Linear Algebra I – Fall 2021

Homework 1

Homework should be submitted through Moodle as a pdf file by 12:00 on Friday, October 22. Late
submissions will not be accepted. If you scan your hand-written file, make sure the quality
is excellent and your hand writing is very easy to read, or else you will receive a 0 for
the assignment. Additional instructions are available on Moodle.

1. For each a, m ∈ N, find a natural number 0 ≤ r < m satisfying a ≡ r mod m. Be sure to justify
your answer:

(a) a = 17, m = 7
(b) a = 17, m = 3
(c) a = 17, m = 2
(d) a = 360, m = 4
(e) a = mk for some natural numbers m > 0 and k

2. Let F be a field and let a, b ∈ F. Prove:

(a) a · (−1) = −a
(b) − (a + b) = −a − b
(c) (a · b)−1 = a−1 · b−1
(d) a · b = (−a) · (−b)
(e) If a2 = 1, then either a = 1 or a = −1 (Hint: Prove the identity (a + b)(a − b) = a2 − b2 is
valid in any field.)
√   √
3. Let Q 2 = a + b · 2 | a, b ∈ Q , where Q denotes the set of rationals, and define addition
and multiplication:  √   √  √
a + b 2 + c + d 2 = (a + c) + (b + d) 2
 √   √  √
a + b 2 · c + d 2 = (ac + 2bd) + (ad + bc) 2
√ √ 
Prove that this is a field, and find the inverse of 2 in Q 2 .

4. In the following question we will prove that if a ∈ Z is an odd integer, then a2 ≡ 1 mod 8. Let
a be an odd integer.

(a) Prove: a2 − 1 is an even number. Conclude that a2 ≡ 1 mod 2.

(b) Use the identity you proved in the second question to write a2 − 1 as a product of two even
numbers. Conclude that a2 ≡ 1 mod 4.
(c) Prove: given two consecutive even numbers, one of them is divisble by 4. Conclude that
a2 ≡ 1 mod 8.

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5. Prove the claim or find a counter example:

(a) Z, the set of integers, with the standard operations is a field.

(b) R+ = {a ∈ R | a ≥ 0} with the standard operations is a field.
(c) R\Q, the set of all irrational numbers, with the standard operations is a field.
(d) R with the standard multiplication, and addition defined as a ⊕ b = 2a + 2b is a field.
(e) Let a, b, m ∈ N, if a ≡ b mod m, then a − b is divisble by m (this is: a − b ≡ 0 mod m).
(f) Let a, b, m ∈ N, if a ≡ b mod m, then a2 ≡ b2 mod m.