AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF BEIRUT

MATH 218 Linear Algebra and Applications

Spring Semester 201112
Exam 1
Saturday 17 March, 2012

Time: 1 hour

ID:

Name:

Section:

Instructor:

The backs of the pages may be used as scratch paper.

NO QUESTIONS ARE ALLOWED.

Question:

Total

Points:

24

17

17

12

12

18

100

Score:

MATH 218
1. (a) (9 points) Find the row echelon
the system of linear equations

3x

2x

Exam 1

17 March, 2012

form of the augmented matrix corresponding to

+ y + z = b
3y + az = 7 ,
+ y + z = 1

where a, b are real numbers.

Question 1 continues . . .

Page 1 of 6

MATH 218

Exam 1

17 March, 2012

Question 1 (continued)
(b) (15 points) For which values of a and b does the system of equations have:
i. Exactly one solution?

ii. No solutions?

iii. Infinitely many solutions?

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MATH 218

Exam 1

17 March, 2012

2. (17 points) If A is a matrix satisfying

1 2
0
(A1 2I)T = 0 1 0 ,
3
2 1
find A.

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MATH 218

Exam 1

17 March, 2012

3. (17 points) Consider the matrix

1 1
1
A = 2 2 c + 3 .
0 c2
1
(a) For which values of c is the matrix A invertible?

(b) If c = 1, find det((2A)1 AT A).

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MATH 218

Exam 1

17 March, 2012

4. (12 points) Let A be a 2 2 matrix. Prove that, if the trace of A is zero, then A2 is a
scalar multiple of the identity matrix.

5. (12 points) Suppose that A is an n n matrix satisfying A = 2AT . Show that A = 0.

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MATH 218

Exam 1

17 March, 2012

6. (18 points) Indicate whether the following statements are true or false. If true, briefly
justify the statement; if false, give a counterexample.
(a) If A is any square matrix, then A + AT is symmetric.

(b) If u, v and w are vectors in Rn , then the vectors u v, v w and w u are

linearly dependent.

(c) If det A is a whole number, then all the entries of A must be whole numbers.

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