An Extension of the Roots Separation Theorem

Let T _n be an n×n unreduced symmetric tridiagonal matrix with eigenvalues ₁<₂<< _n and W _k is an (n–1)×(n–1) submatrix by deleting the kth row and the kth column from T _n , k=1,2,...,n. Let _{12 n–1} be the eigenvalues of W _k . It is proved that if W _k has no multiple eigenvalue, then ₁<₁<₂<₂<< _n–1< _n–1< _n ; otherwise if _i = _i+1 is a multiple eigenvalue of W _k , then the above relationship still holds except that the inequality _i < _i+1< _i+1 is replaced by _i = _i+1= _i+1.