Math 22a Homework 1 Solutions Fall 2020

Book Problems:

1.1.8 The reduced echelon form is  

1 0 0 0 0
 0 1 0 0 0 
 
 0 0 1 0 0 
0 0 0 1 0
and the corresponding solution set of the original system is x1 = x2 = x3 = x4 = 0.

1.1.18 Form the augmented matrix, and use row operations to get it in reduced echelon form:
 
1 0 0 0
 0 1 0 0 
0 0 1 1

so there is one common point of intersection: x1 = x2 = 0, x3 = 1.

1.1.22 The row-reduced form (not echelon form) is

 
−4 12 h
h
0 0 −3 + 2

This system is consistent if the rightmost column is not a pivot column. The rightmost column will
be a pivot column unless −3 + h2 = 0, i.e. unless h = 6.

1.1.24 (a) False – p6

(b) True – p7
(c) False – p3
(d) True – p4

1.1.28 Three examples are:

     
1 0 0 3 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0
 0 1 0 −2   0 1 0 −2   0 1 1 −3 
0 0 1 −1 0 0 1 −1 0 0 1 −1

1.2.2 (a) REF

(b) EF
(c) Neither – there is a row of zeroes above a nonzero row.
(d) EF

1.2.6 The possible echelon forms are:

         
 ∗  ∗  ∗ 0  0 0
 0    0 ∗   0 0   0 0   0 0 
0 0 0  0 0 0 0 0 0

1.2.12 The last column is a pivot, so the system is inconsistent, and there are no solutions.

1.2.22 (a) True – p14

 (b) False – p21
(c) False – p14
(d) True – p18
(e) False – p18 (The system could be inconsistent. If it is consistent, then free variables give
infinitely many solutions. )
1.2.28 The system is consistent if the last column of the augmented matrix is not a pivot. There is a unique
solution for a consistent system if every column but the last is a pivot column. Thus, every column of
the augmented matrix except for the last column must be a pivot in order to have a unique solution.
1.3.7 a, b, d, c are linear combinations of u, v.
1.3.14 An echelon form of the augmented matrix is:
 
1 0 5 2
 0 1 4 3 
0 0 0 0
   
1 0
Therefore b = 2 −2 + 3 1.
0 2
1.3.21 An echelon form of the augmented matrix is:
 
2 2 h
3 h
0 2 k+ 2

Since
  the last column is not a pivot for any values of h and k, this system is always consistent, so
h
∈ span{u, v} for any values of h and k.
k
1.3.22 For example,    
1 1 1 1
A= 1 1 1  b= 2 
1 1 1 3

1.3.24 (a) False – p30

(b) True – p27
(c) True – p30
(d) False – p27
(e) False – p27

Proofy Problems:

1. (c) The general strategy is that the first player will win if one of the piles has an even number of
raisins. Suppose the two piles have 2n and m raisins. The first player can eat the pile of m
raisins and leave two piles of 2n − 1 and 1 raisins. Now the second player must eat the pile of 1
raisin and split the 2n − 1 pile. Since 2n − 1 is odd, it can’t be split into two even piles. Thus
it leaves the first player back in the original situation of at least one even pile, and they can
proceed similarly.
 (d) This statement is true! We prove this using a direct proof. Let x be any real number, and then
let y = x + 1. We know that
y = x + 1 > x,
and so we have shown that for every real number x, there exists a real number y such that
y > x.
(e) This statement is false! Note the difference in order! In this case, we have to pick a y that
works for an arbitrary x. This statement is false, as for every real number y we pick, we can
just set x = y + 1, and the inequality fails.

2. (b) Statement: Let n be an integer. If 8 does not divide n2 − 1, then n is even.

Contrapositive: Let n be an integer. If n is odd, then 8 divides n2 − 1.

Proof. If n is odd, then n = 2j + 1 for some j ∈ N. Then

n2 − 1 = (2j + 1)2 − 1 = 4j 2 + 4j + 1 − 1 = 4j(j + 1).

We split into two cases for j. If j is even, then j = 2p for some p ∈ N. Then we have

n2 − 1 = 4(2p)(p + 1) = 8p(p + 1).

So 8 divides n2 − 1 in this case. If j is odd, then j = 2p + 1 for some p ∈ N. So then we have

n2 − 1 = 4(2p + 1)(2p + 2) = 8(2p + 1)(p + 1).

So 8 divides n2 − 1 if n is odd.
(Note that this is really equivalent to taking two cases of odd n: when n = 4k + 1 and when
n = 4k + 3. We could consider these two cases directly if we like. If n = 4k + 1, then
n2 − 1 = 16k 2 + 8k. If n = 4k + 3, then n2 − 1 = 16k 2 + 24k + 8. Both are multiples of 8. We
could also replace the case n = 4k + 3 with n = 4k − 1, which makes n2 − 1 = 16k 2 − 8k and
this is a bit simpler.)

(c) Statement: Let n be a positive integer. If n = 3k + 2 for some integer k, then n is not a perfect
square.
Contrapositive: Let n be a positive integer. If n is a perfect square, then n does not equal
3k + 2 for some integer k.

Proof. As n is an integer, we know that n takes one of three possible values, 3j, 3j + 1, and
3j + 2. We take each case by case. If n = 3j, then

n2 = (3j)2 = 3(3j 2 ) 6= 3k + 2

for any integer k. If n = 3j + 1, then

n2 = (3j + 1)2 = 9j 2 + 6j + 1 = 3(3j 2 + 2j) + 1 6= 3k + 2

for any integer k. If n = 3j + 2, then

n2 = (3j + 2)2 = 9j 2 + 12j + 4 = 3(3j 2 + 4j + 1) + 1 6= 3k + 2

for any integer k.

So n2 6= 3k + 2 for any integer k.
3. (a) Statement: If a2 does not divide b2 , then a does not divide b.
Contrapositive: If a | b, then a2 | b2 .

Proof. If a | b, then a = bm for some integer m. Then a2 = b2 m2 , and so there exists an integer
m2 such that a2 = b2 m2 , and so a2 | b2 .

(b) Statement: If a and b are odd, then a2 + 3b2 + ab is odd.

Proof. If a and b are odd, then a = 2m + 1 and b = 2n + 1 for some integers m, n. Then we
have that:

a2 + 3b2 + ab = (2m + 1)2 + 3(2n + 1)2 + (2m + 1)(2n + 1)

= 4m2 + 4m + 1 + 12n2 + 12n + 3 + 4mn + 2m + 2n + 1
= 2 2m2 + 6n2 + 3m + 7n + 2mn + 2 + 1.

(c) Statement: If b3 − 1 is odd, then b is even.

Contrapositive: If b is odd, then b3 − 1 is even.

Proof. If b is odd, then b = 2n + 1 for some integer n. Then we have

b3 − 1 = (2n + 1)3 − 1
= 8n3 + 12n2 + 6n + 1 − 1
= 2 4n3 + 6n2 + 3n .

Thus b3 − 1 is even.

(d) Statement: If a2 | b and b3 | c, then a6 | c.

Proof. As a2 | b there exists an integer n such that a2 n = b. As b3 | c, there exists an integer m

such that b3 m = c. Then we have

(a2 n)3 m = a6 n3 m = c.

And as n3 m is an integer, we have a6 | c.

4. Statement: The ages of the children are 2, 2, 9.

Proof. The factors of 36 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36, so these are the possible ages of the children.
The situations which could occur are:
Ages Sum of Ages
{1, 1, 36} 38
{1, 2, 18} 21
{1, 3, 12} 16
{1, 4, 9} 14
{1, 6, 6} 13
{2, 2, 9} 13
{2, 3, 6} 11
{3, 3, 4} 10
Since the census-taker knew the number on the gate, but said that they did not have enough
information, this means that there must be two situations with the same sum of ages. Otherwise,
knowing just the product and the number on the gate would be enough to determine the ages
of the children. (For example, if we knew that the gate number was 38, then the ages of the
children would have to be {1, 1, 36}, because there is no other situation with that sum.)
Thus the ages of the children can either be {1, 6, 6} or {2, 2, 9}, since the sum of ages in both
cases is 13. (So the number on the gate must have been 13.) However, once the man on the gate
says that he has an eldest child, the census-taker knows that the ages must be {2, 2, 9}, since
otherwise if they were {1, 6, 6}, there would be no eldest child, because the two oldest children
are the same age.