Linear transformations

Mohammad Wehbe

Rafik Hariri University

Spring 2024

Mohammad Wehbe 1
Definition 1
Let V and W be vector spaces. A mapping T : V → W is a function
that assigns to each vector v ∈ V a unique vector w in W .

Example 2
Define a mapping T : R2 → R2 by
   
x x +y
T =
y x −y

1 Find the image of the coordinate vectors e1 and e2 under the

mapping T .
2 Give a description of all vectors in R2 that are mapped to the zero
vector.
3 Show that the mapping T satisfies
1 T (u + v ) = T (u) + T (v )
2 T (cv ) = cT (v )
for all u and V in V and all scalars c ∈ R.

Mohammad Wehbe 2
Definition 3
The mapping T : V → W is called a linear transformation if and only if

T (cu + v ) = cT (u) + T (v )

for every u, v ∈ V , c ∈ R. In the case for which V = W , then T is called a

linear operator.

Example 4
Let A be an m × n matrix. Define a mapping T : Rn → Rm by

T (x) = Ax

1 Show that T is a linear transformation.

 
1 2 −1
2 Let A be the 2 × 3 matrix A = Find the images of
−1 3 2
   
1 7
1 , −1 under the mapping T : R3 → R2 with T (x) = Ax.
1 5

Mohammad Wehbe 3
Theorem 5
Let V and W be vector spaces, and let T : V → W be a linear
transformation. Then T (0) = 0.

Example 6
Define a mapping T : R2 → R2 by
   x
x e
T =
y ey

Determine whether T is a linear transformation.

Example 7
Define a mapping T : Mm×n → Mn×m by

T (A) = At

Show that the mapping is a linear transformation.

Mohammad Wehbe 4
Example 8
Let T be a linear transformation, and let B be the standard basis for R3 . If
     
1 −1 0
T (e1 ) = , T (e2 ) = , T (e3 ) =
1 2 1
 
1
Find T (v ) where v = 3
2

Example 9
Let T : R3 → R3 be a linear transformation and B a basis for R3 given by
     
1 1 1
B = 1 , 2 , 1
1 3 2

If            
1 1 1 −1 1 2
T 1 = 1 , T 2 = −2 , T 1 = 2
1 1 3 −3 2 4


Find T 2 3 6
Mohammad Wehbe 5
Theorem 10
1 Let V and W be vector spaces and let S, T : V → W be linear
transformations. The function S + T defined by

(S + T )(v ) = S(v ) + T (v )

is a linear transformation from V into W . If c is any scalar, the

function cS defined by

(cS)(v ) = cS(v )

is a linear transformation from V into W .

2 Let U, V , and W be vector spaces. If T : V → U and S : U → W
are linear transformations, then the composition map
S ◦ T : V → W , defined by

(S ◦ T )(v ) = S(T (v ))

is a linear transformation.

Mohammad Wehbe 6
Definition 11
Let V and W be vector spaces. For a linear transformation T : V → W the
null space of T , denoted by N(T ), is defined by

N(T ) = {v ∈ V , T (v ) = 0}

The range of T denoted by R(T ) is defined by

R(T ) = {T (v ), v ∈ V }

Example 12
Define a linear transformation T : R4 → R3 by
 
a  
b  a+b
T   = b − c 
 
c
a+d
d

1 Find a basis for the null space of T and its dimension.

2 Give a description of the range of T .
3 Find a basis for the range of T and its dimension.
Mohammad Wehbe 7
Theorem 13
Let V and W be finite dimensional vector spaces and
B = {v1 , v2 , · · · , vn } a basis for V . If T : V → W is a linear
transformation, then

R(T ) = span{T (v1 ), T (v2 ), · · · , T (vn )}

Example 14
Let T : R3 → R3 be a linear operator and B = {v1 , v2 , v3 } a basis for
R3 . Suppose that
     
1 1 2
T (v1 ) = 1 , T (v2 ) =  0  , T (v3 ) =  1 
0 −1 −1
 
1
1 Is 2 in R(T ) ?
1
2 Find a basis for R(T ).
3 Find the null space N(T ).
Mohammad Wehbe 8
Definition 15
Let T : Rn → Rm be the linear transformation defined by

T (v ) = Av .

This equation can be written in vector form as

T (v ) = v! A1 + v2 A2 + · · · vn An

where Ai are the column of A and vi are the components of v . In this

way we see
R(T ) = col(A)
The dimension of the column space of A is called the column rank of A.
We also have N(T ) = N(A). The dimension of N(A) is called the nullity
of A and we have
column rank (A)+nullity(A)=n

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Theorem 16
1 Let V and W be finite dimensional vector spaces. If T : V → W is a
linear transformation, then

dim(V ) = dim(R(T )) + dim(N(T ))

2 The row rank and the column rank of a matrix A are equal.

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Theorem 17
If T : Rn → Rm is a linear transformation , then there exists a matrix A, called
the matrix representation of T , such that T (v ) = Av for any v ∈ V , A is given
by
A = [Te1 , Te2 , · · · , Ten ]
where (e1 , e2 , · · · , en ) is the standard basis for V .

A is called the matrix representation of T relative to the standard bases of Rn

and Rm .
Example 18
Define the linear operator T : R3 → R3 by
   
x x
T y  = −y 
z z

1 Find the matrix of T relative to the standard basis for R3 .

2 Use the result of part a to find
 
1
T 1
2
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Now let B = {v1 , · · · , vn } and B 0 = {w1 , · · · , wm } be basis for Rn and
Rm respectively, and let T : Rn → Rm be a linear transformation. Now
let v be any vector in Rn and let
 
c1
 .. 
[v ]B =  . 
cn

Thus v = c1 v1 + · · · cn vn . Applying T both sides gives

T (v ) = c1 T (v1 ) + · · · cn T (vn ). Note that for each i = 1, 2, · · · , n, the
vector T (vi ) is in Rm . Thus, there are unique scalars aij with 1 ≤ i ≤ n
and 1 ≤ j ≤ m such that

T (vi ) = a1i w1 + a2i w2 + · · · + ami wm

Thus the coordinate vectors relative to the ordered basis B 0 are given by
 
a1i
 a2i 
[T (vi )]B 0 =  . 
 
 .. 
ami

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 0
It follows that the matrix of T relative to B and B 0 is denoted by [T ]BB and
given by
0
[T ]BB = [T (v1 )]B 0 [T (v2 )]B 0 · · · [T (vn )]B 0
 

Moreover, the coordinates of T (v ) relative to B 0 are given by

0
[T (v )]B 0 = [T ]BB [v ]B

Example 19
Let T : R2 → R3 be a linear transformation defined by
 
  x2
x1
T (v ) = T = x1 + x2 
x2
x1 − x2

and let      
    1 1 1
1 3
B= , B 0 = 0 , 1 , 1
2 1
0 0 1
be ordered bases for R2 and R3 respectively.
0
1 Find the matrix [T ]BB .
 
−3
2 Let v = . Find T (v ) directly and then use the matrix found in part
−2
(a).
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Theorem 20
1 Consider Rn and Rm with ordered bases B and B 0 , respectively. If S
and T are linear transformation from Rn to Rm , then
0 0 0
1 [S + T ]BB = [S]BB + [T ]BB
0 0
2 [kT ]BB = k[T ]BB for any scalar k.
n n
3 [T ]B = ([T ]B )
2 Consider now S : Rm → Rl be a linear transformation, with B 00 basis
for Rl , then 00 00 0
[S ◦ T ]BB = [S]BB 0 [T ]BB
3 If T is invertible linear operator, then

[T −1 ]B = ([T ]B )−1

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Definition 21
(Scaling)
1 A horizontal scaling is a transformation on an object is a horizontal
contraction or dilation by a factor k
   
x kx
Sh =
y y

2 A vertical scaling is a transformation on an object is a vertical

contraction or dilation by a factor k
   
x x
Sh =
y ky

3 Uniform scaling is a transformation where both components are

multiplied by the same number k
   
x kx
Sh =
y ky

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Note that
     
k 0 1 0 k 0
[Sh ] = , [Sv ] = , [S] =
0 1 0 k 0 k
If k > 1 so it is a dilation, if k < 1 it is a contraction.
Definition 22
Reflection      
x x 1 0
1 About the x-axis : Rx = and we have [Rx ] =
y −y 0 −1
     
x −x −1 0
2 About the y -axis : Ry = and we have [Ry ] =
y y 0 1
   
x y
3 About the the line y = x : Ry =x = and we have
  y x
0 1
[Ry =x ] =
1 0
   
x −x
4 With respect to the origin : RO = and we have
y −y
 
−1 0
[RO ] =
0 −1
Mohammad Wehbe 16
Example 23
     
0 2 1
Let T denote the triangle with vertices v1 = , v2 = , v3 =
1 1 3
1 Stretch the triangle horizontally by a factor 2.
2 Contract the triangle vertically by a factor 3.
3 Stretch the triangle horizontally by a factor 2 and contract it
vertically by a factor 3.
4 Reflect the triangle T
1 About the x axis
2 About the y axis
3 About the origin.
4 About the line y = x.

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Definition 24
Rotation A rotation through an angle θ Rθ : R2 → R2 is given by

Rθ (x, y ) = (x cos θ − y sin θ, x sin θ + y cos θ)

The matrix of the rotation with respect to the standard basis is given by
 
cos θ − sin θ
[Rθ ] =
sin θ cos θ

Theorem 25
We have
Rα ◦ Rβ = Rα+β

Definition 26
Projection over the x-axis is given by T (e1 ) = e1 and T (e2 ) = 0.

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Example 27
1 Find :
1 Rπ/2 (a, b)
2 R−π/2 (a, b)
3 Rπ (a, b)
4 R−π (a, b)
2 Let D be the triangle in the plane with vertices (−1, 1), (0, 2), (1, 1).
Find and sketch :
1 Rπ/4 (D)
2 R2π (D)
3 Let T : R2 → R2 be the transformation that performs a reflection
through the line y = x, followed by a rotation of π/2.
1 Find the matrix of T relative to the standard basis.
2 Apply the transformation to the triangle with vertices (0, 0), (2, 0),
and (1, 3), and give a sketch of the result.
3 Find the matrix relative to the standard basis that reverses T .
4 Describe this transformation in another way. Verify your answer.

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Example 28
1 Let T : R2 → R2 be the transformation that performs a rotation by
π/4, followed by a reflection through the origin.
1 Find the matrix of T relative to the standard basis.
2 Apply the transformation to the square with vertices
(0, 0), (1, 0), (1, 1), and (0, 1), and give a sketch of the result.
3 Find the matrix relative to the standard basis that reverses T .
2 Let T : R2 → R2 defined by
  √  
x −1
3 √ x
T =
y 1 3 y

Describe T Geometrically.
3 Same exercise where
  √ √  
x 2 √2 x
T = √
y 2 − 2 y

and    √  
x −1/2
√ 3/2 x
T =
y − 3/2 −1/2 y
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