Let \(T:P_1 \to P_1\) be the following linear transformation:
\begin{equation*}
T(a + bt) = (a-4b) + (3a-6b)t\text{.}
\end{equation*}
If \(\mcb\) is the standard basis for \(P_1\text{,}\) then \([T]_{\mcb}\) is
\begin{equation*}
[T]_{\mcb} = \begin{bmatrix} 1 \amp -4 \\ 3 \amp -6 \end{bmatrix}\text{.}
\end{equation*}
It is fairly easy to determine that \([T]_{\mcb}\) is diagonalizable, since the characteristic polynomial is
\begin{equation*}
\lambda^2+5\lambda + 6 = (\lambda+2)(\lambda + 3)\text{.}
\end{equation*}
Since \([T]_{\mcb}\) is diagonalizable, that means that \(T\) is a diagonalizable linear transformation.
Using coordinate vectors, we can also determine the basis
\(\mcc\) of
\(P_1\) with respect to which
\(T\) has a diagonal coordinate matrix. (It is a basis of eigenvectors of
\(T\text{!}\))
Since the eigenvalues of \([T]_{\mcb}\) are \(\lambda = -2, -3\text{,}\) we can find bases for the related eigenspaces. For ease of notation, let \([T]_{\mcb} = A\text{.}\) Now
\begin{equation*}
\mathrm{eig}_{-2}(A) = \spn \left\{ \begin{bmatrix} 4 \\ 3 \end{bmatrix} \right\}, \hspace{6pt}
\mathrm{eig}_{-3}(A) = \spn \left\{ \begin{bmatrix} 1 \\ 1 \end{bmatrix} \right\}\text{.}
\end{equation*}
These are the coordinate vectors for the eigenvectors of \(T\) with respect to the standard basis. Therefore, an eigenvector basis of \(P_1\) is
\begin{equation*}
\mcc = \{ 4 + 3t, 1 + t \}\text{,}
\end{equation*}
and \([T]_{\mcc}\) is a diagonal matrix with diagonal entries \(-2\) and \(-3\text{.}\)