MT127 – Linear Algebra I

Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Idrissa S. A.

Department of Mathematics - UDSM

January 13, 2018

Subspaces

Subspaces
Let V be a vector space and W a nonempty subset of V . If W is a
vector space with respect to the operations in V , then W is called a
Subspace of V .

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Subspaces

Subspaces
Let V be a vector space and W a nonempty subset of V . If W is a
vector space with respect to the operations in V , then W is called a
Subspace of V .

Example
Every vector space has at least two subspaces, which are they?

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Subspaces

Subspaces
Let V be a vector space and W a nonempty subset of V . If W is a
vector space with respect to the operations in V , then W is called a
Subspace of V .

Example
Every vector space has at least two subspaces, which are they?

Solution
Itself and the subspace {0}. Verify that!

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Theorem
Let V is a vector space with operations “+”and “×”and let W be a
nonempty subset of V . Then W is a subspace of V if and only if the
following conditions hold:

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Theorem
Let V is a vector space with operations “+”and “×”and let W be a
nonempty subset of V . Then W is a subspace of V if and only if the
following conditions hold:
α) If u and v are any vectors in W , then u + v is in W

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Theorem
Let V is a vector space with operations “+”and “×”and let W be a
nonempty subset of V . Then W is a subspace of V if and only if the
following conditions hold:
α) If u and v are any vectors in W , then u + v is in W
β) If c is any real number and u is any vector in W , then cu is in W

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Theorem
Let V is a vector space with operations “+”and “×”and let W be a
nonempty subset of V . Then W is a subspace of V if and only if the
following conditions hold:
α) If u and v are any vectors in W , then u + v is in W
β) If c is any real number and u is any vector in W , then cu is in W

Remarks
If a subset W of a vector space V does not contain the zero vector, then
W is not a subspace of V .

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Theorem
Let V is a vector space with operations “+”and “×”and let W be a
nonempty subset of V . Then W is a subspace of V if and only if the
following conditions hold:
α) If u and v are any vectors in W , then u + v is in W
β) If c is any real number and u is any vector in W , then cu is in W

Remarks
If a subset W of a vector space V does not contain the zero vector, then
W is not a subspace of V .

Example
 set W consisting of all 2 × 3 matrices of the form
Consider the

a b 0
, where a, b, c and d are arbitrary real numbers. Show that
0 c d
W is subspace if M23 .

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Solution
   
a1 b1 0 a2 b2 0
Let u = and v = . Then
0 c1 d1 0 c2 d2

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Solution
   
a1 b1 0 a2 b2 0
Let u = and v = . Then
0 c1 d1 0 c2 d2
 
a + a2 b1 + b2 0
u+v= 1 is in W
0 c 1 + c 2 d1 + d2

so that (α) is satisfied.

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Solution
   
a1 b1 0 a2 b2 0
Let u = and v = . Then
0 c1 d1 0 c2 d2
 
a + a2 b1 + b2 0
u+v= 1 is in W
0 c 1 + c 2 d1 + d2

so that (α) is satisfied.

 
ka1 kb1 0
ku = is in W
0 kc1 kd1

so that (β) is satisfied.

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Example
Which of the following subsets of R 2 with the usual operations of vector
addition and scalar multiplications are subspaces?
 
x
1 W is the set of all vectors of the form
1 , where x ≥ 0.
y
 
x
2 W is the set of all vectors of the form
2 , where x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0.
y
 
3 W is the set of all vectors of the form
x
3 , where x = 0.
y

Solution
1 W1 is the right half of thexy-plane. It is not a subspace of R 2
2
because if we take vector ∈ W1 , then the scalar multiple
3
   
2 −6
−3 = ∈
/ W1
3 −9
ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017
Example
2 The same vector in part (1), shows that W2 is not a subspace

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Example
2 The same vector in part (1), shows that W2 is not a subspace
3 W3 is the y −axis in the
 xy −plane.
  Proceed to check if W3 is a
0 0
subspace, Let u = ,v = ∈ W3 , then
b1 b2
     
0 0 0
u+v= + = ∈ W3
b1 b2 b1 + b2

so addition property holds,

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Example
2 The same vector in part (1), shows that W2 is not a subspace
3 W3 is the y −axis in the
 xy −plane.
  Proceed to check if W3 is a
0 0
subspace, Let u = ,v = ∈ W3 , then
b1 b2
     
0 0 0
u+v= + = ∈ W3
b1 b2 b1 + b2

so addition property holds,

   
0 0
cu = c = ∈ W3
b1 cb1

so scalar multiplication property hold as well. Therefore W3 is a

subspace of R 2

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Null space
Consider the homogeneous system Ax = 0, where A is an m × n matrix.
A solution contains of a vector x in R n . Let W be the subset of R n
consisting of all solutions to the homogeneous system. Since A0 = 0,
conclude that W is not empty. To check if W is a subspace, we verify
the two properties of subspace.

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Null space
Consider the homogeneous system Ax = 0, where A is an m × n matrix.
A solution contains of a vector x in R n . Let W be the subset of R n
consisting of all solutions to the homogeneous system. Since A0 = 0,
conclude that W is not empty. To check if W is a subspace, we verify
the two properties of subspace. Let x and y are solutions, then

Ax = 0 and Ay = 0 , now

A(x + y) = Ax + Ay = 0 + 0 = 0
so x + y is a solution, also if c is a scalar, then

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Null space
Consider the homogeneous system Ax = 0, where A is an m × n matrix.
A solution contains of a vector x in R n . Let W be the subset of R n
consisting of all solutions to the homogeneous system. Since A0 = 0,
conclude that W is not empty. To check if W is a subspace, we verify
the two properties of subspace. Let x and y are solutions, then

Ax = 0 and Ay = 0 , now

A(x + y) = Ax + Ay = 0 + 0 = 0
so x + y is a solution, also if c is a scalar, then

A(cx) = c(Ax) = c0 = 0

so cx is a solution. Hence W is a subspace of R n .

The subspace W is called solution space or the null space.

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Linear combination
Let v1 , v2 , . . . , vk be vectors in a vector space V . A vector v ∈ V is
called a linear combination of v1 , v2 , . . . , vk if

v = c1 v1 + c2 v2 + · · · + ck vk

for some real numbers not all zeros c1 , c2 , . . . , ck .

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Linear combination
Let v1 , v2 , . . . , vk be vectors in a vector space V . A vector v ∈ V is
called a linear combination of v1 , v2 , . . . , vk if

v = c1 v1 + c2 v2 + · · · + ck vk

for some real numbers not all zeros c1 , c2 , . . . , ck .

Example
In R 3 let v1 = (1, 2, 1), v2 = (1, 0, 2) and v3 = (1, 1, 0). The vector
v = (2, 1, 5) is a linear combination of v1 , v1 and v3 if we can find real
numbers c1 , c2 and c3 so that

v = c1 v1 + c2 v2 + c3 v3 , then

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Linear combination
Let v1 , v2 , . . . , vk be vectors in a vector space V . A vector v ∈ V is
called a linear combination of v1 , v2 , . . . , vk if

v = c1 v1 + c2 v2 + · · · + ck vk

for some real numbers not all zeros c1 , c2 , . . . , ck .

Example
In R 3 let v1 = (1, 2, 1), v2 = (1, 0, 2) and v3 = (1, 1, 0). The vector
v = (2, 1, 5) is a linear combination of v1 , v1 and v3 if we can find real
numbers c1 , c2 and c3 so that

v = c1 v1 + c2 v2 + c3 v3 , then

(2, 1, 5) = c1 (1, 2, 1) + c2 (1, 0, 2) + c3 (1, 1, 0)

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017

Solution cont.
(2, 1, 5) = c1 (1, 2, 1) + c2 (1, 0, 2) + c3 (1, 1, 0)
Combining terms on the right and equating correspoing entry, then

c1 + c2 + c3 = 2

2c1 + c3 = 1 =⇒ c1 = 1, c2 = 2 and c3 = −1

c1 + 2c2 = 5


Thus
v = v1 + 2v2 − v3

ISA MT127 – Linear Algebra I Lecture 16 – 2016/2017