Continuous Dependence of Coefficients
The n roots of a polynomial of degree n depend continuously on the coefficients.
This result implies that the eigenvalues of a matrix depend continuously on the matrix. A proof can be found in a book of Tyrtyshnikov (see section References below).
The problem of approximating the roots given the coefficients is ill-conditioned. See, for example, Wilkinson's polynomial.
Read more about this topic: Properties Of Polynomial Roots
Famous quotes containing the words continuous and/or dependence:
“Perhaps when distant people on other planets pick up some wave-length of ours all they hear is a continuous scream.”
—Iris Murdoch (b. 1919)
“This immediate dependence of language upon nature, this conversion of an outward phenomenon into a type of somewhat in human life, never loses its power to affect us. It is this which gives that piquancy to the conversation of a strong-natured farmer or backwoodsman, which all men relish.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (18031882)