MATB24 Linear Algebra II Assignment 2

Prof. T. Kielstra, Dept. of CMS, University of Toronto, Scarborough

Instructions:
ˆ This assignment is for self work and is worth 0 percent of you final grade.
ˆ These questions are to give you an opportunity to engage with the material of the course.
ˆ By looking at the course outline you can see when your TA will review this material in lab.
ˆ The TA will not review the entire assignment. They will specifically focus on questions that students seem to be
struggling with.
ˆ You should attempt the questions on this assignment before you go to the tutorial.
ˆ Note that the concepts covered in questions 12-15 are not concepts that we will focus on learning how to prove in the
remainder of this course. However, we will heavily utilize these properties throughout the remainder of this course.

1. (4.2.1) Let A be the following matrix over the complex numbers.

 
2 1
−1 3

For each of the following polynomials f over F, compute f (A),

(a) f = x2 − x + 2
(b) f = x2 − 1
(c) f = x2 − 5x + 7
2. (4.2.2) Let T be the linear operator on R2 defined by

T (x1 , x2 , x3 ) = (x1 , x3 , −2x2 − x3 )

Let f be the linear operator on R defined by −x ∗ 2 + 2. Find f (T ).
3. Let A be an n × n diagonal matrrix over the field F. Let f be the polynomial over F defined by

f = (x − A11 ) · · · (x − Ann ),

what is the matrix f (A).

4. (4.4.1) Let Q be the field of rational numbers. Determine which of the following subsets of Q[x] are ideals.
When the set is an ideal, find its monic generator.
(a) all f of even degree;
(b) all f of degree ⩾ 5;
(c) all f such that f (0) = 0;
(d) all f such that f (2) = f (4) = 0
5. (4.4.2) Find the g.c.d. of each of the following pairs of polynomials
(a) 2x5 − x3 − 3x2 − 6x + 4, x4 + x3 − x2 − 2x − 2;
(b) 3x4 + 8x2 − 3, x3 + 2x2 + 3x + 6;;
(c) 4x4 − 2x3 − 2x2 − 2x − 3, x3 + 6x2 + 7x + 1;
6. (4.4.3) Let A be an n × n matrix over a field F. Show that the set of all polynomials f in F such that f (A) = 0
is an ideal.

1
 7. (4.4.4) Let F be a subfield of the complex numbers, and let
 
1 −2
A=
0 3

Find the monic generator of the ideal of all polynomials f in F[x] such that f (A) = 0.
8. (4.4.5) Let F be a field. Show that the intersection of any number of ideals in F is an ideal.
9. (4.4.6) Let F be a field. Show that the ideal generated by a finite number of polynomials f1 , · · · , fn in F is the
intersection of all ideals containing f1 , · · · , fn . (Bonus: Consider the integers. Show that the ideal generated by
a finite number of integers a1 , ..., an ∈ Z is the the intersection of all ideals containing the integers a1 , · · · , an .)
10. Let F be a field. Consider a finite number of polynomials f1 , · · · , fn in F. Take the intersection of the ideals
that each polynomial generates. Show that this forms an ideal whose generator is the least common multiple of
the polynomials f1 , · · · , fn . (Bonus: Consider the integers. Consider a finite number of integers a1 , ..., an ∈ Z.
Take the intersection of the ideals that each integer generates. Show that this forms an ideal whose generator
is the least common multiple of the integers a1 , · · · , an .)
11. Show that every complex number can be represented using a real polynomial modulo x2 + 1.
12. Analogous to the 2 × 2 case discussed in class, use permutations to derive the formula for the determinant
|A| = det(A) of a general 3 × 3 matrix:
 
a11 a12 a13
A =  a21 a22 a23 
a31 a32 a33

13. (4.5.2) Assuming the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra, prove the following. Iff and g are polynomials of the
field of complex numbers, the g.c.d(f, g) = 1 if and only if f and g have no common root.
Definition: Under modular arithmetic, we have the following definition. f and g and congruent modulo p if
f − g is divisible by p, that is to say the remainder of f − g divided by p is zero.

14. (4.5.5) Prove, for any non-zero polynomial p, that congruence modulo p is an equivalence relation.
(a) It is reflexive: f ≡ f mod p
(b) It is symmetric: if f ≡ g mod p, then g ≡ f mod p.
(c) It is transitive: if f ≡ g mod p and g ≡ h mod p, then f ≡ h mod p.

Bonus: Show this result is also true for the integers.

15. (4.5.8) If p is an irreducible polynomial and f g ≡ 0 mod p, prove that either f ≡ 0 mod p or g ≡ 0 mod p.
Give an example to show that this is false if p is not irreducible. (Bonus: show a similar result if p is a prime
number when considering the integers and give an example where this is false when p is not a prime number.