[Math] Eigenvalues of product of positive semidefinite matrices are greater or equal to zero

eigenvalues-eigenvectorsmatrices

Show that if $A,B \in \mathcal M_n(\mathbb{R})$ are positive semidefinite and $\lambda$ is an eigenvalue of $AB$ then $\lambda \geq 0$.

I don't really know what to do here. If $AB$ was semidefinite positive we would be done but the product of positive semidefinite matrices doesn't have to be positive semidefinite itself.

Best Answer

If $ABx = \lambda x$, $x\neq 0$, then $\langle ABx,Bx\rangle = \lambda \langle x,Bx\rangle$. Now, both $\langle ABx,Bx\rangle$ and $\langle x,Bx\rangle$ are non-negative. Hence, if $\langle x,Bx\rangle > 0$, it follows that $\lambda\ge 0$. If $\langle x,Bx\rangle = 0$, then $Bx = 0$ and thus $\lambda = 0$.