Department of Mathematics and Statistics, IIT Kanpur

Linear Algebra(MTH113)–Assignment 3

Problem solving session:

1. Show that W = {(x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 ) : x4 − x3 = x2 − x1 } is a subspace of R4 and is spanned by the following set:

{(1, 0, 0, −1), (0, 1, 0, 1), (0, 0, 1, 1)}.

2. Let W1 and W2 be subspaces of a vector space V such that W1 ∪ W2 is also a subspace. Prove that one of the
spaces Wi , i = 1, 2 is contained in the other.
3. Let x, y, z ∈ V such that x + 2y + 7z = 0. Show that L({x, y}) = L({y, z}) = L({z, x}).
4. Find three vectors in R3 which are linearly dependent, and are such that any two of them are linearly inde-
pendent.
5. Show that (1, 0), (ι, 0) ∈ C2 are linearly independent over R and linearly dependent over C.
6. Let α = (x1 , x2 ) and β = (y1 , y2 ) be vectors in R2 such that

x1 y1 + x2 y2 = 0, x21 + x22 = y12 + y22 = 1.

Prove that B = {α, β} is a basis of R2 .

7. Let S = {w1 , w2 , . . . , wn } be a subset of the vector space V such that L(S) = V and S is linearly inde-
pendent (called basis). Let v be any non zero vector in V . Show that there exists wi such that the set
S 0 = {w1 , . . . , wi−1 , v, wi+1 , . . . wn } is also linearly independent and L(S 0 ) = V .
Practice problems:
8. Let S be the set of all n × n skew hermitian matrices. Check whether S is a real (or complex) vector space
under usual addition and scalar multiplication of matrices.
9. In R, consider the addition x ⊕ y = x + y − 1 and a.x = a(x − 1) + 1. Show that R is a real vector space with
respect to these operations with additive identity 1.
10. Show that the space of all real (respectively complex) matrices is a vector space over R (respectively C ) with
respect to the usual addition and scalar multiplication.
11. Which of the following are subspaces of R3 :

(a) {(x, y, z) | x ≥ 0}
(b) {(x, y, z) | x + y = z}

(c) (x, y, z) | x = y 2 .

12. Which of the following are the subspaces of C3 (over C ):

(a) {(z1 , z2 , z3 ) | z1 is real }

(b) {(z1 , z2 , z3 ) | z1 + z2 = 10z3 }.

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 13. Find the condition on real numbers a, b, c, d so that the set {(x, y, z) | ax+ by + cz = d} is a subspace of R3 .
14. Under what conditions on α, the vectors (1 + α, 1 − α) and (1 − α, 1 + α) of C2 are linearly independent over
R?
15. Let V be the set of all pairs (x, y) of real numbers. Define
(x, y) + (x1 , y1 ) = (x + x1 , y + y1 )
k(x, y) = (kx, y).
Is V a vector space with these operations? Justify your answer.
16. Determine whether the following sets of vectors are linearly independent or not
(a) {(1, 0, 2, 1), (1, 3, 2, 1), (4, 1, 2, 2)} in R4 .
(b) {(1, 2, 6), (−1, 3, 4), (−1, −4, −2)} in R3 .
(c) {u + v, v + w, w + u} in a vector space V given that {u, v, w} is linearly independent.
17. Discuss the linear dependence/linear independence of the following sets:
(a) S = {(1, 0, 0), (1, 1, 0), (1, 1, 1)} of R3 .
(b) S = {(1, 0, 0, 0), (1, 1, 0, 0), (1, 2, 0, 0), (1, 1, 1, 1)} of R4 .
(c) S = {(1, i, 0), (1, 0, 1), (i + 2, −1, 2)} of C3 over R
(d) S = {(1, i, 0), (1, 0, 1), (i + 2, −1, 2)} of C3 over C.
18. Let V be a vector space over C and let x1 , . . . , xr ∈ V be linearly independent. Show that x1 , . . . , xr , ix1 , . . . , ixr
are linearly independent over R.
19. Find all the subspaces of R2 .
20. Show that the set of all matrices of the form AB − BA cannot span the vector space Mn×n (R), where Mn×n (R)
denotes the set of all n × n real matrices.
21. Does (3, −1, 0, −1) ∈ L({(2, −1, 3, 2), (−1, 1, 1, −3), (1, 1, 9, −5)})? Justify your answer.
ratta 22. Let V be a space of 2 × 2 matrices over F . Find a basis {A1 , A2 , A3 , A4 } of V such that A2i = Ai for all i.
23. Determine whether the following statements are true or false, and justify your answers.
(a) The set of all n × n matrices A such that AT = A−1 is a subspace of the vector space Mn×n (R).
(b) If A and B are linearly independent subsets of a vector space V , then so is their union A ∪ B.
(c) If U and W are subspaces of a vector space V with bases α and β respectively, then the intersection α ∩ β
is a basis for U ∩ W .
(d) If U is a subspace of V and x, y are vectors in V such that x + y is contained in U , then x ∈ U and y ∈ U .

Hints for a few practice problems:

(8) S is a real vector space but not complex vector space.
(11) (b) is a vector space, (a), (c) are not (why?).
(12) (b) is a vector space and (a) is not.
(13) d = 0
(16) all are linearly independent.
(17) (a), (d) are linearly independent. (b), (c) are linearly dependent.
(20) Use tr(AB − BA) = 0 and tr(X + Y ) = tr(X) + tr(Y ).
(23) all statements are false! Justify!

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