RHODES UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS
(PURE & APPLIED)
.
MAM 202 P2 - Linear Algebra
November 2023

Student name:
Student number:

Internal Examiner: Prof. N.T. Bishop

Maximum Marks: 100
Available Marks: 105
DURATION: 2 hours

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1) Make sure that your name and student number are written down clearly in
the space above, and answer the questions in the question paper.
2) You are permitted to have the printed course notes with you for the exam-
ination, but calculators and cellphones are not permitted.
3) This paper has seventeen (17) pages.
4) There are eight (8) questions. All questions may be answered. Marks are
shown in brackets.
5) It is in the candidate’s interest to write legibly.
6) Time management is very important. The value of the mark for each ques-
tion provides a rough guide to the amount of time (in minutes) to answer
the question.
7) The Oxford concise English dictionary may be used during this examination.

PLEASE DO NOT TURN OVER THIS PAGE UNTIL TOLD TO DO SO.

Page 1 of 17
. Rhodes University − October/November 2023MAM 202 P2 - Linear Algebra

Question 1: [15]

Use Gaussian elimination to reduce

    
 1 2 3   x1   0 
    
1 1 k   x2  =  1 
    

    
    
−2 1 −1 x3 1

to upper triangular form. Find values of k for which the system has a unique
solution, and find the solution.

e1:=x1+2*x2+3*x3=0;
e1 := x1 + 2 x2 + 3 x3 = 0

e2:=x1+x2+k*x3=1;
e2 := x1 + x2 + k x3 = 1

e3:=-2*x1+x2-x3=1;
e3 := -2 x1 + x2 - x3 = 1

solve({e1,e2,e3},{x1,x2,x3});
2 (1 + k) -8 + k 6
{x1 = - ----------, x2 = ----------, x3 = ----------}
5 (-2 + k) 5 (-2 + k) 5 (-2 + k)
> A:=Matrix([[1,2,3,0],[1,1,k,1],[-2,1,-1,1]]);
[ 1 2 3 0]
[ ]
A := [ 1 1 k 1]
[ ]
[-2 1 -1 1]

> GaussianElimination(A);
[1 2 3 0]
[ ]
[0 -1 k - 3 1]
[ ]
[0 0 -10 + 5 k 6]

> A:=Matrix([[1,2,3,0],[-2,1,-1,1],[1,1,k,1]]);
[ 1 2 3 0]
[ ]
A := [-2 1 -1 1]

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Rhodes University − October/November
[ 2023MAM 202 P2 ]- Linear Algebra
[ 1 1 k 1]

> GaussianElimination(A);
[1 2 3 0 ]
[ ]
[0 5 5 1 ]
[ ]
[0 0 k - 2 6/5]

Page 3 of 17
. Rhodes University − October/November 2023MAM 202 P2 - Linear Algebra

Question 2: [12]

If A3 = 0, show that I +A is invertible by finding its inverse, where A, I ∈ Rn,n

and I is the identity matrix. [Hint: consider the factorization of 1 + x3 ].

I = I + A3 = (I + A)(I − A + A2 ) = (I − A + A2 )(I + A)

Page 4 of 17
. Rhodes University − October/November 2023MAM 202 P2 - Linear Algebra

Question 3: [12]

Find the determinant of  

1 2 3
 
A = 2 3 2
 
 
 
221

A:=Matrix([[1,2,2],[2,3,2],[2,2,1]]);
[1 2 3]
[ ]
A := [2 3 2]
[ ]
[2 2 1]

Determinant(A);
-3

Page 5 of 17
. Rhodes University − October/November 2023MAM 202 P2 - Linear Algebra

Question 4: [12]

State with reasons which of the following subsets of Rn are subspaces

(a)
{x ∈ Rn : x1 x2 · · · xn = 0}
Let x = (1, 0, 1 · · · , 1)T , y = (0, 1, 1 · · · , 1)T . Then let z = x + y so
that z1 z2 · · · zn = 1 × 1 × 2n−2 ̸= 0.
(b)
{x ∈ Rn : x1 + x2 + · · · + xn = 0}
It is easy to see that z = ax + by leads to z1 + z2 + · · · + zn = 0

Page 6 of 17
. Rhodes University − October/November 2023MAM 202 P2 - Linear Algebra

Question 5: [12]

Let the set S be defined as

S = {p ∈ P3 : p = 0 + a1 x + a2 x2 + a3 x3 } ,

i.e. S comprises polynomials with the constant term set to 0. Show that S is
a subspace of P3 . Consider the mapping

dp(x)
D : S → P2 : D(p(x)) = .
dx
Is D surjective? Is D injective? Does D−1 exist? Justify your answers.

Page 7 of 17
. Rhodes University − October/November 2023MAM 202 P2 - Linear Algebra

Question 6: [15]

(a) What is meant by saying that two matrices A, B are related by a simi-
larity transformation P ?
(b) Show that if matrix A is similar to matrix B, and matrix B is similar to
matrix C, then matrix A is similar to matrix C.
(c) Given the bases
         
 1  2  0 
 1 
U =   ,    , S =   ,    ,
3 1 0 1
s s s s

and that the vector x has components

 
2
 
3
u

in the basis U, find the components of x in the basis S.

     
1 2 8
x = 2u1 + 3u2 = 2 
  + 3  =  
3 1 9
s s s

Page 8 of 17
. Rhodes University − October/November 2023MAM 202 P2 - Linear Algebra

Question 7: [12]

Use the Gram-Schmidt method to construct an orthonormal basis for the

range space R(A) where
 
 2 1 −2 
 
A=
 1 0 1  .
 

 
−1 −1 0

w1:=<2,1,-1>;
[ 2]
[ ]
w1 := [ 1]
[ ]
[-1]

w2:=<1,0,-1>;
[ 1]
[ ]
w2 := [ 0]
[ ]
[-1]

w3:=<-2,1,0>;
[-2]
[ ]
w3 := [ 1]
[ ]
[ 0]

GramSchmidt({w1,w2,w3});
[ 2] [ 0 ] [-1]
[ ] [ ] [ ]
{[ 1], [-1/2], [ 1]}
[ ] [ ] [ ]
[-1] [-1/2] [-1]

GramSchmidt({w1,w2,w3},normalized);
[ 1/2 ] [ 1/2]
[ 6 ] [ 0 ] [ 3 ]
[ ---- ] [ ] [- ----]
[ 3 ] [ 1/2] [ 3 ]

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Rhodes University − October/November
[ ] [2023MAM
2 ] 202
[ P2 - ]Linear Algebra
[ 1/2 ] [- ----] [ 1/2 ]
{[ 6 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ]}
[ ---- ] [ ] [ ---- ]
[ 6 ] [ 1/2] [ 3 ]
[ ] [ 2 ] [ ]
[ 1/2] [- ----] [ 1/2]
[ 6 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]
[- ----] [- ----]
[ 6 ] [ 3 ]

Page 10 of 17
. Rhodes University − October/November 2023MAM 202 P2 - Linear Algebra

Question 8: [15]

Find the eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors of the matrix A ∈ C3,3

where  
 3 0 2 
 
A =  0 2 2 .
 
 
 
−1 0 1
Hence solve the system of differential equations

dx
= Ax ,
dt
where x ∈ R3 and at t = 0  
1
 
x= 2
 
.
 
 
1

A:=Matrix([[3,0,2],[0,2,2],[1,0,1]]);
[3 0 2]
[ ]
A := [0 2 2]
[ ]
[1 0 1]

Eigenvectors(A);
[ 2 ] [0 -1 - I -1 + I]
[ ] [ ]
[2 + I], [1 -2 I 2 I ]
[ ] [ ]
[2 - I] [0 1 1 ]

de1:=diff(x1(t),t)=3*x1(t)+2*x3(t);
d
de1 := -- x1(t) = 3 x1(t) + 2 x3(t)
dt

de2:=diff(x2(t),t)=2*x2(t)+2*x3(t);
d
de2 := -- x2(t) = 2 x2(t) + 2 x3(t)
dt

Page 11 of 17
 Rhodes University − October/November 2023MAM 202 P2 - Linear Algebra
de3:=diff(x3(t),t)=-x1(t)+x3(t);
d
de3 := -- x3(t) = -x1(t) + x3(t)
dt

dsolve({de1,de2,de3,x1(0)=1,x2(0)=2,x3(0)=1},{x1(t),x2(t),x3(t)});

{x1(t) = -exp(2 t) (-3 sin(t) - cos(t)),

x2(t) = (4 cos(t) + 2 sin(t) - 2) exp(2 t),

x3(t) = exp(2 t) (-2 sin(t) + cos(t))}

Page 12 of 17