Exam Preparation

ZAK I. Ali

University of South Africa

Department of Mathematics

MAT1503: LINEAR ALGEBRA I

Exercise 1
Question 1.
Assume we are given the system

 x +y −z +2t = 2
2x +z −t = 3
−y +2t = 2.


Which of the following elements are solutions of the above system?

(1) (1,-1,0,1)

(2) (1,-1,0,1, 0)

(3) (0,1,3,1)

(4) (2,-3,3,1)

Question 2
Consider the system

 x +2y =1
3x +ky =3
x +ky +z = 2


(1) For which value(s) of k is (1, 0, 1) a solution to the above system?

(2) For which value(s) of k is (1, 0, −1) a solution to the above system?

(3) For which value(s) of k is (3, −1, 5) a solution to the above system?

Additional Exercises

Same instructions as Question 2.

Open Rubric
(1)  
3 2 1
 0 k+1 3 
0 0 k−3

(2)  
λ 2 1
 0 3 2 
0 0 λ+3

(3)  
2 3 4
 0 k−1 3 
0 0 (k − 1)(k + 2)

2
 Exercise 2
Suppose A, B and C are 2 × 2 matrices such that det (A) = 3, det(B −1 ) = −2 and
det(C T ) = 4.

Evaluate

(a) det (ABC)

(c) det (−4A)

(d) det (−4A−1 )

(e) det [−4A]−1 .

Exercise 3
For which values of k is the coefficient matrix of the system given in Question 2,
Exercise 1 invertible?

Exercise
 4   
−1 5 −1 3
Let A = and B = ,
2 3 −2 1

(i) Compute

(a) A−1 , B −1 and AB

(ii) Using (a), determine a matrix Z such that ZA = B

(iii) Using (a) determine a matrix Y such that AY = B.

Exercise 5
(1) Solve the following system with Cramer’s Rule

 2x1 + x2 + x3 = 3
x1 − x2 − x3 = 0
x1 + 2x2 − x3 = 0


(2) Use cofactors to find the determinant of the coefficient matrix of the system.

Exercise 6
Let ~a and ~b be the vectors given by ~a = h2, 0, −1i and ~b = h1, −1, 3i.

3
(1) Compute

(i) ||~a|| and ||~b||

(2) Assume that θ is the angle between the two vectors ~a and ~b. Write down cos θ in
terms of ~a · ~b and ||~a|| and ||~b||. Deduce cos θ and find the angle θ between the two
vectors.

(3) Find an equation of the plane P containing ~a and ~b

(4) Calculate the area of the parallelogram determined by ~a and ~b

(5) Determine the parametric equations of the plane containing ~a and ~b

(6) Determine the equation of the plane Q parallel to the plane P in (3) and passing
through point

(i) (0, 0, 1)
(ii) (0, 1, 0)
(iii) (1, 0, 1)
(iv) (1, 1, 0)
(v) (0, 1, 1)
(iv) (−1, 1, −1)

(7) Find an equation of the line L perpendicular to P in (3) and passing through the tip
(terminal point) of the vector ~u where ~u is

(i) the unit vector in the direction of ~a with initial point P0 = (2, 0, −1)
(ii) the unit vector in the direction of ~b with initial point P1 = (1, −1, 3).

(8) Find a point-normal form of the equation of the plane passing through the point
P (1, −2, −1) and having normal ~n = h1, −1, 4i

(9) Determine whether the planes x + 2y − 7z = 3 and −2x + y − 9 = 0 are perpendicular

Exercise 7
√ √
(1) Find all the roots (denote them by z1 and z2 ) of ( 2 − i 2)1/2 and sketch them as
vectors in the complex plane. Write z1 and z2 in

(a) standard form

(2) Use your result from 1(a) to find z1 /z2 and z1 /z2

4
(3) Use de Moivre’s Theorem to express sin(2θ), sin(3θ), cos(2θ), cos(3θ) and cos(4θ) in
terms of powers of

(a) sin θ and cos θ.

(4) Determine the 4th roots of 16 in

(i) standard form

(5) Let z1 = 2 − 3i, z2 = −1 + 4i. Find

(i) z1 , z2 , z1 − z1 , z1 + z1 , Re(z1 ), Re(z2 ) and Re(z1 z2 )

(6) Use de Moivre’s Theorem to determine i3 , (1 + i)100 in standard and polar form.

Exercise 8
Consider the points P0 (−1, 2), P1 (1, 3), P2 (3, −2) and P3 (1, 1).

Asume that the points Pi , i = 0, 1, 2, 3 have position vectors ri , i = 0, 1, 2, 3.

(i) Find the points −P0 − P1 + P2

(ii) Solve the system

(iii) Find z whenever x = y.

Exercise 9

(a) Let
     
7 2 1 x z−2
A= ,X= and b = . Verify that A = −A + 2A.
3 4 −1 y 3x − z + 1

Find x, y and z such that AX = b.

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Exercise 10
Write your own Summary or Mind Map for each of the following tables

Linear systems of equations

6
2

Matrices

7
 3
finding the inverse A−1 of a square matrix A

Elementary Matrices

8
 4
Determinant

9
 5
Invertibility of Matrices

10