Mathematics 3410 - Homework 3

Only selected problems will be graded.

1. Show that {v1 , · · · , v3 } is a basis for R3 where

v1 = (1, 0, 1) v2 = (1, 1, 2) v3 = (1, 1, 1).

Given b = (3, 0, 1), find c1 , c2 , c3 such that

c1 v1 + c2 v2 + c3 v3 = b

Solution. In class, it was shown that {v1 , · · · , v3 } is a basis as long as A =

(v1 v2 v3 )T is row equivalent to I3 . Note that
 
1 1 1
A =  0 1 1 .
1 2 1

Note that by elementary row operations we obtain,

   
1 1 1 1 0 0
A =  0 1 1  ∼ R =  0 1 0 .
1 2 1 0 0 1

It follows that {v1 , · · · , v3 } is a basis.

Solving x1 v1 +x2 v2 +x3 v3 = b is equivalent to solving Ax = b where b = (3, 0, 1).
By row reduction, we find
   
1 1 1 3 1 0 0 3
 0 1 1 0  ∼ R =  0 1 0 −2  .
1 2 1 1 0 0 1 2

and x1 = 3, x2 = −2, x3 = 2 is the unique solution and

3v1 − 2v2 + 2v3 = b.

2. Show that the set {(1, 4, 0), (2, 9, 0), (3, −2, 0)} is linearly dependent in R3
Solution. Let x1 , x2 , x3 ∈ R and assume that

x1 (1, 4, 0) + x2 (2, 9, 0) + x3 (3, −2, 0) = (0, 0, 0).

This results in the system

x1 + 2x2 + 3x3 = 0
4x1 + 9x2 − 2x3 = 0
0x1 + 0x2 + 0x3 = 0.

This can be written in the form Ax = ~0 where x = (x1 x2 x3 )T and

 
1 2 3
A= 4
 9 −2  .
0 0 0

We have that
     
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 0 31
A =  4 9 −2  ∼  0 1 −14  ∼  0 1 −14 
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

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 by the row operations R2 → R2 − 4R1 and R1 → R1 − 2R2 . Note that the pivot
variables are x1 , x2 and the non-pivot variable (free variable) is x3 . The row
reduced echelon form of A gives the equations

x1 = −31x3
x2 = 13x3 .

It follows that all solutions have the form

     
x1 −31x3 −31
 x2  =  14x3  = x3  14  where x3 ∈ R.
x3 x3 1

In fact, we have shown that the set of solutions of Ax = ~0

 
 −31 
{x ∈ R3 | Ax = ~0} = span  14  .
1

It follows that this system has infinitely many solutions and therefore there exists
a triple (x1 , x2 , x3 ) ∈ R3 all not zero such that

x1 (1, 4, 0) + x2 (2, 9, 0) + x3 (3, −2, 0) = (0, 0, 0).

For instance, we can take x1 = −31, x2 = 14, and x3 = 1 so that

−31(1, 4, 0) + 14(2, 9, 0) + (3, −2, 0) = (0, 0, 0).

Therefore the given set of vectors is linearly dependent.

3. Suppose v, w ∈ Rn and {v, w} is linearly independent. Prove that {v−w, 2v+w}
is linearly independent as well.
Solution. Let x(v − w) + y(2v + w) = 0 where x, y ∈ R. Then we can rewrite
this as
(x + 2y)v + (−x + y)w = 0.
Since v and w are linearly independent, this implies that

x + 2y = 0
−x + y = 0.

Solving this system results in x = y = 0. So {v − w, 2v + w} is linearly indepen-

dent.
4. Suppose v1 , · · · , vk ∈ Rn form a linearly dependent set. Prove that for some j
with 1 ≤ j ≤ k, we have vj ∈ Span(v1 , · · · , vj−1 , vj+1 , · · · , vk ). That is, one of
the vectors v1 , · · · , vk can be written as a linear combination of the remaining
vectors.
Solution. Since v1 , · · · , vk are linearly dependent, there are scalars c1 , · · · , ck
such that at least one of them is nonzero and c1 v1 + · · · + ck vk = 0. Suppose
that cj 6= 0, then we have
1
vj = − (c1 v1 + · · · + cj−1 vj−1 + cj+1 vj+1 + · · · + ck vk ) . (1)
cj

(Here we are assuming, without loss of generality that), 1 < j < k. If j = 1 or

j = k, the formula will be slightly different.) So by equation (1) vj can be written
as a linear combination of the remaining vectors and thus is in the span of these
remaining vectors.

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5. Suppose k > n. Prove that any k vectors in Rn must form a linearly dependent
set.
Solution. Note that
x1 v1 + · · · + xk vk = 0 (2)
where vi ’s are vectors in Rn . Observe that this can be rewritten as

Ax = 0 (3)

where A = (v1 · · · vk ) is an n × k matrix and x = (x1 , . . . , xk ). It is a well-known

fact that a homogenous system of linear equations of n equations and k variables
has infinitely many solutions if k > n. (That is, if the number of variables is
greater than the number of equations.) See Theorem 1.3.1 of Nicholson (page
20). Hence there exists a k-tuple of numbers (x1 , . . . , xk ), not all zero, which
satisfy (2) and {v1 , · · · , vk } is linearly dependent.

Note that the fact that Ax = 0 has infinitely many solutions can be explained
as follows. If A is reduced to a row reduced echelon form R then R can have at
most n pivots. Therefore R has at most n pivot variables and k − n non-pivot
(free) variables. Note that k − n ≥ 1. From the row reduced echelon form R, each
pivot variable can be written as a linear combination of the non-pivot variables.
Since the non-pivot variables are free variables there are infinitely many choices
for each one, and thus there are infinitely many solutions to (3). Hence there
exists a k-tuple of numbers (x1 , . . . , xk ), not all zero, which satisfy (2).
6. Show that the following sets are linearly independent:
(a) {1 + x, 1 − x, x + x2 } in P2 .
(b)        
1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1
, , ,
0 0 1 0 1 −1 0 1
in M22 .
Solution.
(a) Let c1 , c2 , c3 ∈ R and assume

c1 (1 + x) + c2 (1 − x) + c3 (x + x2 ) = 0.

Expanding out the left hand side we find that

c1 + c1 x + c2 − c2 x + c3 x + c3 x2 = 0.

Grouping like terms we find

c1 + c2 + (c1 − c2 + c3 )x + c3 x2 = 0.

The polynomial on the left equals zero only if each of its coefficients is zero.
Thus we have

c1 + c2 + 0c3 = 0
c1 − c2 + c3 = 0
0c1 + 0c2 + c3 = 0.

This is equivalent to the matrix equation Ax = ~0 where x = (c1 c2 c3 )T and

 
1 1 0
A =  1 −1 1 .
0 0 1

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 By row reducing this to a row reduced echelon form, we obtain A ∼ R where
R = I3 , the 3×3 identity matrix. It follows that the solutions satisfy I3 x = ~0
and the only solutions are the trivial solutions c1 = c2 = c3 = 0. Therefore
the three polynomials are linearly independent in P2 .
(b) Let c1 , c2 , c3 , c4 ∈ R and assume
         
1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
+ c2 + c3 + c4 =
0 0 1 0 1 −1 0 1 0 0
Simplifying the matrix on the left hand side we find that
   
c1 + c2 c1 + c4 0 0
=
c2 + c3 + c4 −c3 + c4 0 0
and by equating matrix entries we find the system of equations
c1 + c2 = 0
c1 + c4 = 0
c2 + c3 + c4 = 0
−c3 + c4 = 0.
In matrix form this becomes Ax = ~0 where x = (c1 c2 c3 c4 )T and
 
1 1 0 0
 1 0 0 1 
A=  0 1
.
1 1 
0 0 −1 1
By row reducing this to a row reduced echelon form, we obtain A ∼ R
where R = I4 , the 4 × 4 identity matrix. It follows that the solutions satisfy
I4 x = ~0 and the only solutions are the trivial solutions c1 = c2 = c3 = c4 = 0.
Therefore the four matrices are linearly independent in M22 .
7. Exhibit a basis and calculate the dimension of each of the following subspace of
M22 .
U = A ∈ M22 | AT = −A .


Solution. Note that the identity AT = −A is equivalent to

   
a c −a −b
= .
b d −c −d
Equating the four entries gives
a = −a, c = −b, b = −c, d = −d.
Observe that the equations a = −a is equivalent to 2a = 0 and thus a = 0. Simi-
larly, d = −d implies d = 0. Note that the middle two equations are equivalent.
Thus, we have
a = d = 0 and b = −c.
It follows that
     
a b 0 b
U = A ∈ M22 | AT = −A =

| a = d = 0, c = −b = | b ∈ R = span(M )
c d −b 0
where  
0 1
M= .
−1 0
Since the set is of the form span(M ) it is a subspace. As M 6= 0 (the zero matrix),
it follows that {M } is linearly independent and thus {M } is a basis of U and U
has dimension 1.