Lecture # 4 Dr.

Muhammad Awais Yousaf Monday, October 9, 2023

1.2.1 Some Properties of Vectors

It is important to realize that the following results hold for all vector spaces. They provide a
useful set of vector properties.
Theorem 1.2.1.1
If 𝑢, 𝑣, 𝑤 ∈ 𝑉 (a vector space) such that 𝑢 + 𝑤 = 𝑣 + 𝑤, then 𝑢 = 𝑣.
Corollary 1.2.1.2
The zero vector and the additive inverse vector (for each vector) are unique.
Theorem 1.2.1.3
Let 𝑉 be a vector space over the field 𝐹, 𝑢 ∈ 𝑉, and 𝑘 ∈ 𝐹. Then the following
statement are true:
a) 0𝑢 = 0
b) 𝑘0 = 0
c) (−𝑘)𝑢 = −(𝑘𝑢) = 𝑘(−𝑢)
d) If 𝑘𝑢 = 0, then 𝑘 = 0 or 𝑢 = 0.

Self-Analysis Quiz
True or false?
a) Every vector space contains a zero vector.
b) A vector space may have more than one zero vector.
c) In any vector space, 𝑎𝑢 = 𝑏𝑢 implies 𝑎 = 𝑏.
d) In any vector space, 𝑎𝑢 = 𝑎𝑣 implies 𝑢 = 𝑣.
1.3 SUBSPACES

In any algebraic structure S, those algebraic structures of similar type which are
contained in S (algebraic sub-structure of S) usually play an important role. Here we look at the
concept of subspaces of a vector space. The subspace concept has many applications - one
particularly nice one is concerned with the real-life problem of finding the best solution to an
inconsistent system of linear equations.
A subspace is a vector space that is contained within another vector space. So every
subspace is a vector space in its own right, but it is also defined relative to some other (larger)
vector space. We will discover shortly that we are already familiar with a wide variety of
subspaces from previous sections. The situation, of one vector space lying inside another leads us
to introduce the following definition.
Let V be a vector space over a field F. The subset W of V is called a subspace of
V if W itself is a vector space over the same field F.
Trivial Subspaces: Given the vector space V, the subspaces V and {0} are each called a trivial
subspace. Let us illustrate this concept through the following interesting examples.
Example 1.3.1
Every vector space has at least two subspaces, namely {0} and V. They are called
trivial subspaces.
Example 1.3.2

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Lecture # 4 Dr. Muhammad Awais Yousaf Monday, October 9, 2023

Let F be a field and M n (F ) denote a set of all n  n symmetric matrices with

entries from the field F . Then M n (F ) is a subspace of the vector space defined in
Example 1.2.2.
Now, we learn how to prove that a subset W of a vector space V is a subspace of V .
Theorem 1.3.3
Let V be a vector space over a field F . Then a non-empty subset W of V is a
subspace of V if and only if u + v W for all u, v  W and   F .
Proof
Suppose W is a subspace of V . Then, by definition, W is itself a vector space.
Therefore u and, hence, u + v W for all u, v  W and   F .
Conversely suppose that u + v W for all u, v  W and   F . Let,  = −1 and 𝑣 =
𝑢 then (−1)u + u = 0  W . Also, if v = 0 then u + v = u + 0 = u implies that u W . If
 = −1 then − u + v W , therefore W is a group under addition. Since V is an abelian
group, So, W is also an abelian group. All the remaining axioms of the vector sapce holds in

W , Since they hold in the larger set V and W  V . Thus W is a subspace of VF (vector
space V over the field F).
Much of the power of Theorem 1.3.3, is that we can easily establish new vector
spaces if we can locate them as subsets of other vector spaces. It can be as instructive to
consider some subsets that are not subspaces. Since Theorem 1.3.3 is an equivalence, we
can be assured that a subset is not a subspace if it violates one of the three conditions (or
two condition which are established in the statement), and in any example of interest this
will not be the “nonempty” condition. However, since a subspace has to be a vector space in
its own right, we can also search for a violation of any one of the ten defining properties in
Definition V. S.
In the following we explain some of the ways by which we can construct a new
vector space (or subspace) from the given one. One way of doing this is given in the
following theorem.
Theorem 1.3.4
Let U and W be subspaces of a vector space V over F . Then U  W is a subspace of
V.
Proof
Let  ,   U  W . Then  ,   U and W . Thus, for all a  F , a +   U and W , that
is, a +   U  W . Thus U  W is a subspace of V .
Note that, U  W may not be a vector space. For instance, if we consider a vector space
R 2 and subspace U = {(a,0) : a  R} and W = {(0, a) : a  R} then U  W is not a subspace of

R 2 because (1,0) and (0,1)  U  W but (1,0) + (0,1) = (1,1)  U  W .

We can construct a bigger subspace or a vector space. In other words, we define the
sum of two subspaces as follows: U + W = {u + w : u  U and w  W } , and assert that it is a
vector space over the field F .
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Lecture # 4 Dr. Muhammad Awais Yousaf Monday, October 9, 2023

(i) For all u1 + w1 , u 2 + w2  U + W , we have (u1 + w1 ) + (u 2 + w2 ) = (u1 + u 2 ) + ( w1 + w2 ) .

Now u1 + u 2  U and U ,W are vector spaces. Hence (u1 + u 2 ) + ( w1 + w2 ) belongs to

U +W .
(ii) Associative law holds in the same way.
(iii) (u1 + w1 ) + (0 + 0) = (0 + 0) + (u1 + w1 ) for all u1 + w1  U + W . Thus 0 + 0 is the
additive identity of U + W .
(iv) Since U and W are vector spaces, therefore there exists − u1 and − w1 in U and W

such that − (u1 + w1 ) is an additive inverse of u1 + w1 .

(v) Also (u1 + w1 ) + (u 2 + w2 ) = (u1 + u 2 ) + ( w1 + w2 ) = (u 2 + u1 ) + ( w2 + w1 ) = (u 2 + w2 ) +

(u1 + w1 ) , where (u1 + w1 ) and (u 2 + w2 )  U + W , imply that U + W is commutative

under addition.
(vi) For all a, b  F and u + w U +W , (a + b)(u + w) = a(u + w) + b(u + w) =
au + aw + bu + bw = (a + b)u + (a + b) w  U + W .
(vii) For all aF and u1 + w1 , u 2 + w2  U + W , a{( u1 + w1 ) + (u 2 + w2 )} =

a (u1 + w1 ) + a (u 2 + w2 ) = a (u1 + u 2 ) + a ( w1 + w2 )  U + W , where a (u1 + u 2 ) U and

a ( w1 + w2 ) W .

Theorem 1.3.5
If V is a vector space over a field F and Wi , for i = 1,2,..., n are the subspaces of V ,
n
then W i is a subspace of V .
i =1

Proof
n
Let a  F and v1 , v 2   Wi . This implies that v1 and v 2  Wi for each i = 1,2,..., n .
i =1

n
Since each of V , av1 and av2  Wi for each i = 1,2,..., n . This implies that av1 + v2   Wi .
i =1

n
Thus W i is a subspace of V.
i =1

Theorem 1.3.6
If V is a vector space over a field F and Wi , where i = 1,2,..., n are the subspaces of
n
V then W
i =1
i is a subspace of V .

Proof
n
Let vi = v1 + v2 + ... + vn and u i = u1 + u 2 + ... + u n   Wi . Since each
i =1

Wi is a subspace of V, therefore a(u1 + u 2 + ... + u n ) + (v1 + v2 + ... + vn )

= au1 + v1 + au2 + u 2 + ... + aun + vn . Now aui + v1  Wi , for all i = 1,2,..., n , and so
n n n

 aui + vi  Wi because each Wi is a subspace. Hence

i =1 i =1
W
i =1
i is a vector space over F .

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