A Simple Way of Obtaining the Reduced Jordan Form of a State Equation

This paper presents a succinct and entirely elementary method for determining a minimal Jordan form of a given state equation. It is constructive and is based upon the idea of grouping terms appropriately in the partial fraction expansion. The method is highly suited to presentation in classes in linear systems and control theory, offering a good pedagogical introduction to the topic of Jordan equivalent matrices, although it is not suggested as an efficient computational tool.