Denitions:

Given an n-dimensional vector space X and basis set V = {v1 , ..., vn } for X , the coordinate mapping crdV : X Rn is dened by, for x X , crdV (x) = = (1 , ...n ), where is the unique linear combination of the i elements of V s.t. x = n i =1 i v . Let X and Y be n- and m-dimensional vector spaces with basis sets U and V. Given T L(X , Y ), dene M T by for i = 1, ...n, the i th column of M T is crdV (T (vi )). M T is the matrix representation of T given bases U and V. Dene the mapping MtxV,U : L(X , Y ) Fmn by for T L(X , Y ), MtxV,U (T ) = M T , the matrix rep. of T given bases U and V.
1

FIRST subscript identies the basis w.r.t. which points in codomain of T are represented. SECOND subscript identies the basis set on which T is dened

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e2 = (0, 1)

a vector v V v

matrix rep of v w.r.t. std basis v = (1.5, 2)

matrix rep of v w.r.t. alt basis v = (2.23, 1.12)

b
e1 = (1, 0)

5 1)/ (2,

Figure 1. Dierent representations of a vector

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u2
1 0.5

T (u2 ) T (u1 )
1 2

-1

-0.5

0.5

u1

-2

-1

-1 -0.5

-2 -1

Figure 2. We know nothing about the matrix A, only know what T does to U

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T (v1 ) =

3 3 , 2 2

v2
0.5

v1 T (v2 ) =
0.5 1

1 , 12 2
-2 -1

-1

-0.5

-1 -0.5

-2 -1

Figure 3. MtxU,V (T ): the transformation of V by T , expressed in terms of U

FIRST subscripti.e., Uidenties basis (i.e., standard one) in terms of which points in the codomain of T are represented SECOND subscripti.e., Videnties the points in the domain of T for which T is initially dened.
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; ;
1 2

T (v1 ) = (3, 0)

v2
0.5

v1 T (v2 ) = (0, 1)
0.5 1 -2 -1 1

-1

-0.5

-1 -0.5

-2 -1

Figure 4. MtxV,V (T ): the transformation of V by T , expressed in terms of V

FIRST subscripti.e., Videnties basis (i.e., basis of e/vs) in terms of which points in the codomain of T are represented SECOND subscripti.e., Videnties the points in the domain of T for which T is initially dened.
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u2
1 XD 0.5

T (u2 ) = (2.1213, 0.7071)

2 1

T (u1 ) = (2.1213, 0.7071)

1 2

-1

-0.5

0.5

1 1u

-2

-1

-1 -0.5

-2 -1

Figure 5. MtxV,U (T ): the transformation of U by T , expressed in terms of V

FIRST subscripti.e., Videnties basis (i.e., basis of e/vs) in terms of which points in the codomain of T are represented SECOND subscripti.e., Uidenties the points in the domain of T for which T is initially dened.
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Theorem: Let X , Y and Z be nite dimensional vector spaces with bases U,V and W respectively, and suppose S L(X , Y ) and T L(Y , Z ). Then MtxW,V (T ) MtxV,U (S )

MtxW,U (T S )

(1)

where for x X , the composition mapping T S is dened by, for x X , T S (x) = T (S (x)).

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u2
1

v2 = S (u2 )
0.5

v1 = S (u1 ) u1
1

T (v1 ) = T S (u1 )

T (v2 ) = T S (u2 )
-2 -1

-1

-0.5

0.5

-1 -0.5

-2 -1

Figure 6. The mapping T : what it does to the new basis set V

Example #1: S dened by S (ui ) = vi , i.e., i th basis element i th e/vector

MtxV,U (S ) = 1 0 0 . 1

T dened by T (vi ) = Avi = i vi , i.e., takes e/vs to their images

MtxW,V (T ) = 3 0 0 . 1 3 0 0 . 1
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T S takes each ui to i vi .
MtxW,U (T S ) =
()

Example #2: 1 X is the space of 2nd order polynomials on R, i.e., x : R R X if for all R, x () = 0 + 1 + 2 2 , for some 0 , 1 , 2 R. Let U = {u1 , u2 , u3 } = {1, , 2 }.
2

Y is the space of 1st order polynomials on R, i.e., y () = 0 + 1 . Let V = {v1 , v2 } = {1, }. Z is the space of zeroth order polynomials on R, i.e., z () = 0 . Let S L(X , Y ): S (x ) = x = T L(Y , Z ): T (y ) = y =
dx () . d dx () . d

W = {w1 } = {1}.
4

MtxV,U (S ) =

0 0

1 0 1 .

0 . 2

MtxW,V (T ) = 0
d 2 x () . d 2

MtxW,U (T ) = 0

T S L(X , Z ): (T S )(x ) = x = 0

2 = MtxW,V (T ) MtxV,U (S )
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()