Solve the equation $X^2+X=\text{a given matrix}$ I want to solve the quadratic matrix equation 
$$X^2+X=\begin{pmatrix}1&1\\1&1\end{pmatrix}$$
If I put $X$ in the form 
$$X=\begin{pmatrix}a&b\\c&d\end{pmatrix}$$
then I find complicated equations. Is there a simple way to tackle the problem without using diagonalization?

Write $J=\pmatrix{1&1\\1&1}$. The equation $X^2+X=J$ implies $XJ=JX$. The matrices satisfying $XJ=JX$ are those of the form $X=aI+bJ$. Then $X^2=a^2I+(2ab+2b^2)J$, so we get
$$(a^2+a)I+(b+2ab+2b^2)J=J.$$
Therefore $a^2+a=0$, entailing $a\in\{0,-1\}$ and $b+2ab+2b^2=1$,
which gives a quadratic equation for each of the two possible $a$-values.
