Department of Mathematics

Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

MA 106 : Linear Algebra Tutorial Sheet No.5

Autumn 2015 AR

Topics: Eigenvalue problem, diagonalization, special matrices.

1. Find the eigenvalues and the

 eigenvectors of the
 following matrices:
3 2 1 0
     
5 −1 0 −1
 
 0 1 0 1 
(i)   (ii)   (iii)  .
 0 2 −1
 
1 3 0  1 0
 
0 0 0 1/2

2. A population growth model having 3 age groups (say,children=1, adults=2 and

 olds=3) 
0 9 5
 
predicts the population distribution after 2 years via the following matrix: A =  0.4 0 0 .
 
 
0 0.4 0
T
in the sense that if the initial distribution is x = [x1 , x2 , x3 ] , then after 2 years it will
be Ax (Leslie’s model). Find the initial percentage distribution of children, adults and
olds so that the percentage distribution remains unchanged. What is the rate of growth
of the population in this case?

3. In problem 1 of tutorial sheet 2, find the equilibrium point wherein, the state of land
use does not change. (It can be proved that for any positive vector x, An x will converge
to the equilibrium point as n tends to infinity.)

4. Two square matrices A and B are called similar if there is an invertible matrix X such
that B = X −1 AX. We write A ∼ B.

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 (a) Show that similar matrices have identical characteristic polynomials.

(b) Show that similar matrices have the same eigenvalues with the same corresponding
algebraic multiplicities.

(c) Show that similar matrices have the same eigenvalues with the same geometric mul-
tiplicities too.

(d) If A ∼ B, then A is diagonalizable if and only if B is so.

   
1 1 1 0
5. Show that the matrices A =   and I =   have the same eigenvalues. Are
0 1 0 1
they similar?

6. Show that
          
0 1 0 −1 0 0 −1
1 1 1 2 λ
(i)  ∼  (ii)  ∼  (iii)  ∼ .
1 0 −1 0 −1 0 1 0 1 1 0 0
 
0 0 1
 
7. Show that the matrices A = 1 0 0 and A2 are similar via a similarity transform of
 
 
0 1 0
 
a 0 0
 
the type X = 0 0 b  .
 
 
0 c 0

8. Let A = [ajk ] be an n × n matrix. Show that à = [(−1)j+k ajk ] is similar to A.

9. (i) Show that the sum of the eigenvalues of A (sum taken with multiplicities) equals the
sum of the diagonal entries of A.

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 (ii) Show that the product of the eigenvalues of A (product taken with multiplicities)
equals to the determinant of A.

10. Find a basis of eigenvectors and diagonalize:

   
    −2.5 −3 3 4 0 0
2 1 4 1+ı    
(a)   (b)   (c) −4.5 −4 6 (λ1 = 2) (d) 12 −2 0.
  
2 1 1−ı 4    
−6 −6 8 21 −6 1
 
  1 0
1 2 0  
11. Let A = , B = 2 −1. Find the eigenvalues of AB and BA.
   
0 −1 2  
0 2

12. Let A be m × n and B be n × m. Show that AB and BA have the same nonzero
eigenvalues.

 
1 −1
13. Let A =  . Show that A has a repeated eigenvalue λ whose geometric multi-
1 3
plicity is less than the algebraic multiplicity. Let u be an eigenvector. Solve for v the

 Av = λv + u. Show that {u, v} is a basis which ’almost’ diagonalizes A to

equation

λ 1
 .
0 λ
 
2 1 −1
 
14. Let A = −2 0 2  . Show that A has only one eigenvalue λ with multiplicity 3 but
 
 
2 0 −2
only one eigenvector u, say. Solve successibely, for Av = λv + u and Aw = λw + v to
find an ordered basis {u, v, w} so that for X = [u, v, w] we have
 
λ 1 0
 
−1
X AX =  0 λ 1  .
 
 
0 0 λ

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Remark 0.0.1. The method in the previous two problems works when 1 = gλ < aλ . If
2 ≤ gλ < aλ , the calculation is not so straightforward.

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 Department of Mathematics
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

MA 106 : Linear Algebra Tutorial Sheet No.6

Autumn 2015 AR

Topics: Special matrices, spectral theorem, applications.

1. Let A be a square matrix. Show that

(i) the eigenvalues of A are real if it is real symmetric or hermitian.
(ii) the eigenvalues are purely imaginary i.e. belong to ıR, if A is real skew symmetric
or skew hermitian. Give example of a complex skew symmetric matrix with non-zero
real eigenvalues.

2. Let A be an m × n real matrix. Show that AT A has only real and non negative eigen-
values.

3. Prove that the eigenvectors of a real symmetric matrix corresponding to distinct eigen-
values are orthogonal. Similar statement for (a) hermitian matrix, (b) skew hermitian
matrix, (c)unitary matrix.
See any text book.

4. Find all 2 × 2 real matrices which are skew-symmetric. Also find those which are or-
thogonal among them. Do the same exercise for 3 × 3 real matrices.

5. Do the above problem for complex skew-hermitian and unitary matrices matrices of unit
determinant.

6. Consider the quadratic expression q(x, y) = ax2 + 2hxy + by 2 .

(i)Show that q(x, y) = 1 represents an ellipse iff ab − h2 > 0 and a > 0. Show that area

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 π
bounded by the ellipse is √ .
ab − h2
(ii)Show that Lagrange multipliers for finding the extrema of q(x, y) above, subject to
the constraint x2 + y 2 = 1 are precisely the eigenvalues of the matrix associated to q.
(iii) Generalize this to n variables.

7. Refer the following conics and quadric surfaces to principal axes (normal form) and then
find their type their geometric axes and the lengths of their semi-axes:
(a)10x2 + 4xy + 7y 2 = 100; (b)3x2 + 4xy + y 2 = 4;
√
(c)x2 + 2 3xz + 4yz − 3z 2 = −25; (d)x2 − 2y 2 + 6yz + 4z 2 = 1.

8. Find the eigenvalues and the mutually

 orthogonal eigenvectors
 ofthe following matrices: 
2 0 −2 0 20 16 −18 0
 √     
0 −2  0 −18 
   
5 6  0 2  16 29
(i)  √  (ii)   (iii)  .
 −2  −18 29 −16 
   
6 4 0 2 0  0
   
0 −2 0 2 0 −18 −16 20

9. Reduce q(x, y) = ax2 +2hxy+by 2 to the normal form and find what conics do q = −1, 0, 1
represent.

(i) x2 + 2xy + 5y 2 (ii) x2 + xy − y 2 /4 (iii) x2 − 2xy + y 2 .

10. Reduce q(x, y, z) to the normal form and find what surfaces do q = −1, 0, 1 represent.
(i) x2 + 2y 2 + z 2 + xy + yz + zx
(ii)x2 + z 2 + xy + yz + zx
(ii0 ) xy + yz + zx
(iii)2x2 + 2y 2 + z 2 + 2zx − 2yz
(iv)3x2 + z 2 + 2xy − 2yz − 4zx.
(v)4x2 + 9y 2 + z 2 − 12xy − 6yz + 4zx.

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 Department of Mathematics
Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

MA 106 : Mathematics II Tutorial Sheet No.7

Autumn 2016 AR

Topics: Abstract vector spaces, linear transformations, rank-nullity, solvability, Inner

products, Orthogonalization.

1. Examine whether the following sets of vectors constitute a vector space. If so, find the dimen-
sion and a basis of that vector space.
(a) The set of all (x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 ) in R4 such that
(i) x4 = 0; (ii) x1 ≤ x2 ; (iii) x21 − x22 = 0; (iv) x1 = x2 = x3 = x4 ; (v) x1 x2 = 0.
(b) The set of all real functions of the form a cos x + b sin x + c, where a, b, c vary over all real
numbers.
(c) The set of all n × n real matrices ((aij )) which are: (i) diagonal; (ii) upper triangular; (iii)
having zero trace; (iv) symmetric; (v) anti-symmetric; (vi) invertible; (vii) noninvertible.
(d) The set of all real polynomials of degree 5 together with the zero polynomial.
(e) The real functions of the form (ax + b)ecx , a, b, c ∈ R.

2. Find 3 different bases for R2 .

3. Let V and W be subspaces of a vector space X, such that V ∩ W = {0}. (e.g. Mn (R) = X,
skewsymm. matrices = V , upper triangular matrices = W ) Let K = {v1 , v2 , ...vr } be a linearly
independent subset of V and L = {w1 , w2 , ...ws } be that of W . Show that K ∪ L is a linearly
independent set in X.

4. Determine which of the following functions are linear.

(a) f (x) = x2 . (b) g(x) = 5x + 1. (c) h(x) = |x|.
(d) p(x, y) = xy. (e) q(x, y) = (x, x). (f) r(x, y) = (x, −y).
(g) s(x, y) = (2x, 3y). (h) t(x, y, z) = (y, z, x).

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 5. For a fixed vector a = [a1 , a2 , a3 ]T such that a 6= 0. of R3 , show that the following are linear
transformation. Write down their matrices after identifying the domains and codomains.
(i)T (x) = a · x, (ii)T (x) = a × x (iii)T (x) = xa for an appropriate square matrix x.
Also find rank and nullity in each case.Write down bases of the null space and the range space
in each case.

6. Let V be the vector space of all polynomials of degree ≤ 3 and W those of degree ≤ 2. De-
fine linear transformation D from V to W by Dp = p0 . Similarly, define I from W to V by
Z x
I(q) = q(t)dt.Write down matrices of D, I, D ◦ I and I ◦ D after choosing bases of V and
0
W . Compare the matrices of the latter two with the products of the former two.

7. Let L(S) denote the subspace spanned by a subset S of a vector space V. Prove that if
S ⊆ V 0 ⊆ V and V 0 is a subspace of V , then L(S) ⊆ V 0 . (That is L(S) is the smallest
subspace of V which contains S).

8. Given a set of n linearly independent vectors {v1 , v2 , . . . , vn } in a vector space V , show that for
any scalar α, the set {v1 , v2 . . . , vi−1 , vi +αvj , vi+1 , . . . , vn } with i 6= j is linearly independent.

9. Examine whether the following sets are vector spaces

(a) All the polynomials of degree 3.
(b) All the polynomials of degree ≤ 3.
(c) All m × n real matrices of rank 3.
(d) All m × n real matrices of rank ≤ 3.
(e) All the solutions of the equation (y 0 )2 + 2y + 1 = 0.
(f) All the solutions of the equation xy 0 + y = ax2 .
(g) Set of all nonnegative continuous functions on [0, 1].
(h) Set of all functions on [0, 1] with at most finitely many discontiuities.

10. Examine whether the following subsets of the set of real valued functions on R are linearly
dependent or independent. Compute the dimension of the subspace spanned by each set

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 (a) {1 + t, (1 + t)2 }; (b) {x, |x|}; (c) {1, t, 1 + t2 , (1 + t)2 }.

11. Examine whether the following sets are linearly independent.

(a) {(a, b), (c, d)} ⊂ R2 , with ad − bc 6= 0.
(b) {(1 + i, 2i, 2), (1, 1 + i, 1 − i)} ⊂ C3 .
(c) For α1 , . . . , αk distinct, the set {v1 , . . . , vk } ⊂ Rk , where vi = (1, αi , αi2 , . . . , αik−1 ).

The set of functions

(d) {eα1 x , eα2 x , · · · , eαn x } for distinct real numbers α1 , α2 , . . . , αn .

(e) {1, cos x, . . . , cos nx}. (f) {1, sin x, . . . , sin nx}. (g) {ex , xex , . . . , xn ex }.

12. Let α1 , α2 , α3 be fixed real numbers. Show that the vectors (x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 ) ∈ R4 such that
x4 = α1 x1 + α2 x2 + α3 x3 forms a subspace, which is spanned by (1, 0, 0, α1 ), (0, 1, 0, α2 ) and
(0, 0, 1, α3 ). Find the dimension of this subspace.

13. Show that the only possible subspaces of R3 are the zero space {0}, lines passing through
origin, planes passing through origin and the whole space.

14. Determine which of the following functions are linear.

(a) f (x) = x2 . (b) g(x) = 5x + 1. (c) h(x) = |x|.
(d) p(x, y) = xy. (e) q(x, y) = (x, x). (f) r(x, y) = (x, −y).
(g) s(x, y) = (2x, 3y). (h) t(x, y, z) = (y, z, x).

15. Let f : R3 −→ R be linear such that f (1, 0, 0) = f (0, 1, 0) = f (0, 0, 1) = f (1, 1, 1). What is
f (1, 2, 3)?

16. Consider the codimension one subspace-a hyperplane-defined by H = {x ∈ Rn |hx, ni = 0} for

a fixed unit vector n ∈ Rn . Show that the transformation T (x) = x − 2hx, nin is the reflection
in the hyperplane H.

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17. Let L = Rn be a line through 0 ∈ R3 for a given unit vector n. Show that the transformation
R(x) = hx, nin + cos θ x⊥ + sin θ(n × x) is a rotation of R3 by an angle θ about the line L,
 

where x⊥ = x − hx, nin is the component (or projection) of x orthogonal to n.

18. By an isometry of Rn we mean a map f : Rn −→ Rn which preserves the distance between

any two points. Show that
(a) Composite of isometries is an isometry.
(b) An isometry is a one-one mapping.
(c) Adding a vector v is an isometry (called translation by v.)
(d) Rotation through a fixed angle about a point is an isometry of the plane (n=2).
(e) Rotation through a fixed angle about a line is an isometry of the 3-space (n=3).
(f) Reflection in a line is an isometry of the plane.
(g) Reflection in a plane is an isometry of the 3-space.
(h) An origin preserving isometry preserves the inner-product and hence also angles.

19. Let f : Rn −→ Rm be a function, f = (f1 , . . . , fm )T . Show that f is linear iff each fj is linear.

20. Examine whether the following transformations are linear or not. In case of linear transfor-
mations, write down their matrix representation:
(i) T : R4 −→ R2 such that T (x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 )T = (x1 , x2 )T .
(ii) T : R4 −→ R4 such that T (x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 )T = (x1 , x2 , 0, 0)T
(iii) T : R2 −→ R3 such that T (x1 , x2 )T = (3x1 + x2 , 0, 0)T .
(iv) T : R3 −→ R3 such that T (x1 , x2 , x3 )T = (ax1 , bx2 , cx3 )T .

21. Describe
 the geometric
 meaningof the linear
 transformations
 defined
 by
the following
 matrices:

1 0 a 0 −1 0 a 0 0 1
(i)   (ii)   (iii)   (iv)   (v)  
0 0 0 1 0 1 0 a 1 0

22. Find the range and null-space of the following linear transformations. Also find the rank and
nullity wherever applicable.

(a) T : R2 −→ R2 defined by T (x1 , x2 ) = (x1 + x2 , x1 ).

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 (b) T : R2 −→ R3 defined by T (x1 , x2 ) = (x1 , x1 + x2 , x2 ).

(c) T : R4 −→ R3 defined by T (x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 ) = (x1 − x4 , x2 + x3 , x3 − x4 ).

(d) T : C(0, 1) −→ C(0, 1) defined by T (f )(x) = f (x) sin x.

(e) T : C 1 (0, 1) −→ C(0, 1) defined by T (f )(x) = f 0 (x)ex .

23. Give an example of two square matrices A, B (of equal orders) such that r(A) = r(B) but
r(A2 ) 6= r(B 2 ).

24. Let A be an m × n matrix and B be an n × p matrix. Using linear transformations show that
rk(AB) ≤ min{rk(A), rk(B)}.

25. On the vector space C 1 [a, b]of continuously differentiable real valued functions, examine whether
or not hf, gi defined below is an inner product in each case. Justify your answer.
Z b
(a) hf, gi = f 0 (t)g 0 (t) dt
a
Z b
f (t)g(t) + f 0 (t)g 0 (t) dt.

(b) hf, gi =
a
(c) hf, gi = f (b)g(b)
Z b  Z b 
(d) hf, gi = f (t)dt g(t)dt
a a
Z b
26. The standard inner product in C[a, b] is defined by hf, gi = f (t)g(t) dt. Orthogonalize the
a
given ordered sets of functions over the indicated interval.

(a) {1, cos x, cos2 x} over [0, π].

(b) {1, sin x, cos x, sin2 x} over [−π, π].

(c) {1, x, x2 , x3 } over [−1, 1] and over [0, 1].

(d) {1, x, cos x} over [−π, π] and over [0, π].

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27. Show that for m < n, Dm (x2 − 1)m and Dn (x2 − 1)n dxn are mutually orthogonal over [−1, 1];
d
where D denotes the operator . (Hint: Use repeated integration by parts with the observa-
 dx
tion that Dk (x2 − 1)m  = 0 for 0 ≤ k < m.)

x=±1

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