4 Vector Spaces

4.1
VECTOR SPACES AND
SUBSPACES

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

VECTOR SPACES AND SUBSPACES
 Definition: A vector space is a nonempty set V of
objects, called vectors, on which are defined two
operations, called addition and multiplication by
scalars (real numbers), subject to the ten axioms (or
rules) listed below. The axioms must hold for all
vectors u, v, and w in V and for all scalars c and d.
 The sum of u and v, denoted by u  v , is in V.
 u  v  v  u.
 (u  v)  w  u  (v  w) .
 There is a zero vector 0 in V such that
u  (u)  0.
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VECTOR SPACES AND SUBSPACES
5. For each u in V, there is a vector  u in V such
that u  (  u)  0 .
6. The scalar multiple of u by c, denoted by cu,
is in V.
7. c (u  v)  cu  cv.
8. .
9. c ( du)  (cd )u .
10. 1u  u .

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VECTOR SPACES AND SUBSPACES

 Example 1. The space of all 3x3 matrices is a vector

space. The space of all matrices is not a vector space.

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SUBSPACES

 Definition: A subspace of a vector space V is a subset H of V that

has three properties:
 The zero vector of V is in H.
 H is closed under vector addition. That is, for each u and v
in H, the sum is in H.
u  v That is, for each
 H is closed under multiplication by scalars.
u in H and each scalar c, the vector cu is in H.

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SUBSPACES

 Properties (a), (b), and (c) guarantee that a subspace

H of V is itself a vector space, under the vector
space operations already defined in V.

 Every subspace is a vector space.

 Conversely, every vector space is a subspace (of

itself and possibly of other larger spaces).

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 Example 1. The space of all 3x3 upper triangular
matrices is a subspace. The space of all matrices with
integer entries is not.

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A SUBSPACE SPANNED BY A SET

 The set consisting of only the zero vector in a vector

space V is a subspace of V, called the zero subspace
and written as {0}.

 As the term linear combination refers to any sum of

scalar multiples of vectors, and Span {v1,…,vp}
denotes the set of all vectors that can be written as
linear combinations of v1,…,vp.

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A SUBSPACE SPANNED BY A SET

 Example 2: Given v1 and v2 in a vector space V, let

H  Span{v1 ,v 2 }. Show that H is a subspace of V.
 Solution: The zero vector is in H, since 0  0v1  0v 2 .
 To show that H is closed under vector addition, take
two arbitrary vectors in H, say,
u  s1v1  s2 v 2 and w  t1v1  t2 v 2.
 By Axioms 2, 3, and 8 for the vector space V,
u  w  ( s1v1  s2 v 2 )  (t1v1  t2 v 2 )
 ( s1  t1 )v1  ( s2  t2 )v 2
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A SUBSPACE SPANNED BY A SET

 Theorem 1: If v1,…,vp are in a vector space V, then

Span {v1,…,vp} is a subspace of V.

 We call Span {v1,…,vp} the subspace spanned (or

generated) by {v1,…,vp}.

 Give any subspace H of V, a spanning (or generating)

set for H is a set {v1,…,vp} in H such that
.
H  Span{v1 ,...v p }
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Eigenfaces

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NULL SPACE OF A MATRIX
 Definition: The null space of an m  n matrix A,
written as Nul A, is the set of all solutions of the
homogeneous equation Ax  0. In set notation,
.
 Theorem 2: The null space of an m  n matrix A is
a subspace of . Equivalently, the set of all
solutions to a system Ax  0 of m homogeneous
linear equations in n unknowns is a subspace of .
 Proof: Nul A is a subset of because A has n
columns.
 We need to show that Nul A satisfies the three
properties of a subspace.
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NULL SPACE OF A MATRIX

 An Explicit Description of Nul A

 There is no obvious relation between vectors in Nul A
and the entries in A.
 We say that Nul A is defined implicitly, because it is
defined by a condition that must be checked.

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NULL SPACE OF A MATRIX
 No explicit list or description of the elements in Nul
A is given.
 Solving the equation Ax  0 amounts to producing an
explicit description of Nul A.

 Example 1: Find a spanning set for the null space of

the matrix
 3 6 1 1 7 

A  1 2 2 3 1 . 
 
 2 4 5 8 4 
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NULL SPACE OF A MATRIX
 Solution: The first step is to find the general solution
of Ax  0 in terms of free variables.

 Row reduce the augmented matrix  A 0 to reduce

echelon form in order to write the basic variables in
terms of the free variables:

 1 2 0 1 3 0  x1  2 x2  x4  3 x5  0
0 0 1 2 2 0 
 , x3  2 x4  2 x5  0
0 0 0 0 0 0  00
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NULL SPACE OF A MATRIX
 The general solution is x1  2 x2  x4  3 x5,
x3  2 x4  2 x5 , with x2, x4, and x5 free.
 Next, decompose the vector giving the general
solution into a linear combination of vectors where
the weights are the free variables. That is,
 x1   2 x2  x4  3x5  2  1  3
x   x  1   0  0
 2  2
      
 x3    2 x4  2 x5   x2  0   x4  2   x5  2 
x   x  0  1  0
 4  4       
 x5   x5   0   0   1

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u v wSlide 4.2- 16
NULL SPACE OF A MATRIX

1. The spanning set produced by the method in

Example (1) is automatically linearly
independent because the free variables are the
weights on the spanning vectors.
2. When Nul A contains nonzero vectors, the
number of vectors in the spanning set for Nul
A equals the number of free variables in the
equation Ax  0 .

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COLUMN SPACE OF A MATRIX

 Definition: The column space of an m  n matrix A,

written as Col A, is the set of all linear combinations
of the columns of A. If , then
Col A  Span{a 1 ,...,a n }.

 Theorem 3: The column space of an m  n matrix A

is a subspace of .

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 COLUMN SPACE OF A MATRIX
 The notation Ax for vectors in Col A also shows that Col
A is the range of the linear transformation .
 The column space of an m  n matrix A is all of if
and only if the equation Ax  b has a solution for each
b in .  3
 2 4 2 1  2 
 Example 2: Let A   2 5 7 3 , u   
   1
 3  3 7 8 6 
   0
and v  1 .  
 
 3
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COLUMN SPACE OF A MATRIX
a. Determine if u is in Nul A. Could u be in Col
A?
b. Determine if v is in Col A. Could v be in Nul
A?
a. Solution:
a. An explicit description of Nul A is not needed
here. Simply compute the product Au.
 3
 2 4 2 1    0  0 
  2    
Au  2 5 7 3    3  0
   1    
 3 7 8 6     3 0 
 0
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COLUMN SPACE OF A MATRIX
 u is not a solution of Ax  0 , so u is not in Nul A.
 Also, with four entries, u could not possibly be in
Col A, since Col A is a subspace of .
b. Reduce  A v  to an echelon form.
 2 4 2 1 3  2 4 2 1 3
 2 5 7 3 1  0 1 5 4 2 
 A v  

  
 3 7 8 6 3  0 0 0 17 1

 The equation Ax  v is consistent, so v is in

Col A.
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 KERNEL AND RANGE OF A LINEAR
TRANSFORMATION
 With only three entries, v could not possibly be
in Nul A, since Nul A is a subspace of .
 Subspaces of vector spaces other than are often
described in terms of a linear transformation instead of
a matrix.
 Definition: A linear transformation T from a vector
space V into a vector space W is a rule that assigns to
each vector x in V a unique vector T (x) in W, such that
 T (u  v)  T (u)  T (v) for all u, v in V, and
 T (cu)  cT (u) for all u in V and all scalars c.

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KERNEL AND RANGE OF A LINEAR
TRANSFORMATION

 The kernel (or null space) of such a T is the set of all

u in V such that T (u)  0 (the zero vector in W ).

 The range of T is the set of all vectors in W of the

form T (x) for some x in V.

 The kernel of T is a subspace of V.

 The range of T is a subspace of W.

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 mn MATRIX A

Nul A Col A
1. Nul A is a subspace of 1. Col A is a subspace of
. .
2. Nul A is implicitly 2. Col A is explicitly
defined; i.e., you are defined; i.e., you are
given only a condition told how to build
( Ax  0) that vectors in vectors in Col A.
Nul A must satisfy.

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m  n MATRIX A

3. It takes time to find 3. It is easy to find vectors

vectors in Nul A. Row in Col A. The columns
operations on  A 0 of a are displayed;
are required. others are formed from
them.
4. There is no obvious 4. There is an obvious
relation between Nul A relation between Col A
and the entries in A. and the entries in A,
since each column of A
is in Col A.

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 m  n MATRIX A

5. A typical vector v in Nul 5. A typical vector v in Col

A has the property that A has the property that
Av  0. the equation Ax  v is
consistent.
6. Given a specific vector v, 6. Given a specific vector
it is easy to tell if v is in v, it may take time to tell
Nul A. Just compare Av. if v is in Col A. Row
operations on  A v  are
required.

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m  n MATRIX A

7. Nul A  {0} if and only 7. Col if and only

if the equation Ax  0 if the equation Ax  b
has only the trivial has a solution for every
solution. b in .
8. Nul A  {0} if and only 8. Col if and only
if the linear if the linear
transformation x  Ax transformation x  Ax
is one-to-one. maps onto .

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