SubSpaces

A subset W of a vector space V is called a subspace of V if W is itself a vector space

under the addition and scalar multiplication defined on V.

Subspace Criteria:
If W is the subset of a vector space V, then W is called subspace if and only if the
following conditions hold:

a) (Closed under addition) If 𝑢

⃗ and 𝑣 are vectors in W, then 𝑢⃗ + 𝑣 is in W.
b) (Closed under scalar multiplication) If k is any scalar and 𝑢⃗ is any vector in
W then 𝑘𝑢⃗ is in W.

Or in other words, W is subspace of V if and only if it is closed under addition and

scalar multiplication.

Example 1: If V is any vector space and if 𝑊 = {0⃗ } is the subset of V that consists
of the zero vector only, then W is closed under addition and scalar multiplication
since

⃗0 + ⃗0 = ⃗0

⃗ = ⃗0, for any scalar k

𝑘0

We call W the zero subspace of V.

Example 2:

𝑊 = {(𝑥, 𝑦); 𝑥 ≥ 0, 𝑦 ≥ 0}

Prove and disprove W is subspace of 𝑅2 .

Solution:

1. W is closed under addition, because

⃗⃗⃗ = (𝑥 ′ , 𝑦 ′ ) ∈ 𝑊
⃗ = (𝑥, 𝑦), 𝑣
Let, 𝑢 (𝑥, 𝑦 ≥ 0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑥 ′ , 𝑦 ′ ≥ 0)
𝑢 ⃗⃗⃗ = (𝑥 + 𝑥 ′ , 𝑦 + 𝑦 ′ ) ∈ 𝑊
⃗ +𝑣 (𝑥 + 𝑥 ′ ≥ 0 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦 + 𝑦 ′ ≥ 0)

2. W is not closed under scalar multiplication, because if

⃗ = (1,1) ∈ 𝑊
𝑢
But −𝑢⃗ = (−1, −1) ∉ 𝑊
So W is not subspace of V.

Example 3:

Which of the following subset of 𝑅2 with usual operations of addition and scalar
multiplication are subspaces?

a) 𝑊1 = {(𝑥, 𝑦); 𝑥 ≥ 0}
b) 𝑊2 = {(𝑥, 𝑦); 𝑥 ≥ 0, 𝑦 ≥ 0}
c) 𝑊3 = {(0, 𝑦); 𝑦 ∈ 𝑅}

Solution:

a) 𝑊1 is closed under addition but not closed under scalar multiplication,

because

⃗ = (2,3) ∈ 𝑊
𝐿𝑒𝑡 𝑢

𝑎𝑛𝑑 (−2)𝑢
⃗ = −2(2,3) = (−4, −6) ∉ 𝑊

b) Done in example 2.
c) 𝑊3 = {(0, 𝑦); 𝑦 ∈ 𝑅}
As 𝑊3 = 𝑦 − 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑠 in 𝑅2 . To see whether 𝑊3 is subspace , Let
⃗ = (0, 𝑢1 ), 𝑣 = (0, 𝑣1 ) ∈ 𝑊3
𝑢
⃗ + 𝑣 = (0, 𝑢1 + 𝑣1 ) ∈ 𝑊3 ,
𝑢
𝑊3 is closed under addition.
Let 𝑢
⃗ = (0, 𝑢1 ), k is any scalar then
⃗ = (0, 𝑘𝑢1 ) ∈ 𝑊3
𝑘𝑢
𝑊3 is closed under scalar multiplication.
𝑊3 is subspace of 𝑅2 .
Example 4:

Which of the following subset of 𝑅3 with usual operations of addition and scalar
multiplication are subspaces?

a) 𝑊1 = All vectors of the form (𝑎, 0, 0)

b) 𝑊2 = All vectors of the form (𝑎, 1, 1)
c) 𝑊3 = All vectors of the form (𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐) where 𝑏 = 𝑎 + 𝑐.
d) 𝑊4 = All vectors of the form (𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐) where 𝑏 = 𝑎 + 𝑐 + 1.
e) 𝑊5 = All vectors of the form (𝑎, 𝑏, 0) .

Solution:

a) 𝑊1 = {(𝑎, 0, 0); 𝑎 ∈ 𝑅}
1. 𝑊1 is closed under addition and scalar multiplication as:
𝑢⃗ = (𝑎1 , 0, 0) ∈ 𝑊1
𝑣 = (𝑎2 , 0, 0) ∈ 𝑊1
𝑢⃗ + 𝑣 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎2 , 0, 0) ∈ 𝑊1
2. Let 𝑢⃗ = (𝑎1 , 0, 0) ∈ 𝑊1 and k is any scalar, then
𝑘𝑢 ⃗ = (𝑘𝑎1 , 0, 0) ∈ 𝑊1
𝑊1 is subspace of 𝑅3 .
b) 𝑊2 = {(𝑎, 1, 1); 𝑎 ∈ 𝑅}
Let’s check the first property, i.e. 𝑊2 is closed under addition.
Let
𝑢⃗ = (𝑎1 , 1, 1) ∈ 𝑊2
𝑣 = (𝑎2 , 1, 1) ∈ 𝑊2
⃗ + 𝑣 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎2 , 2,2) ∉ 𝑊2
𝑢
𝑊2 is not subspace of 𝑅3 .
c) 𝑊3 = {(𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐); 𝑏 = 𝑎 + 𝑐; 𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐 ∈ 𝑅}
1. 𝑊1 is closed under addition and scalar multiplication as:
𝑢⃗ = (𝑎1 , 𝑏1 , 𝑐1 ) = (𝑎1 , 𝑎1 + 𝑐1 , 𝑐1 ) ∈ 𝑊3
𝑣 = (𝑎2 , 𝑏2 , 𝑐2 ) = (𝑎2 , 𝑎2 + 𝑐2 , 𝑐2 ) ∈ 𝑊3
Then 𝑢 ⃗ + 𝑣 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎2 , (𝑎1 + 𝑐1 ) + (𝑎2 + 𝑐2 ), 𝑐1 + 𝑐2 )
⃗ + 𝑣 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎2 , 𝑎1 + 𝑎2 + 𝑐1 + 𝑐2 , 𝑐1 + 𝑐2 ) ∈ 𝑊3
𝑢
So 𝑊3 is closed under addition.
2. Let 𝑢⃗ = (𝑎1 , 𝑎1 + 𝑐1 , 𝑐1 ) ∈ 𝑊3 and k is any scalar, then
 𝑘𝑢⃗ = 𝑘(𝑎1 , 𝑎1 + 𝑐1 , 𝑐1 ) = (𝑘𝑎1 , 𝑘(𝑎1 + 𝑐1 ), 𝑘𝑐1 )
= (𝑘𝑎1 , 𝑘𝑎1 + 𝑘𝑐1 , 𝑘𝑐1 ) ∈ 𝑊3
𝑊3 is closed under scalar multiplication.
So, 𝑊3 is subspace.
d) 𝑊4 = All vectors of the form (𝑎, 𝑏, 𝑐) where 𝑏 = 𝑎 + 𝑐 + 1.
⃗ = (𝑎1 , 𝑏1 , 𝑐1 ) = (𝑎1 , 𝑎1 + 𝑐1 + 1, 𝑐1 ) ∈ 𝑊4
𝑢
𝑣 = (𝑎2 , 𝑏2 , 𝑐2 ) = (𝑎2 , 𝑎2 + 𝑐2 + 1, 𝑐2 ) ∈ 𝑊4
Then 𝑢⃗ + 𝑣 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎2 , (𝑎1 + 𝑐1 ) + (𝑎2 + 𝑐2 ) + 2, 𝑐1 + 𝑐2 )
⃗ + 𝑣 = (𝑎1 + 𝑎2 , 𝑎1 + 𝑎2 + 𝑐1 + 𝑐2 + 2, 𝑐1 + 𝑐2 ) ∉ 𝑊4
𝑢
So 𝑊4 is not closed under addition.
So 𝑊4 is not subspace of 𝑅2 .
e) 𝑊5 = All vectors of the form (𝑎, 𝑏, 0) .(Do it yourself)

Example 5.

Consider the unit square shown in the accompanying figure. Let W be the set
𝑥
of the form [𝑦], where 0 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 1, 0 ≤ 𝑦 ≤ 1. That is W is the set of all vectors
whose tail is at origin and whose head is a point inside or on the square. Is
W a subspace of 𝑅 2 ? Explain.

Solution:

⃗ = (0,1), 𝑣 = (1,1) ∈ 𝑊.
Let 𝑢

⃗ + 𝑣 = (1,2) ∉ 𝑊.
Then 𝑢

W is not closed under addition.

W is not subspace of 𝑅2 .

Example 6.

Which of the given subsets of the vector space 𝑀23 of all 2 × 3 matrices are
subspace? The set of all matrices of the form?
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
a) 𝑊1 = {[ ] ; 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑏 = 𝑎 + 𝑐}
𝑑 0 0
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
b) 𝑊2 = {[ ] ; 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑐 > 0}
𝑑 0 0
 𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
c) 𝑊3 = {[ ] ; 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎 = −2𝑐, 𝑓 = 2𝑐 + 𝑑}
𝑑 𝑒 𝑓

Solution:

C: do it your self