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1. Consider the vector space V = C3 with the scalar field C and addition and scalar
multiplication defined as follows:

(x1 , y1 , z1 ) + (x2 , y2 , z2 ) = (x1 + x2 + 7, y1 + y2 , z1 + z2 − 4)

for any (x1 , y1 , z1 ), (x2 , y2 , z2 ) ∈ V and

α(x1 , y1 , z1 ) = (αx1 + 7α − 7, αy1 , αz1 − 4α + 4)

for any α ∈ C. This defines a vector space. (You do not have to prove this!)

(a) Find the zero vector for V .

(b) Find the additive inverse of (x, y , z) in V .

2. (NS 1.2.12b) Let U and W be subspaces of a vector space V . Prove that U ∪ W is a

subspace of V if and only if U ⊆ W or W ⊆ U.

3. Let V = Cn×n for n ≥ 2 be the complex vector space with the usual matrix addition and
scalar multiplication. Let U1 = {A ∈ Cn×n : AT = A} be the set of symmetric matrices in V
and let U2 = {A ∈ Cn×n : A∗ = A} be the set of hermitian matrices in V . One of U1 and U2
is a subspace of V while the other is not. Determine which is which.

4. Find a basis for the real vector space

V = {(a, b, c, d) ∈ R4 : c = −6b, d = 2a}

with the usual addition and scalar multiplication.

5. Under what conditions on α is

{(1, α, 0), (α, 0, 1), (1 − α, α, 1)}

a basis for R3 ?