Matrix is either null or similar to the elementary matrix $E_{2,1}$

Question

Let $A$ be a $2\times 2$ complex matrix such that $A^2=0$. Prove that either $A=0$ or $A$ is similar over $\mathbb{C}$ to $$\left(\begin{array}{cc} 0 & 0 \\1 & 0 \end{array}\right) $$

Answer 1

If $A^2=0$, then $det(A^2) = [det(A)]^2 = 0$, implying $det(A) = 0$. Since $A$ is a $2 \times 2$ matrix, what can you conclude about $A$?

Answer 2

If $Av=\lambda v$ with $v\ne0$ then $$0=0v=A^2v=A\lambda v=\lambda^2v$$ so $\lambda=0$. That is, the only eigenvalue $A$ has is zero. Either there are two linearly independent eigenvectors $v$ and $w$, in which case $Ax=0$ for all $x$, and $A=0$; or, there's only one eigenvector $v$, in which case you can show there's a vector $w$ with $Aw=v$. Then if $P$ is a matrix whose columns are $v$ and $w$ you should get $AP=PD$ where $D$ is (the transpose of) your second possibility.

Answer 3

If $A$ is non-zero,there is $X$ such that $AX$ is non-zero.Now $\{X,AX\}$ is linearly independent,forms a basis of $C^2$.Then the matrix representation of $A$ with respect to the basis is the given matrix. [QED]