Algebra MAA  – Bachelor – Year 

Te 

On the space E := R[X]≤ of polynomial of degree ≤ , consider the following linear forms

 
Z
` : P 7→ P (), ` : P 7→ (P () − P 00 ()), ` : P 7→ tP (t) dt.
  −

. Show that L = (` , ` , ` ) form a basis of E ∗ .

. Compute the pre-dual basis D = (Q , Q , Q ) of L .

. Compute the decomposition of the linear form φ : P 7→  P 00 () and ψ : P 7→ −  P 00 () in the basis
L.

. Consider the linear map

f : E −→ E, P 7→ ( − X + X  ) P 00 + ( − X)P 0 + P .

Compute its matrix in the canonical basis B = (, X, X  ) and give the matrix of t f in the dual basis
B ∗.

. Determine the image and the kernel of f in terms of Q , Q , Q .

. Show that  (im(t f )) = ker f and that im f =  (ker(t f )).

. Show that im(t f ) has basis (` , ` ) and that ker(t f ) has basis ` .

. Show that
t 
f (` ) = (P 00 () + P ()) = (` − ` )(P ),

t 
f (` ) = (P 00 () + P () − P 00 (−/)) = ` (P ).

R
. Show that −
tf (P )(t) dt =  for all P ∈ E.


Algebra MAA  – Bachelor – Year 

Solution.

. Suppose that a` + b` + c` =  for some a, b, c ∈ R. Evaluation on respeively , X and X  give

a + b = 




a + b +  c =  ⇐⇒ a = b = c = .





a − b = 



Thus ` , ` , ` are linearly independent. Since the dimension of E (and thus of E ∗ ) is , this proves
that L is a basis of E ∗ .

. Let us write Q = a + bX + cX  . From the equations `i (Q ) = δi we get the linear sy em

a + b + c = 




⇐⇒ (a, b, c) = (, , )

a + b + c − c = 



b = 





so Q =  + X  .
For Q , we get the linear sy em

a+b+c = 





⇐⇒ (a, b, c) = (, , −)

a + b + c − c = 




b = 





so Q =  − X  .
Finally, for Q we get the sy em


a+b+c = 



 


⇐⇒ (a, b, c) = (− , , )

a + b + c − c = 

 



b = 





so Q =  (X − ).
Thus :

Q =  + X  , Q =  − X  , Q = (X − ).

. We have
φ = φ(Q )` + φ(Q )` + φ(Q )` = ` − `

ψ = ψ(Q )` + ψ(Q )` + ψ(Q )` = −` + `


Algebra MAA  – Bachelor – Year 

. On computes f () = , f (X) = ( − X) + X =  and f (X  ) = ( − X + X  ) + X( − X) + X  =  + X  , so

  
 
 
MB (f ) = M =   
  
 

and
  
 
 
MB ∗ (t f ) = t M =    .
  
 

. One sees that ker f is generated by −X and thus by Q and that im f is generated by X  and +X 
and thus by Q and Q .

. Let us compute :


(im(t f )) = {P ∈ E | (∀φ ∈ im(t f )), φ(P ) = } = {P ∈ E | (∀ψ ∈ E ∗ ), t f (ψ)(P ) = (ψ(f (P )) = }

= {P ∈ E | f (P ) = } = ker f .

We have used the fa that an element in E kills all linear form on E if and only if it is .
Similarly, we show easily that im f ⊂  (ker(t f )) and we conclude im f =  (ker(t f )) by equality of
dimension :

dim( (ker(t f )) = n − dim(ker(t f )) = dim(im(t f )) = n − dim( (im(t f ))) = n − dim(ker f ) = dim(im f ),

using the rank-nullity theorem, the identity proved ju before and the formula for the dimension
of the annihilitor of a subspace.

. From the previous que ion, im(t f ) = (ker f ) = {Q } = Span(` , ` ) and ker(t f ) = (im f ) = {Q , Q } =
Span(` ).

. Let us compute :


t
f (` )(P ) = ` (f (P )) = ` (( − X + X  ) P 00 +(−X)P 0 +P ) = (P 00 ()+P ()) = (` −` +` )(P ) = (` −` )(P )

 
t
f (` )(P ) = ` (f (P )) = ` (( − X + X  ) P 00 + ( − X)P 0 + P ) = (P 00 () + P ()) − P 00 ()
 
= (` − ` − ` + ` )(P ) = ` (P )
R
. t f (` )(P ) =  = −
tP (t) dt.