IIITDM Kancheepuram

MAT204T: Linear Algebra

Problem Set 1

1. Suppose that F is some subset of the complex number field C such that
if x, y ∈ F , then x + y, −x, xy, x−1 ( (if x 6= 0) are all in F . Show that
F is also a field under addition and multiplication of complex numbers.

2. Show that for every prime number p, there is a field with p elements.

3. Show that all the points in the set {(t, 2t, 3t) | t ∈ R} lie on a straight
line in the 3-dimensional space.

4. Show that x + 2y + 3z = 0 represents a plane in the 3-dimensional

space.

5. Find all the triples (r, s, t) ∈ R3 that satisfy the equation x − y + z = 0.

6. Find all the tuples (s1 , s2 , s3 , s4 , s5 ) ∈ R5 that satisfy both x1 +x3 +x5 =
0 and x2 + x4 = 0.

7. Let (a, b) and (c, d) be two points in R2 such that neither is a constant
multiple of the other. Show that {s(a, b) + t(c, d) | s, t ∈ R} = R2 .

8. Suppose that (a1 , a2 , a3 ) and (b1 , b2 , b3 ) are unit vectors in R3 . If θ is

the angle between them, show that a1 b1 + a2 b2 + a3 b3 = cos θ.