MA-106 Linear Algebra

Ananthnarayan H.

Department of Mathematics
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Powai, Mumbai - 76

19th January, 2015

D2 - Lecture 7

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 1 / 13

Summary: N (A) and C(A)

Remark: Let A be an m × n matrix.

• The null space of A, N (A) contains vectors from Rn .
• Ax = 0 ⇔ x is in N (A).
• The column space of A, C(A) contains vectors from Rm .
• If B is the nullspace matrix of A, then C(B) = N (A).
• Ax = b is consistent ⇔ b is in C(A) ⇔
b can be written as a linear combination of the columns of A. This
can be done in as many ways as the solutions of Ax = b.
• Let A be n × n.
A is invertible ⇔ N (A) = {0} ⇔ C(A) = Rn . Why?
• N (A) and C(A) are closed under linear combinations.

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 2 / 13

Vector Spaces: Definition

Defn. A non-empty set V is a vector space if it is closed under vector

addition ( i.e., if x, y are in V, then x + y must be in V ) and scalar
multiplication, (i.e., if x is in V , a is in R, then a · x must be in V ).
Equivalently, x, y in V, a, b in R, =⇒ a · x + b · y must be in V.
• A vector space is a triple (V, +, ·) with vector addition + and scalar
multiplication ·
• The elements of V are called vectors and the scalars are chosen to
be real numbers (for now).
• If the scalars are allowed to be complex numbers, then V is a
complex vector space.

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 3 / 13

Vector Spaces: Definition continued
Let x, y and z be vectors, a and b be scalars. The vector addition
and scalar multiplication are also required to satisfy:
x + y = y + x Commutativity of addition
(x + y) + z = x + (y + z) Associativity of addition
There is a unique vector 0, such that x + 0 = x
Existence of additive identity
For each x, there is a unique −x such that x + (−x) = 0
Existence of additive inverse
1·x=x Existence of unity
(ab) · x = a · (b · x) Associativity of scalar multiplication
(a + b) · x = a · x + b · x, a · (x + y) = a · x + a · y Distributivity

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 4 / 13

Vector Spaces: Examples
1 V = 0, the space consisting of only the zero vector.
2 V = Rn , the n-dimensional space.
3 V = R∞ , vectors with infinite number of components, e.g.,
x = (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, . . .). with component-wise addition and
scalar multiplication.
4 V = M , the set of 2 × 2 matrices. What are + and ·?
Q: Is this the same as R4 ?
5 V = F, the set of continuous real-valued functions on a closed
interval, say [0, 1].
e.g., x2 , ex . Is x1 a vector in V ? How about x−2
1
?
vector addition and scalar multiplication are pointwise:
(f + g)(x) = f (x) + g(x) and (a · f )(x) = af (x).

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 5 / 13

Subspaces: Definition

If V is a vector space, and W is a non-empty subset, then W is a

subspace of V if:
x, y in W , a, b in R, ⇒ a · x + b · y are in W .
i.e., linear combinations stay in the subspace.
1 0 and Rn are subspaces of Rn .
2 {(x1 , x2 ) : x1 ≥ 0, x2 ≥ 0} is not a subspace of R2 . Why?
3 The set of 2 × 2 symmetric matrices is a subspace of M . So is
the set of 2 × 2 lower triangular matrices.
4 The set of invertible 2 × 2 matrices is not a subspace of M .
Why?

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 6 / 13

Examples: Subspaces of Rn
We are interested in spaces that are contained in Rn .
{0}: The zero subspace.
Rn itself.
A line not passing through the origin is not a subspace of R2 .
Why? e.g., x − y = 1.
A line L passing through the origin is a subspace of R2 . Why?
e.g., x − y = 0.
Let A be an m × n matrix.
The null space of A, N (A), is a subspace of Rn .
The column space of A, C(A), is a subspace of Rm .
Recall: They are both closed under linear combinations.
Note: A subspace must contain the 0 vector!

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 7 / 13

Examples: Subspaces of R2
What are the subspaces of R2 ?

T
V = { 0 0 }.
V = R2 .
What if V is neither of the above?
L: x+y =0 y
Suppose V contains a (−0.5)v

Example: non-zero vector,

T
say x
v = −1 1 .
v
1.5v
V must contain the entire line L : x + y = 0, i.e., all multiples
of v.

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 8 / 13

Examples: Subspaces of R2

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Let V be a subspace of R2 containing v1 = −1 1 . Then V must
contain the entire line L : x + y = 0.
If V 6= L, it contains a vector v2 , which is not a multiple of v1 , say

T
v2 = 0 1 .  

−1 0
Observe: A = v1 v2 = has two pivots,
1 1
⇔ A is invertible.
⇔ for any v in R2 , Ax = v is solvable,
⇔ v is in C(A),
⇔ v can be written as a linear combination of v1 and v2 .
⇒ v is in V , i.e., V = R2
To summarise: A subspace of R2 , which is non-zero, and not R2 , is
a line passing through the origin.

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 9 / 13

Random Attendance
1 14D110012 KSHITIZ AGARWAL Absent
2 14D110014 GAJENDRA SINGH GODARA
3 14D110015 ADITYA AGARWAL
4 14D110026 RAJAT PRATAP SINGH
5 14D170007 MASURKAR OMKAR SHYAM
6 140010015 VISHWAS VERMA
7 140010028 NITYA SINGH
8 140010029 AMIT KR. TOMAR
9 140010044 BOLLU YASHWANTH KUMAR
10 140010061 HIMANI SINHMAR
11 140110002 SIDDHARTHA SHERING
12 140110004 JADHAV ADITYA SHANKAR
13 140110009 KANVINDE SHARDUL PRASHANT
14 140110013 DEEPANSHU KUSH
15 140110016 RISHAV GOEL
16 140110042 ARNAV DESHMUKH
17 140110043 TANISHA SINHA
18 140110039 POOJA DOIFODE
19 140110070 ADITYA KUMAWAT
20 140110079 SARAGDAM VINAY KUMAR
21 140110098 SHINJAN DWIVEDI
Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 10 / 13
Linear Span: Definition
Given a collection S, of vectors v1 , v2 , . . . , vn in a vector space V ,
the linear span of S, denoted Span(S) or Span{v1 , . . . , vn },
is the set of all linear combinations of v1 , v2 , . . . , vn , i.e.,
Span(S) = {v = a1 · v1 + · · · + an · vn , for scalars a1 , . . . , an }.
Remark: Span(S) is a subspace of V . Why?
Note:
1. If v1 , . . . , vn are
in Rm , Span{v1 , . . . , vn } = C(A) for
A = v1 · · · vn , an m × n matrix. Thus
v is in Span{v1 , . . . , vn } ⇔ Ax = v is consistent.
2. Let {v1 , . . . , vn } be n vectors in Rn , A = v1 · · · vn .

Then A is invertible ⇔ A has n pivots ⇔ Ax = v is consistent for

every v in Rn ⇔ Span{v1 , . . . , vn } = Rn .

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 11 / 13

Linear Span: Examples
Examples:
1 Span{0} = {0}.
2 If v 6= 0 is a vector, Span{v} = {a · v, for scalars a}.
Goemetrically (in Rm ): Span{v} = the line in the direction of v
passing through the origin.
   
−1 0
3 Span , = R2 .
1 1
4 The columns of the n × n identity matrix I, e1 , . . . , en span Rn .
5 If A is m × n, then Span{A1 , . . . , An } = C(A).
6 If v1 , . . . , vk are the special solutions of A,
then Span {v1 , . . . , vk } = N (A).
Remark: All of the above are subspaces.

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 12 / 13

Linear Span: Examples

T
Example: Is v in Span{v1 , v2 , v3 , v4 }, where: v = 1 0 4 ,

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T
T
v1 = 1 2 3 , v2 = 2 4 6 , v3 = 3 8 7 and

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v4 = 5 12 13 ?    

1 2 3 5 b1
Let A = v1 · · · v4 . Recall Ax = 2 4 8 12 x = b2  is
  
3 6 7 13 b3
solvable ⇔ 5b1 − b2 − b3 = 0.
⇒ v is not in Span{v1 , v2 , v3 , v4 }, and

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w = 1 0 5 = 4v1 + (−1)v3 is in it.
Observe: v2 = 2v1 and v4 = 2v1 + v3 . Hence v2 , v4 are in
Span{v1 , v3 }. Therefore, Span{v1 , v3 } =
Span{v1 , v2 , v3 , v4 } = C(A) = the plane P : (5x − y − z = 0).
Q: Is the span of two vectors in R3 always a plane?

Ananthnarayan H. D2 - Lecture 7 19th January, 2015 13 / 13