数学上，特别是线性代数和泛函分析中，谱定理是关于线性算子或者矩阵的一些结果。泛泛来讲，谱定理给出了算子或者矩阵可以对角化的条件（也就是可以在某个基底中用对角矩阵来表示）。对角化的概念在有限维空间中比较直接，但是对于无穷维空间中的算子需要作一些修改。通常，谱定理辨认出一族可以用乘法算子来代表的线性算子，这是可以找到的最简单的情况了。用更抽象的语言来讲，谱定理是关于交换C*-代数的命题。参看谱分析中的历史观点。

可以应用谱定理的例子有希尔伯特空间上的自伴算子或者更一般的正规算子。

谱定理也提供了一个算子所作用的矢量空间的标准分解，称为谱分解，特征值分解，或者特征分解。

In mathematics, particularly linear algebra and functional analysis, the spectral theorem is any of a number of results about linear operators or matrices. In broad terms, the spectral theorem provides conditions under which an operator or a matrix can be diagonalized (that is, represented as a diagonal matrix in some basis). Intuitively, diagonal matrices are computationally quite manageable, so it is of interest to see whether an arbitrary matrix can be diagonalized. The concept of diagonalization is relatively straightforward for operators on finite-dimensional vector spaces but requires some modification for operators on infinite-dimensional spaces. In general, the spectral theorem identifies a class of linear operators that can be modeled by multiplication operators, which are as simple as one can hope to find. In more abstract language, the spectral theorem is a statement about commutative C*-algebras. See also spectral theory for a historical perspective.