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Nonzero eigenvalue and its eigenspace for a projector

Question

A square matrix AA is idempotent when A2=AA^2=A. Suppose AA is a 10×1010\times10 idempotent matrix that is diagonalisable and has nullity 44. Let λ\lambda be its only possible non-zero eigenvalue and rr the dimension of the corresponding eigenspace. Find λ2+r2\lambda^2+r^2.

Short answer

3737. If Av=λvAv=\lambda v with v≠0v\ne0, then λv=A2v=λ2v\lambda v=A^2v=\lambda^2v, so λ∈{0,1}\lambda\in\{0,1\} and the non-zero one is λ=1\lambda=1. Diagonalisability splits R10\mathbb{R}^{10} into the 00-eigenspace (dimension 44) and the 11-eigenspace, so r=6r=6 and 1+36=371+36=37.

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