1.

8 Introduction to Linear Transformations

Another way to view Ax = b:

Matrix A is an object acting on x by multiplication to produce a new vector Ax or b.

EXAMPLE:
2 −4 −8 2 −4 0
2 2
3 −6 = −12 3 −6 = 0
3 1
1 −2 −4 1 −2 0

Suppose A is m × n. Solving Ax = b amounts to finding all ____ in R n which are transformed into
vector b in R m through multiplication by A.

transformation
multiply by A
“machine”

Matrix Transformations

A transformation T from R n to R m is a rule that assigns to each vector x in R n a vector Tx  in

Rm.

T : Rn  Rm

Terminology:

R n : domain of T R m : codomain of T

Tx  in R m is the image of x under the transformation T

Set of all images Tx  is the range of T

1
 1 0
EXAMPLE: Let A = 2 1 . Define a transformation T : R 2  R 3 by Tx  = Ax.
0 1

2
Then if x = ,
1
1 0 2
2
Tx  = Ax = 2 1 = 5
1
0 1 1

x
0 1 1
2 3
2

x2
2

1 x3

0
6 8
x1 2 4
1 2 3 4 0 x2

2
 2
1 −2 3 2 3
EXAMPLE: Let A = ,u = 3 ,b = and c = . Then define
−5 10 −15 −10 0
1
a transformation T : R → R by Tx = Ax.
3 2

a. Find an x in R 3 whose image under T is b.

b. Is there more than one x under T whose image is b. (uniqueness problem)
c. Determine if c is in the range of the transformation T. (existence problem)

Solution: (a) Solve _______=_____ for x. I.e., solve _______=_____ or

x1
1 −2 3 2
x2 =
−5 10 −15 −10
x3
Augmented matrix:

x 1 = 2x 2 − 3x 3 + 2
1 −2 3 2 1 −2 3 2
∼ x 2 is free
−5 10 −15 −10 0 0 0 0
x 3 is free

Let x 2 = _____ and x 3 = _____. Then x 1 = _____.

So x =

(b) Is there an x for which Tx = b?

Free variables exist  There is more than one x for which Tx = b

(c) Is there an x for which Tx = c? This is another way of asking if Ax = c

is _______________.

1 −2 3 3 1 −2 3 0
Augmented matrix: ∼
−5 10 −15 0 0 0 0 1

c is not in the _______________ of T.

3
Matrix transformations have many applications - including computer graphics.

.5 0
EXAMPLE: Let A = . The transformation T : R 2 → R 2 defined by Tx = Ax is an
0 .5
example of a contraction transformation. The transformation Tx = Ax can be used to move a
point x.

8 .5 0 8 4
u = Tu  = =
6 0 .5 6 3

6 6

4 4

2 2

2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 10 12
−2 −2

−4 −4

6 6

4 4

2 2

2 4 6 8 10 12 2 4 6 8 10 12
−2 −2

−4 −4

4
Linear Transformations

If A is m × n, then the transformation Tx  = Ax has the following properties:

Tu + v  = Au + v  = _______ + _______

= ______ + ______

and
Tcu  = Acu  = _____Au =_____Tu 

for all u,v in R n and all scalars c.

DEFINITION
A transformation T is linear if:
i. Tu + v  = Tu +Tv  for all u, v in the domain of T.
ii. Tcu =cTu  for all u in the domain of T and all scalars c.

Every matrix transformation is a linear transformation.

RESULT If T is a linear transformation, then

T0  = 0 and Tcu + dv =cTu +dTv .

Proof:
T0  = T0u  = ____Tu  = _____.

Tcu + dv  = T +T = _____T + _____T

5
 1 0
1 0
EXAMPLE: Let e 1 = , e2 = , y1 = 0 and y 2 = 1 . Suppose
0 1
2 1
T : R → R is a linear transformation which maps e 1 into y 1 and e 2 into y 2 . Find the images of
2 3

3 x1
and .
2 x2

Solution: First, note that

Te 1  = ______ and Te 2  = ______.

Also
3
___e 1 + ___e 2 =
2

Then
3
T = T___e 1 + ___e 2  = ___Te 1  + ___Te 2 
2

x2 2 x2
1
2 0
8

1 4x
3

0
3
2
x1 1 x
1 2 3 0
1

T3e 1 + 2e 2  = 3Te 1  + 2Te 2 

Also
x1
T = T_____e 1 + _____e 2  = ____Te 1  + ____Te 2  =
x2

6
EXAMPLE: Define T : R 3 → R 2 such that Tx 1 , x 2 , x 3  = |x 1 + x 3 |, 2 + 5x 2 . Show that T is a not a
linear transformation.

Solution: Another way to write the transformation:

x1
|x 1 + x 3 |
T x2 =
2 + 5x 2
x3

Provide a counterexample - example where T0  = 0, Tcu =cTu or Tu + v  = Tu  + Tv  is
violated.

A counterexample:
0
T0  = T 0 = ≠ _____
0
which means that T is not linear.

1
Another counterexample: Let c = −1 and u = 1 . Then
1

−1
|−1 + −1| 2
Tcu  = T −1 = =
2 + 5−1  −3
−1

and
1
cTu  = −1T 1 = −1 = .
1

Therefore Tcu  ≠ ___Tu  and therefore T is not _________________.