}\) is irreducible. Let \(s_ t\) denote the size of \(A_{tt}\). The author proves that the following are equivalent: (1) There exists an \(n\times n\) matrix \(B\) with the same diagonal and lower triangular entries as \(A\) and with \(f\) as characteristic polynomial. (2) \(f\) is the product of monic polynomials \(f_ 1,\ldots,f_ k\) where \(f_ t\) is of degree \(s_ t\) and the coefficient of \(x^{s_ t-1}\) in \(f_ t\) is \(-\text{trace}(A_{tt})\). (3) There exists a nonderogatory \(n\times n\) matrix \(B\) with the same diagonal and lower triangular entries as \(A\).