Mathematics 3410 - Homework 1 Solutions

1. Show that P2 (real polynomials of degree ≤ 2) is a vector space by verifying the

axioms A2, A3, A4, A5, S2, S3, S4, S5.
Solution. Let

u = p(x) = a0 +a1 x+a2 x2 , v = q(x) = b0 +b1 x+b2 x2 , w = r(x) = c0 +c1 x+c2 x2

be elements of P2 .
• A2: Note that

u + v = (a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 ) + (b0 + b1 x + b2 x2 )
= (a0 + b0 ) + (a1 + b1 )x + (a2 + b2 )x2
= (b0 + a0 ) + (b1 + a1 )x + (b2 + a2 )x2
= (b0 + b1 x + b2 x2 ) + (a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 )
= v + u.

• A3: We have

(u + v) + w = (p(x) + q(x)) + r(x)

= ((a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 ) + (b0 + b1 x + b2 x2 )) + (c0 + c1 x + c2 x2 )
= ((a0 + b0 ) + (a1 + b1 )x + (a2 + b2 )x2 ) + (c0 + c1 x + c2 x2 )
= ((a0 + b0 ) + c0 ) + ((a1 + b1 ) + c1 )x + ((a2 + b2 ) + c2 )x2
= (a0 + (b0 + c0 )) + (a1 + (b1 + c1 ))x + (a2 + (b2 + c2 ))x2
= (a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 ) + ((b0 + c0 ) + (b1 + c1 )x + (b2 + c2 )x2 )
= (a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 ) + ((b0 + b1 x + b2 x2 ) + (c0 + c1 x + c2 x2 ))
= p(x) + (q(x) + r(x))
= u + (v + w).

• A4: Let ~0 = 0 + 0x + 0x2 be the zero polynomial (the polynomial with all
zero coefficients). Then

u + ~0 = p(x) + 0 = (a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 ) + (0 + 0x + 0x2 )

= (a0 + 0) + (a1 + 0)x + (a2 + 0)x2 )
= a0 + a1 x + a2 x2
= p(x).

• A5 : Given u = p(x) = a0 +a1 x+a2 x2 , set −u = −p(x) = −a0 −a1 x−a2 x2 .

Thus

p(x) + (−p(x)) = (a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 ) + (−a0 − a1 x − a2 x2 )

= (a0 − a0 ) + (a1 − a1 )x + (a2 − a2 )x2
= 0 + 0x + 0x2
= ~0.

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 • S2: Let c ∈ R. Then

c(u + v) = c(p(x) + q(x)) = c((a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 ) + (b0 + b1 x + b2 x2 ))

= c((a0 + b0 ) + (a1 + b1 )x + (a2 + b2 )x2 )
= c(a0 + b0 ) + c(a1 + b1 )x + c(a2 + b2 )x2
= (ca0 + cb0 ) + (ca1 + cb1 )x + (ca2 + cb2 )x2
= (ca0 + ca1 x + ca2 x2 ) + (cb0 + cb1 x + cb2 x2 )
= c(a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 ) + c(b0 + b1 x + b2 x2 )
= cp(x) + cq(x)
= cu + cv.

• S3: Let a, b ∈ R. Then

(a + b)u = (a + b)p(x)
= (a + b)(a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 )
= (a + b)a0 + (a + b)a1 x + (a + b)a2 x2
= (aa0 + ba0 ) + (aa1 + ba1 )x + (aa2 + ba2 )x2
= (aa0 + aa1 x + aa2 x2 ) + (ba0 + ba1 x + ba2 x2 )
= a(a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 ) + b(a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 )
= ap(x) + bp(x)
= au + bu.

• S4: Let a, b ∈ R. Then

a(b(u)) = a(b(p(x))
= a(b(a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 ))
= a(ba0 + ba1 x + ba2 x2 )
= aba0 + aba1 x + aba2 x2
= ab(a0 + a1 x + a2 x2 )
= abp(x)
= abu.

• S5: We have

1u = 1p(x) = 1(a0 +a1 x+a2 x2 ) = (1·a0 )+(1·a1 )x+(1·a2 )x2 = a0 +a1 x+a2 x2 = p(x) = u.

2. Let V be the set of ordered pairs (a, b) of real numbers with addition in V and
scalar multiplication on V defined by

(a, b) + (c, d) = (a + c, b + d) and k(a, b) = (ka, 0).

Show that V is not a vector space.

Hint: Which of the vector space axioms does it not satisfy?
Solution. Note that
1(1, 1) = (1, 0) 6= (1, 1),
so S5 does not hold.
3. Show that Axiom A2 of a vector space V , that is, that

u + v = v + u,

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 can be derived from the other axioms for V .
Hint: Expand out (1 + 1)(u + v) in two different ways.
Solution We calculate (1 + 1)(u + v) in two different ways. We have

(1 + 1)(u + v) = (1 + 1)u + (1 + 1)v by S2

= (1u + 1u) + (1v + 1v) by S3
= u+u+v+v by S5 and by A3.

Also

(1 + 1)(u + v) = 1(u + v) + 1(u + v) by S3

= (u + v) + (u + v) by S5 applied twice
= u+v+u+v by A3.

It follows that

u+u+v+v = u+v+u+v
−u + (u + u + v + v) = −u + (u + v + u + v) by adding - u on the left
(−u + u) + u + v + v = (−u + u) + v + u + v by A3
~0 + u + v + v = ~0 + v + u + v by A5
u + v + v = v + u + v by A4
(u + v + v) + (−v) = (v + u + v) + (−v) by adding - v on the right
u + v + (v + (−v)) = v + u + (v + (−v)) by A3
u + v + ~0 = v + u + ~0 by A5
u + v = v + u by A4.

Therefore A2 is a consequence of A3, A4, A5, S2, S3, and S5.

4. Let V be the set of ordered pairs (a, b) of real numbers. In each of the follow-
ing four cases, show that V is not a real vector space with addition and scalar
multiplication defined as follows:
(i) (a, b) + (c, d) = (a + d, b + c) and k(a, b) = (ka, kb),
(ii) (a, b) + (c, d) = (a + d, b + c) and k(a, b) = (a, b),
(iii) (a, b) + (c, d) = (0, 0) and k(a, b) = (ka, kb),
(iv) (a, b) + (c, d) = (ac, bd) and k(a, b) = (ka, kb).
Solution
(i) We have
(0, 0) + (1, 2) = (0 + 2, 0 + 1) = (2, 1)
and
(1, 2) + (0, 0) = (1 + 0, 2 + 0) = (1, 2).
Since (2, 1) 6= (1, 2), it follows that

(0, 0) + (1, 2) 6= (1, 2) + (0, 0)

and thus A2 does not hold.

(ii) Note that A2 does not hold since we have the same addition as in part (i).
Also note that S3 fails too since

(1 + 1)(1, 1) = 2(1, 1) = (1, 1)

and
1(1, 1) + 1(1, 1) = (1, 1) + (1, 1) = (2, 2).

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 As (1, 1) 6= (2, 2), we see that

(1 + 1)(1, 1) 6= 1(1, 1) + 1(1, 1).

(iii) Note that

(1 + 1)(1, 1) = 2(1, 1) = (2, 2)
and on the other hand

1(1, 1) + 1(1, 1) = (1, 1) + (1, 1) = (0, 0)

. As (1, 1) 6= (0, 0), we see that

(1 + 1)(1, 1) 6= 1(1, 1) + 1(1, 1)

and S3 fails to hold.

(iv) Note that
(1, 1) + (a, b) = (a, b) + (1, 1) = (a, b).
It follows that if this is a vector space, then we have have that the zero
vector ~0 = (1, 1). Next notice that

(0, 1) + (a, b) = (0, b) 6= (1, 1)

for all (a, b) ∈ R2 . It follows that (0, 1) does not have an additive inverse
and thus A5 fails to hold.
5. Let U and W be real vector spaces. Let V be the set of ordered pairs (u, w)
where u, u0 ∈ U and w, w0 ∈ W . Define addition on V and scalar multiplication
by
(u, w) + (u0 , w0 ) = (u + u0 , w + w0 ) and k(u, w) = (ku, kw).
Show that V is a real vector space by verifying the axioms A2, A3, A4, A5,
S2, S3, S4, S5.
Solution Consider elements (u, w), (u0 , w0 ), and (u00 , w00 ) of V .
A2: We have

(u, w) + (u0 , w0 ) = (u + u0 , w + w0 ) = (u0 + u, w0 + w) = (u0 , w0 ) + (u, w).

A3: We have

(u, w) + ((u0 , w0 ) + (u00 , w00 ))

= (u, w) + (u0 + u00 , w0 + w00 )
= (u + u0 + u00 , w + w0 + w00 )
= (u + u0 , w + w0 ) + (u00 , w00 )
= ((u, w) + (u0 , w0 )) + (u00 , w00 ).

A4: We choose the zero element to be (~0U , ~0W ) where ~0U and ~0W are the respec-
tive zero vectors of U and W . Note that

(u, w) + (~0U , ~0W ) = (u + ~0U , w + ~0W ) = (u, w)

and thus A4 is satisfied.

A5: Given (u, w) its negative will be (−u, −w). Thus

(u, w) + (−u, −w) = (u + (−u), w + (−w)) = (~0U , ~0W ).

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 S2: Let c ∈ R. Then

c((u, w) + (u0 , w0 )) = c(u + u0 , w + w0 )

= (c(u + u0 ), c(w + w0 ))
= (cu + cu0 , cw + cw0 )
= (cu, cw) + (cu0 , cw0 )
= c(u, w) + c(u0 , w0 ).

S3: We have

(a + b)(u, w) = ((a + b)u, (a + b)w) = (au + bu, aw + bw)

= (au, aw) + (bu, bw) = a(u, w) + b(u, w).

S4: We have

(ab)(u, w) = ((ab)u, (ab)w) = (a(bu), a(bw)) = a(bu, bw) = a(b(u, w)).

S5: We have
1(u, w) = (1u, 1w) = (u, w).
6. Let V be a real vector space. Let a ∈ R and v ∈ V . Show that

(−a)v = −(av) = a(−v).

Solution. First, we will show that (−a)v = −(av). Observe that

av + (−a)v = (a + (−a))v by S3
= 0v
= ~0 by part 1 of Theorem 6.1.3 of Nicholson.

Therefore, by definition of −av, we see that

(−a)v = −(av).

Next, we will show that (−a)v = a(−v). Note that

(−a)v = (a · (−1))v
= a(−1v) by S4
= a(−v) by part 4. of Theorem 6.1.3 of Nicholson.

Thus we have established

(−a)v = −(av) = a(−v).