Linear Mapping (or) Transformation

In this topic we will see about the notion of the morphism between vector spaces.
That is a mapping from one vector space to another vector space that is ‘structure preserving’ in
the following sense.

De nition:

If V and W are vector spaces over the same eld F then by a linear mapping (or linear
transformation) from V to W we shall mean a mapping f : V → W such that

(1) ( ∀x, y ∈ V ), f (x + y) = f (x) + f (y)

(2) ( ∀x ∈ V )( ∀λ ∈ F ), f (λ x) = λ f (x)

Some authors use T instead of f .

Note: f : V → W is linear then V is sometimes called the departure space and W the arrival
space of f .

Examples:

1. The mapping f : R 2 → R 3 given by f (a, b) = (a + b, a − b, b) is linear.

In fact, for all (a, b) and (a′, b′) in R 2 we have

f ((a, b) + (a′, b′)) = f (a + a′, b + b′) = (a + a′ + b + b′, a + a′ − b − b′, b + b′)

= (a + b, a − b, b) + (a′ + b′, a′ − b′, b′)

= f (a, b) + f (a′, b′)

And for all (a, b) ∈ R 2 and all λ ∈ R,

f (λ(a, b)) = f (λ a, λb)

= (λ a + λb, λ a − λb, b)

= λ(a + b, a − b, b)

= λ f (a, b)

2. Consider the di erentiation map D : Rn[X ] → Rn[X ] given by

D(a0 + a1X + ⋯ + an X n) = a1 + 2a2 X + ⋯ + n an X n−1.

This mapping is linear, for if p(X ) and q(X ) are polynomials then we know form analysis that

D( p(X ) + q(X )) = Dp(X ) + Dq(X ) and that, for every scalar λ,

D(λp(X )) = λ Dp(X ).
























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 3. Consider the mapping f (x, y, z) = (y, z,0), the mapping is linear.

Let (x, y, z) and (x′, y′, z′) ∈ R 3.

f ((x, y, z) + (x′, y′, z′)) = f (x + x′, y + y′, z + z′)

= (y + y′, z + z′,0)
= (y, z,0) + (y′, z′,0)
= f (x, y, z) + f (x′, y′, z′)

f (λ(x, y, z)) = f (λ x, λy, λ z)

= (λy, λ z,0)
= λ(y, z,0)
= λ f (x, y, z)

1. Consider the mapping f (x, y, z) = ( | x | , − z,0), the mapping is not linear.

Let (x, y, z) and (x′, y′, z′) ∈ R 3.

f ((x, y, z) + (x′, y′, z′)) = f (x + x′, y + y′, z + z′)

= ( | x + x′| , − (z + z′),0)
≤ ( | x | + | x′| , − z − z′,0)
≤ ( | x | , − z,0) + ( | x′| , − z′,0)
= f (x, y, z) + f (x′, y′, z′)

f ((x, y, z) + (x′, y′, z′)) ≤ f (x, y, z) + f (x′, y′, z′)

Therefore, the mapping is not linear.