MATRICES AND LINEAR TRANSFORMATIONS (OPERATORS)

Suppose {e1 , e2 , e3 ,, en } is a basis for a vector space V over 𝕂 and for v~  V suppose
that v~  a1e1  a2 e2  a3 e3    an en , then the coordinate vector of v~ relative to the basis
{ei } is the column vector

 a1 
 
 a2 
v e   a3 
~
 
 
 an 

Example 1: Let 𝑣̃ = (4,3) ∈ ℝ2 and  f1  (1,3), f 2  (2,5) be a basis of ℝ2. Find the
coordinate vector of v~ relative to the basis { f i }.

Solution: (4,3)   (1,3)   (2,5) so that

  2  4
solving these simultaneously gives   9 and   14 .
3  5  3

  14 
Therefore, ( 4,3)  14 f1  9 f 2 and v~  f    .
 9 

Example 2: Let V be the vector space of polynomials of degree less or equal to 2,

V  at 2  bt  c : a, b, c  R. The polynomials e1  1, e2  t  1 and e3  (t  1) 2  t 2  2t  1
form a basis for V . Let V  2t  5t  6. Find v~  , the coordinate vector of V relative to
2
e

the basis {e1 , e2 , e3 }.

Solution: Set

2t 2  5t  6  1 (1)  2 (t  1)  3 (t 2  2t  1)

 1 (1)  2t  2  3t 2  23t  3

 3t 2  (2  23 )t  1  2  3

Equating the coefficients, we have

 3  2 

2  23  5   1  3, 2  1, 3  2
1  2  3  6

Therefore, 2t 2  5t  6  3e1  e2  2e3 .

Exercise: Let V be the vector space of 2 2 matrices over ℝ. Find coordinate vector of
1 1  0  1  1  1  1 0 
the matrix A V relative to the basis  ,  ,  ,   where
 1 1   1 0   0 0   0 0 
2 3 
A    .
4  7
MATRIX REPRESENTATION OF LINEAR OPERATORS

Let T be a linear operator on a vector space V over a field 𝕂, T : V  V . Suppose

{e1 , e2 , e3 ,, en } is a basis of V . Now T (e1 ), T (e2 ), T (e3 ),  , T (en ) are vectors in V and
each is a linear combination of {ei }. Therefore,

T (e1 )  a11e1  a12 e2  a13e3    a1n en

T (e2 )  a21e1  a22 e2  a23e3    a2 n en

T (e3 )  a31e1  a32 e2  a33e3    a3n en


T (en )  an1e1  an 2 e2  an 3e3    ann en

Definition: The transpose of the above matrix of coefficients denoted by T e is called

the matrix representation of T relative to the basis {ei } or simply the matrix of T in the
basis {ei } . That is

 a11 a 21  a n1 
 
a a 22  a n 2 
[T ]e   12
    
 
a a 2 n  a nn 
 1n
Example 1: Find the matrix representation of 𝑇: ℝ2 ⟶ ℝ2 defined by
T ( x, y)  (2 y,2 x  y) relative to the standard basis e1  (1,0), e2  (0,1) of ℝ2 .

Solution: If (𝑎, 𝑏) ∈ ℝ2 , then ( a, b)  ae1  be 2 .

T (e1 )  (0,2)  0e1  2e2

T (e2 )  (2,1)  2e1  e2

0 2
Therefore, [T ]e   
2  1
Example 2: Let 𝑇: ℝ2 ⟶ ℝ2 be a linear mapping defined by T ( x, y)  (4 x  2 y,2 x  y).
Compute the matrix of T in the basis e1  (1,1), e2  ( 1,0)

Solution: Let (𝑎, 𝑏) ∈ ℝ2 , we write (𝑎, 𝑏) as a linear combination of e1 and e 2 . Thus

(a, b)  1 (1,1)  2 ( 1,0)

 1  2  a,  1  b, 2  b  a, 1  b so

(a, b)  b(1,1)  (b  a )(1,0)  be1  (b  a )e2

Now,

T (1,1)  (2,3)  3e1  e2

T (1,0)  (4,2)  2e1  2e2

3  2
So [T ]e   
1 2 
Example 3: Let V be a vector space of polynomials in t of deg  3 and let D : V  V be
d
the differential linear mapping defined by D( f (t ))  ( f (t )). Compute the matrix of D
dt
with respect to the basis {1, t , t , t }.
2 3

Solution:

D(1)  0  0 1  0  t  0  t 2  0  t 3

D(t )  1  11  0  t  0  t 2  0  t 3

D(t 2 )  2t  0 1  2  t  0  t 2  0  t 3

D(t 2 )  3t 2  0  1  0  t  3  t 2  0  t 3

So

0 1 0 0
 
0 0 2 0
[D]= 
0 0 0 3
 
0 0 0 0 

Exercise:

1. Find the matrix representation of each of the following linear mappings

𝑇: ℝ3 ⟶ ℝ3 relative to the standard basis e1  (1,0,0), e2  (0,1,0), e3  (0,0,1).
i. T ( x, y, z )  (2 x  3 y  4 z,5x  y  2 z,4 x  7 y)
ii. T ( x, y, z )  (2 y  z, x  4 y  2 z,3x)
1 2
2. Let A    and T be the linear mapping from ℝ3 to ℝ3 defined by T (v~)  Av~
3 4
~
where v is written as a column vector. Find the matrix of T in each of the
following basis.
i. e1  (1,0), e2  (0,1)
ii. e1  (1,3), e2  (2,5)
3. Each of the sets
i. {1, t , e t , te t } and
ii. {e 3t , te3t , t 2 e 3t }

Is a basis of a vector space V of functions 𝑓: ℝ ⟶ ℝ. Let D be the differential

d
mapping defined by D( f (t ))  ( f (t )). Find the matrix of D in each of the given
dt
basis.
Theorem: Let {e1 , e2 , e3 ,, en } be a basis of V and let T be any operator on V. Then for
any vector v~  V , [T ]e [v~ ]e  T (v~ )e .

Example: let T be the linear mapping on ℝ3 defined by T ( x, y, z )  (2 y  z, x  4 y,3x)

i. Find the matrix of T in the basis  f1  (1,1,1), f 2  (1,1,0), f 3  (1,0,0).

ii. Verify that [T ] f [v~]  T (v~) f

Solution:

i. Let 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 ∈ ℝ3 and set

(a, b, c)  1 (1,1,1)  2 (1,1,0)  3 (1,0,0)

So

1  2  3  a 

1  2  b   1  c, 2  b  c, 3  a  b
1  c 

Therfore,

(a, b, c)  c(1,1,1)  (b  c)(1,1,0)  (a  b)(1,0,0)

 cf1  (b  c) f 2  (a  b) f 3

Since T ( x, y, z )  (2 y  z, x  4 y  2 z,3x)
 T ( f1 )  T (1,1,1)  (3,3,3)  3 f1  6 f 2  6 f 3

T ( f 2 )  T (1,1,0)  (2,3,3)  3 f1  6 f 2  5 f 3

T ( f 3 )  T (1,0,0)  (0,1,3)  3 f1  2 f 2  f 3

 3 3 3 
 
[T ] f    6  6  2 
 6 5  1 


ii. Suppose v~  (a, b, c) then v~  (a, b, c)  cf1  (b  c) f 2  (a  b) f 3

 c 
~  
 [v ] f   b  c  also
a  b
 

T (v~)  (2b  c, a  4b,3a)

 3af1  (a  4b  3a) f 2  (2b  c  a  4b) f 3

 3af1  (2a  4b) f 2  (a  6b  c) f 3

So that

 3a 
 
T (v ) f    2a  4b 
~
  a  6b  c 
 
Thus

 3 3 3  c   3a 
    
[T ] f [v ]    6  6  2  b  c     2a  4b   T (v~ ) f
~
 6 5  1  a  b    a  6b  c 

Exercise:

Let T be the linear mapping 𝑇: ℝ2 ⟶ ℝ2 defined by T ( x, y)  (5x  y,3x  2 y). Find the
matrix of T with respect to the basis  f1  (1,2), f 2  (2,3). Verify that [T ] f [v~]  T (v~) f for
a vector v~ in ℝ2 .