Department of Mathematics, IIT Delhi

MTL104 (Linear Algebra & Applications)

Problem Sheet-3

Linear functionals, Dual, Double Dual

1) In R3 , let v1 = (1, 0, 1), v2 = (0, 1, −2), v3 = (−1, −1, 0).

(a) If f is a linear functional on R3 such that

f (v1 ) = 1, f (v2 ) = −1, f (v3 ) = 3,

and v = (a, b, c), find f (v).

(b) Describe explicitly a linear functional f on R3 such that

f (v1 ) = 0, f (v2 ) = 0, f (v3 ) 6= 0.

(c) Let f be any linear functional on R3 such that

f (v1 ) = 0, f (v2 ) = 0, f (v3 ) 6= 0.

If v = (2, 3, −1), then show that f (v) 6= 0.

2) Let f1 , . . . , fm be linear functionals on Cn . Define T : Cn → Cm by

T (v) = (f1 (v), . . . , fm (v)).

Show that T ∈ L(Cn , Cm ). Then show that every linear transformation from Cn into Cm
is of the above form for some linear functionals f1 , . . . , fm on Cn .

3) Let β = {v1 , v2 , v3 } be the basis for C3 defined by

v1 = (1, 0, −1), v2 = (1, 1, 1), v3 = (2, 2, 0).

Find the dual basis of β.

4) Let V = P2 (R) and p(x) = c0 + c1 x + c2 x2 . Define three linear functionals on V by

Z 1 Z 2 Z −1
f1 (p) = p(x)dx, f2 (p) = p(x)dx, f3 (p) = p(x)dx.
0 0 0

Show that β 0 = {f1 , f2 , f3 } is a basis for V 0 . Find a basis β for V of which β 0 is the dual.

5) Let v1 = (1, 0, −1, 2) and v2 = (2, 3, 1, 1), and let W be the subspace of R4 spanned by
v1 and v2 . Which linear functionals f : f (x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 ) = c1 x1 + c2 x2 + c3 x3 + c4 x4 are in
the annihilator of W ?

1
6) Let W be the subspace of R5 which is spanned by the vectors

v1 = (1, 2, 1, 0, 0), v2 = (0, 1, 3, 3, 1), v3 = (1, 4, 6, 4, 1).

Find a basis for W 0 .

 
2 −2
7) Let V = M2×2 (R) and let B = . Let W = {A ∈ V | AB = 0}. Let
−1 1
o
f ∈W . Suppose
 that f (I) = 0 and f (C) = 3, where I is the 2 × 2 identity matrix and
0 0
C= . find f (B).
0 1

8) Let S be a subset of a finite dimensional vector space V . Then show that span(S) = S oo .