Isomorphisms Math 130 Linear Algebra

is the identity function on A while f ◦ g : B → B is
the identity function on B. The usual notation for

the function inverse to f is f −1 .
If f and g are inverse to each other, that is, if g
is the inverse of f , g = f −1 , then f is the inverse of
g, f = g −1 . Thus, (f −1 )−1 = f .
Isomorphisms An important property of bijections is that you
Math 130 Linear Algebra can convert equations involving f to equations in-
D Joyce, Fall 2015
volving f −1 :
Frequently in mathematics we look at two alge- f (x) = y if and only if x = f −1 (y)
braic structures A and B of the same kind and want
to compare them. For instance, we might think .
they’re really the same thing, but they have dif-
ferent names for their elements. That leads to the Isomorphisms of algebraic structures. There
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concept of isomorphism f : A → B, and we’ll talk are lots of different kinds of algebraic structures.
about that first. Other times we’ll know they’re We’ve already studied two of them, namely, fields
not the same thing, but there is a relation between and vector spaces.
them, and that will lead to the next concept, ho- We’ll say two algebraic structures A and B are
momorphism, f : A → B. We’ll then look as some isomorphic if they have exactly the same structure,
special homomorphisms such as monomorphisms. but their elements may be different. For instance,
When we have a homomorphism f : A → A, we’ll let A be the vector space R[x] of polynomials in
call it an endomorphism, and when an isomorphism the variable x, and let B be the vector space R[y]
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f : A → A, we’ll call it an automorphism. We’ll of polynomials in y. They’re both just polynomials
take each of these variants in turn. in one variable, it’s just that the choice of variable
is different in the two rings.
Injections, surjections, and bijections of We’re studying vector spaces, so we need a pre-
functions between sets. These are words that cise definition of isomorphism for them.
describe certain functions f : A → B from one set
to another. Definition 1 (Isomorphism of vector spaces). Two
An injection, also called a one-to-one function vector spaces V and W over the same field F are
is a function that maps distinct elements to dis- isomorphic if there is a bijection T : V → W which
tinct elements, that is, if x 6= y, then f (x) 6= f (y). preserves addition and scalar multiplication, that
Equivalently, if f (x) = f (y) then x = y. If A is, for all vectors u and v in V , and all scalars
is a subset of B, then there is a natural injection c ∈ F ,
ι : A → B, called the inclusion function, defined
T (u + v) = T (u) + T (v) and T (cv) = cT (v).
by ι(x) = x.
A surjection, also called an onto function is one The correspondence T is called an isomorphism of
that includes all of B in its image, that is, if y ∈ B, vector spaces.
then there is an x ∈ A such that f (x) = y.
A bijection, also called a one-to-one correspon- When T : V → W is an isomorphism we’ll write
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dence, is a function that is simultaneously injective T : V → W if we want to emphasize that it is an
and bijective. Another way to describe a bijection isomorphism. When V and W are isomorphic, but
f : A → B is to say that there is an inverse function the specific isomorphism is not named, we’ll just
g : B → A so that the composition g ◦ f : A → A write V ∼ = W.
1
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Of course, the identity function IV : V → V is Example 4. Consider P3 , the vector space of poly-
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an isomorphism. nomials over R of degree 3 or less. Define T : P3 →
After we introduce linear transformations (which R4 by T (a1 x3 + a2 x2 + a3 x + a4 ) = (a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 ).
is what homomorphisms of vector spaces are It just associates to a polynomial its 4-tuple of co-
called), we’ll have another way to describe isomor- efficients starting with the coefficient of x3 and go-
phisms. ing down in degree. This T preserves addition and
You can prove various properties of vector space scalar multiplication, it is one-to-one, and it is onto.
isomorphisms from this definition. (Those statements are easy to verify.)
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Since the structure of vector spaces is defined in This is not the only isomorphism P3 → R4 . A
terms of addition and scalar multiplication, if T cubic polynomial is determined by its value at any
preserves them, it will preserve structure defined in four points. The association f (x) to the 4-tuple
terms of them. For instance, T preserves 0, nega- (f (1), f (2), f (3), f (4)) is also an isomorphism.
tion, subtraction, and linear transformations.
Theorem 5. If T : V → W is an isomorphism,
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Theorem 2. If T : V → W is an isomorphism of then T carries linearly independent sets to linearly
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vector spaces, then its inverse T −1 : W → V is also independent sets, spanning sets to spanning sets,
an isomorphism. and bases to bases.
Proof. Since T is a bijection, T −1 exists as a func- Proof. For the first statement, let S be a set of lin-
tion W → V . We have to show T −1 preserves ad- early independent vectors in V . We’ll show that its
dition and scalar multiplication. image T (S) is a set of linearly independent vectors
First, we’ll do addition. Let w and x be elements in W . If 0 were a nontrivial linear combination of
of W . We have to show that vectors in T (S), then an application of T −1 would
yield a nontrivial linear combination of vectors in
−1 −1
T (w + x) = T (w) + T (x). −1 S, but there is none since S is independent. There-
fore, T (S) is linear independent.
We’ll show that by simplifying it to logically equiv- For the second statement, let w be any vector in
−1
alent statements until we reach one which we know W , then T (w) is a linear combination of vectors
is true. Since T and T −1 are inverse functions, that in V . Apply T to that linear combination to see
equation holds if and only if that w is a linear combination of vectors in W .
Since T carries both independent and spanning
−1 −1
w + x = T (T (w) + T (x)). sets from V to W , it carries bases to bases. q.e.d.
Since T is an isomorphism, we can rewrite that as More generally, any property of vector spaces de-
fined in terms of the structure of vector spaces (ad-
w + x = T (T −1 (w)) + T (T −1 (x)) dition and scalar multiplication) is preserved by iso-
morphisms.
which simplifies to w + x = w + x which is true.
Scalar multiplication is left to you. Show Coordinates with respect to a basis deter-
−1 −1
T (cw) = cT (w). q.e.d. mine an isomorphism. One of the main uses of
a basis β = (b1 , b2 , . . . , bn ) for a vector space V
We’ll omit the proof of the next theorem. over a field is to impose coordinates on V . Each
' ' vector v in V is a unique linear combination of of
Theorem 3. If S : V → W and T : W → X are
the basis vectors
both isomorphisms of vector spaces, then so is their
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composition (T ◦ S) : V → X. v = v1 b1 + v2 b2 + · · · + vn bn .
2
The coefficients are used as coordinates for v with
the respect to the basis β
 
v1
 v2 
[v]β =  ..  .
 
.
vn
Let’s denote the function that assigns these co-

ordinates φβ .
Theorem 6. The correspondence v to [v]β is an

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isomorphism φβ : V → F n .
To prove that theorem, you’ll need to note that

this is a bijection, prove that [u + v]β = [u]β + [v]β ,
and prove that [cv]β = c[v]β .
Since the correspondence φβ is an isomorphism,
it means we can work with coordinates with respect
to a basis β of V just like ordinary coordinates.
Corollary 7. Two finite dimensional vector spaces

are isomorphic if and only if they have the same
dimension.
Proof. If they’re isomorphic, then there’s an iso-

morphism T from one to the other, and it carries a
basis of the first to a basis of the second. Therefore
they have the same dimension.
On the other hand, if they have the same dimen-
sion n, then they’re each isomorphic to F n , and
therefore they’re isomorphic to each other. q.e.d.
Linear transformations. Next we’ll look at lin-

ear transformations of vector spaces.
Whereas isomorphisms are bijections that pre-
serve the algebraic structure, homomorphisms are
simply functions that preserve the algebraic struc-
ture. In the case of vector spaces, the term linear
transformation is used in preference to homomor-
phism.
Math 130 Home Page at

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Isomorphisms Math 130 Linear Algebra

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Isomorphisms Math 130 Linear Algebra

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is the identity function on A while f ◦ g : B → B is

the identity function on B. The usual notation for

Let’s denote the function that assigns these co-

Theorem 6. The correspondence v to [v]β is an

To prove that theorem, you’ll need to note that

Corollary 7. Two finite dimensional vector spaces

Proof. If they’re isomorphic, then there’s an iso-

Linear transformations. Next we’ll look at lin-

Math 130 Home Page at

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