[PYTHON MATRIX-SIG] Change eigenvectors to eigensystems?

[Alistair Mees]

Doug Heisterkamp writes:
 > > > A minor naming point -- since "eigenvectors" returns the eigenvalues as
 > > > well, would it perhaps be less confusing to rename it to "eigensystem"?
 > > > 
 > > > Alistair
 > > 
 > > This sounds reasonable to me, but I thought I should ask for objections
 > > from other users of LinearAlgebra.py before I go around changing naming
 > > conventions again.
 > > 
 > 
 > Is "eigensystem" a conventional term when referring to both eigenvalues
 > and eigenvectors?  If not, I would rather not coin a new word.  Especially
 > one that looks like it could have meaning in a specialized context.  If so, 
 > I would not have a problem with using eigensystem. 
 > 
 > Note, Maple's eigenvects routine return's both eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
 > 
 > Doug Heisterkamp
 > drh@cse.unl.edu

"Eigensystem" is commonly used to mean the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of
a square matrix, or the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of a linear
operator.  The second version is an infinite dimensional generalization of the
first.

I notice that Mathematica uses Eigensystem in the way I proposed.  I had a
quick look round on the web and didn't see any other usage.  I'll try to
find a mathematical dictionary to make sure.

Alistair Mees
alistair@maths.uwa.edu.au


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