The Petroleum Institute

MATH461 – Linear Algebra

Final Examination
Spring Session 2009

Time allowed : 2.5 hours

Total number of questions : 4
Maximum marks : 80

Directions to Students
All questions are to be attempted.
The questions are NOT of equal value.
All answers are to be written on the paper supplied.
Any type of pocket calculator may be used.

WORKING, including all necessary reasoning, is to be shown for all

written solutions.
Question 1 Marks
 
4 x+2
(i) Find the value of x for the matrix B = to be symmetric. 2
2x − 3 x + 1

(ii) (a) Find det(A), adj(A), and A−1 for the matrix 5
 
1 0 −1
A =  −2 3 0 .
1 −3 2

Be sure to show all your working.

(b) Use the inverse found in (a) to solve the following system of equations 2

x−z = 5
−2x + 3y = 1
x − 3y + 2z = −10

(iii) Let A be an invertible matrix such that B = A(AT A)−1 AT .

(a) Find det(B). 3

(b) Briefly explain why matrix B is invertible. 1
(c) Show that BT = B. 3

(iv) P is a square matrix such that P2 = 11I − 2P.

(a) Express P3 in the form αP + βI and find the values for α and β. 3
1
(b) Show that the inverse of P is given by P −1
= 11 (P + 2I). 2
Question 2

(i) Consider the set of all two-dimensional column matrices 2

  
u1
S= ∈ R2
u2

under standard scalar multiplication but with vector addition defined as

     
u1 v1 u1 + u2 + 1
⊕ = .
u2 v2 v1 + v2 + 1

Show that S is not a vector space since it fails property A4 in the definition
for a vector space V, namely, there exists a zero vector in V, denoted by
0, such that for every vector u in V, u ⊕ 0 = u.
  
 x  
(ii) Let V = y  ∈ R3  2x − y + 2z = 0 .

z
 

(a) Show that V is a subspace of R3 . 3

(b) Find a basis for V. 2
(c) Find dim(V). 1
     
 1 1 1 
(iii) (a) Does the set of vectors 2 ,  −1  , 1 form a basis in R3 ? 3
1 0 0
 
     
1 1 3
(b) Can 0 be written as a linear combination of 2 and 4? 3
1 3 5
     
1 1 1
(iv) Let S = , , .
1 2 −1

(a) Using words, briefly explain why S spans R2 . 1

2
(b) Now show directly from the definition of spanning that S spans R . 3
Question 3

(i) Show that the transformation T : R3 → R3 given by 3

   
x x
T y  = x + z + 1 ,
z z

is not linear.
(ii) Consider the linear transformation T : R3 → R3 defined by
   
x1 x1 + 2x2 − x3
T x2  =  x2 + x3  .
x3 x1 + x2 − 2x3

(a) Write down the standard matrix A for T . 1

(b) Find ker(T ). 3
(c) Find a basis for ker(T ). 1
(d) Find a basis for im(T ). 3
(e) State the rank and nullity of T . 2
(f) Is T one-to-one or onto? Give brief reasons for your answers. 3

(iii) Consider the linear transformation T : R3 → R3 given by 4

   
x 3x − y + z
T y  = −x + 3y − z  ,
z x − y + 3z
     
 1 0 1 
and the basis vector B = 1 , 1 , −1 in R3 .
0 1 1
 

Find the matrix representation of T with respect to B, namely find ABB .

(iv) If T : M2×2 → M2×2 is a linear transformation such that rank(T ) = 3, 2
find nullity(T ).

Question 4

(i) The eigenvalues of a 3 × 3 invertible matrix B are λ = 1, 2, 5.

(a) Write down the eigenvalues corresponding to the matrix B−1 . 1

(b) Briefly explain why B −1
is diagonalisable. 1
 
1 3 0
(ii) Let A =  3 1 0 .
0 0 −2

(a) Find all eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors of A. 5

(b) Find an invertible matrix P such that P −1
AP = D, where D is a 2
diagonal matrix.
(c) Hence evaluate An P. Here n = 1, 2, . . . 3
(iii) Let u1 and u2 be two vectors in an inner product space V.

(a) Show that hu1 + u2 , u1 − u2 i = ku1 k2 − ku2 k2 . 2

(b) Under what conditions, if any, will the vector u1 + u2 be orthogonal 2
to the vector u1 − u2 ?

(iv) Let u be a vector in an inner product space V and k any real scalar. By 3
considering the inner product hku, kui, show that kkuk = |k| kuk.