Any square matrix can be uniquely expressed as the sum of:

Any square matrix can be uniquely expressed as the sum of:

• A. Two symmetric matrices
• B. Two skew-symmetric matrices
• C. A symmetric and a skew-symmetric matrix
• D. A diagonal and a scalar matrix

Answer: C) A symmetric and a skew-symmetric matrix

Explanation: Any square matrix A can be written as A = ½(A + A') + ½(A − A'), representing the sum of a symmetric and a skew-symmetric matrix respectively.