Ashley Robinson Pride Due Date: Saturday, March 26, 2011

Exercise Set 1.4

1) Label the following statements as true or false.
a) The zero vector is a linear combination of any nonempty set of vectors.
True.

b) The span of ∅ is ∅ .
False span ( ∅ ) = {0} .

c) If S is a subset of a vector space V, then span(S) equals the intersection of all subspaces of V
that contain S.
True.

d) In solving a system of linear equations, it is permissible to multiply an equation by any

constant.
False. You may multiply by an nonzero constant.

e) In solving a system of linear equations, it is permissible to add any multiple of one equation
to another.
True.

f) Every system of linear equations has a solution.

False. A system of linear equations may have no solution.

2) Solve the following systems of linear equations by the method introduced in this section.
 2 x1 − 2 x2 − 3 x3 = −2  2 −2 −3 0 −2   1 −1 −2 −1 −3

a) 3 x1 − 3x2 − 2 x3 + 5 x4 = 7
 3 −3 −2 5 7  →  0 0 1 2 4 

 x − x − 2x − x = −3  1 −1 −2 −1 −3  0 0 4 8 13 
 1 2 3 4

 1 − 1 − 2 −1 −3
0 0 1 2  x1 − x2 − 2 x3 − x4 = −3
 4  → 
x3 + 2 x4 = 4
 0 0 0 0 0  
Let x2 = 0 and x4 = 0 , then x3 = 4 and x1 = 5 .

3 x1 − 7 x2 + 4 x3 = 10  3 −7 4 10   1 −2 1 3 1 −2 13

b)  x1 − 2 x2 + x3 = 3 →  1 −2 1 3  →  3 −7 4 10  →  0
  1 −1 −1
 2x − x − 2x = 6  2 −1 −2 6   2 −1 −2 6   2 −1 −2 6 
 1 2 3

 1 −2 1 3  1 −2 1 3   x1 = −2

→  0 1 −1 −1 → 
 0 1 −1 −1 →  x2 = −4
 0 −3 4 0   0 0 1 −3  x3 = −3
 f)
 x1 + 2 x2 + 6 x3 = −1 1 2 6 −1  1 2 6 −1 
 2 1
 2 x1 + x2 + x3 = 8 1 8   0 3 11 −10 
 → → →
 3 x1 + x2 − x3 = 15 3 1 −1 15   0 5 19 −18 
 x1 + 3 x2 + 10 x3 = −5    
 1 3 10 −5  0 1 4 −4 
1 2 6 −1
0 1 −   x1 = 3
 4 4  →  x = 4
 0 0 1 −2   2
   x3 = −2
 0 0 1 −2 

3) For each of the following lists of vectors in ℝ 3 , determine whether the first vector can be expressed
as a linear combination of the other two.
a) ( −2,0,3) , (1,3,0 ) , ( 2, 4, −1) – Yes when a1 = 4 and a2 = −3
 1 2 −2   1 0 4   1 0 4
 3 4 0  →  0 1 −3 →  0 1 −3
    
 0 −1 3   0 2 −6   0 0 0 
b) (1, 2, −3) , ( −3, 2,1) , ( 2, −1, −1) – Yes when a1 = 5 and a2 = 8
 −3 2 1   1 −1 −3  1 0 5 
 2 −1 2  →  0 −1 −8 →  0 1 8 
     
 1 −1 −3  0 1 8   0 0 0 
c) ( 3, 4,1) , (1, −2,1) , ( −2, −1,1) - No
 1 0 −5 
 1 −2 3  1 1 1 
 −2 −1 →0 2
 4   −3 2  →  0 1 − 
 3
 1 1 1   0 1 6  
 0 1 6 

4) For each list of polynomials in P3 ( ℝ ) , determine whether the first polynomial can be expressed as a
linear combination of the other two.
a) x3 − 3 x + 5, x3 + 2 x 2 − x + 1, x3 + 3 x 2 − 1 - Yes when a1 = 3 and a2 = −2
1 1 1 2 0 6 1 0 3
 2 3 0   0 3 −6   0 1 −2 
 → → 
 −1 0 −3  1 0 3   0 0 0 
     
 1 −1 5   0 −1 2   0 0 0 
b) 4 x3 + 2 x 2 − 6, x3 − 2 x 2 + 4 x + 1, 3 x3 − 6 x 2 + x + 4 - No!
 1 0 8 
3 1 4  1 4 0  1 4 0  5
 −6 −2 2  0 0 10   0 11 1   0 1 1 
 → → → 11 
1 4 0  3 1 −1  0 15 −6   −2 
      0 1
4 1 6  4 1 6  0 0 10   5
 0 0 10 
5) Determine whether the given vector is in the span of S.
a) ( 2, −1,1) , S = {(1, 0, 2 ) , ( −1,1,1)} - Yes when r = 1, s = −1
r (1, 0, 2 ) + s ( −1,1,1) = ( 2, −1,1)
1 −1 2   1 0 1 1 0 1
0 1 −1 →  0 1 −1 →  0 1 −1

 2 1 1   0 −3 3   0 0 0 

c) ( −1,1,1, 2 ) , S = {(1, 0,1, −1) , ( 0,1,1,1)} - No

r (1, 0,1, −1) + s ( 0,1,1,1) = ( −1,1,1, 2 )
1 0 −1  1 0 −1  1 0 −1
0 1 1   0 1 1   0 1 1 
 → →
1 1 1 0 1 2 0 1 2
     
 −1 1 2 0 1 1 0 0 0

e) − x3 + 2 x 2 + 3 x + 3, S = { x 3 + x 2 + x + 1, x 2 + x + 1, x + 1} - Yes
( ) ( )
r x 3 + x 2 + x + 1 + s x 2 + x + 1 + t ( x + 1) = − x 3 + 2 x 2 + 3 x + 3
 1 0 0 −1  1 0 0 −1
1 1 0 2 0 1 0 3 
 →
1 1 1 3 0 0 1 1
   
1 1 1 3 0 0 0 0
r = −1, s = 3, t = 1

1 2   1 0  0 1 1 1  
g)   , S =   −1 0  , 0 1 , 0 0   - Yes
 −3 4         
1 0 0 1 1 1   1 2 
r +s 0 1 + t  0 0  =  −3 4 
 −1 0       
1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1  1 0 0 3
0 1 1 2   0 1 0 4   0 1 0 4 
 → →
 −1 0 0 −3  0 0 1 −2   0 0 1 −2 
     
0 1 0 4   0 0 1 −2   0 0 0 0
r = 3, s = 4, t = −2
6) Show that vectors (1,1, 0 ) , (1, 0,1) , and ( 0,1,1) generate F 3 .
r (1,1, 0 ) + s (1, 0,1) + t ( 0,1,1) = ( a1 , a2 , a3 )
 1 1 0 a1   1 0 −1 a1 − a3  1 0 −1 a1 − a3 
 1 0 1 a  →  0 1 −1 a − a  →  0 2 0 a − a + a  →
 2  1 2  1 2 3

 0 1 1 a3   0 1 1 a3   0 0 2 a3 − a1 + a2 
 1 1 1   1 1 1
1 0 0 2 a1 + 2 a2 − 2 a3   r = 2 a1 + 2 a2 − 2 a3
  
0 1 0 1 a − 1 a + 1 a  →  s = 1 a − 1 a + 1 a
 
2  
1 2 3 1 2 3
2 2 2 2 2
 
0 0 1 − 1 a1 + 1 a2 + 1 a3  t = − 1 a1 + 1 a2 + 1 a3
 2 2 2   2 2 2
Since F is a field and 0,1 ∈ F and 1 + 1 ∈ F since it is closed under addition, then 2 ∈ F . Since F is
1
a field, 2 has a multiplicative inverse and therefore ∈ F .
2

1 0  0 1  0 0 0 0
9) Show that the matrices  ,  ,   , and  0 1  generate M 2×2 ( F ) .
 0 0   0 0  1 0   
1 0   0 1  0 0  0 0   a1 a2 
r  +s  +t  +u = 
0 0   0 0  1 0  0 1   a3 a4 
1r + 0 s + 0t + 0u = a1  r = a1
 
0r + 1s + 0t + 0u = a2  s = a2
 →  Therefore the matrices generate M 2×2 ( F ) .
 0 r + 0 s + 1t + 0u = a3  t = a3
or + 0s + 0t + 1u = a4 u = a4

12) Show that a subset W of a vector space V is a subspace of V if and only if span ( W ) = W .

Proof ( ⇒ ) : Given W ⊆ V and W is a subspace of V, let x ∈ W such that x = a1v1 + a2 v2 + … + an vn

for v1 , v2 ,… , vn ∈ W and a1 , a2 ,… , an ∈ F . Thus x ∈ span ( W ) and W ⊆ span ( W ) .
Let x ∈ span ( W ) , then x is a linear combination of vectors in W. Therefore x ∈ W and
span ( W ) ⊆ W . Since W ⊆ span ( W ) and span ( W ) ⊆ W , then span ( W ) = W .
Proof ( ⇐ ) : Given W ⊆ V and span ( W ) = W , we must show that W is a subspace of V.
a) 0 ∈ W because 0 ∈ span ( W ) and span ( W ) = W
b) Let x, y ∈ span ( W ) , then x = a1v1 + a2 v2 + … + an vn and y = b1u1 + b2u2 + … + bnun for all
vi , ui ∈ W and ai , bi ∈ F . Then x + y = a1v1 + a2 v2 + … + an vn + b1u1 + b2u2 + … + bn un and
x + y ∈ span ( W ) and thus x + y ∈ W .
c) Let x ∈ span ( W ) such that x = a1v1 + a2 v2 + … + an vn for all vi ∈ W and ai ∈ F . Then
cx = ca1v1 + ca2 v2 + … + can vn for some c ∈ F . Therefore cx ∈ span ( W ) which implies that
cx ∈ W .
Therefore W is a subspace of V.
Therefore a subset W of a vector space V is a subspace of V if and only if span ( W ) = W .
13) Show that if S1 and S2 are subsets of a vector space V such that S1 ⊆ S 2 , then span ( S1 ) ⊆ span ( S2 ) .
In particular, if S1 ⊆ S 2 and span ( S1 ) = V , deduce that span ( S2 ) = V .

Proof: Given S1 ⊆ S 2 and span ( S1 ) = V , let x ∈ span ( S1 ) . Then x = a1v1 + a2 v2 + … + an vn for all
vi ∈ S1 and ai ∈ F . Since x ∈ span ( S1 ) , x ∈ S1 . Also S1 ⊆ S 2 , and thus x ∈ S2 . Then
x ∈ span ( S2 ) . Therefore span ( S1 ) ⊆ span ( S2 ) and span ( S2 ) = V .

15) Let S1 and S2 be subsets of a vector space V. Prove that span ( S1 ∩ S2 ) ⊆ span ( S1 ) ∩ span ( S 2 ) . Give
an example in which span ( S1 ∩ S 2 ) and span ( S1 ) ∩ span ( S 2 ) are equal and one in which they are
unequal.

Proof: Let x ∈ span ( S1 ∩ S 2 ) , then x = a1v1 + a2 v2 + … + an vn for all vi ∈ S1 ∩ S2 and ai ∈ F . Therefore

x ∈ S1 and x ∈ S2 which means x ∈ span ( S1 ) and x ∈ span ( S 2 ) . Therefore
x ∈ span ( S1 ) ∩ span ( S2 ) and span ( S1 ∩ S2 ) ⊆ span ( S1 ) ∩ span ( S 2 ) .
Example of Equal: Let S1 = {( −1,1)} and S2 = {(1,1)} with V = ℝ 2 .
Example of Not Equal: Let S1 = {( 2, 0 )} and S2 = {(1, 0 )} with V = ℝ 2 .

16) Let V be a vector space and S a subset of V with the property that whenever v1 , v2 ,… , vn ∈ S and
a1v1 + a2v2 + … + an vn = 0 , then, a1 = a2 = … = an = 0 . Prove that every vector in the span of S can be
uniquely written as a linear combination of vectors of S.

Proof: Given that S ⊆ V and that whenever a1v1 + a2 v2 + … + an vn = 0 for v1 , v2 ,… , vn ∈ S . Let

x, y ∈ span ( S ) such that x = a1 x1 + a2 x2 + … + an xn and y = b1 y1 + b2 y2 + … + bb yn for
xi , yi ∈ S , ai , bi ∈ F . Then

x− y=0
x − y = x + ( − x ) Since 0 = x + − x
− y + x = −x + x Cancellation Law
− y = −x
y=x
Therefore the linear combinations in S are unique.