ENSIA Academic year 2021-2022
Linear Algebra Second Academic Semester
Worksheet 1 : Vector Spaces
Exercise 1 We define on R∗+ the binary operation ⊕ by
a ⊕ b = ab, ∀a, b ∈ R∗+ ,
and the multiplication by a scalar ⊗ by
λ ⊗ a = aλ , ∀λ ∈ R, ∀a ∈ R∗+ .
Show that E = (R∗+ , ⊕, ⊗) is an R-vector space.
Exercise 2 Consider the set R2 equipped with the usual addition and the multiplication by a
scalar given by
∀λ ∈ R, ∀(x, y) ∈ R2 , λ(x, y) = (λx, y).
Is it an R-vector space ?
Exercise 3 Determine which of the following subsets are vector subspaces of R3 :
E1 = {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 ; x + y − z = x + y + z = 0},
E2 = {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 ; x2 − z 2 = 0},
E3 = {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 ; ex ey = 0},
E4 = {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 ; z(x2 + y 2 ) = 0}.
Exercise 4 Let a be a real number. Which of the following are vector subspaces ?
E1 = {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 : x + y + a = 0, and x + 3az = 0},
E2 = {f ∈ F(R, R) : f (1) = 0},
E3 = {f ∈ F(R, R) : f (0) = 1},
E4 = {P ∈ Rn [X] : P ′ = 3},
E5 = {(x, y) ∈ R2 : x + ay + 1 ⩾ 0}.
Exercise 5 Let K be a field and let V be a K-vector space.
1. Let F and G be two vector subspaces of V . Show that
F ∪ G is a vector subspace of V ⇐⇒ F ⊂ G or G ⊂ F.
2. Let H be a third vector subspace of V . Prove that
G ⊂ F ⇒ F ∩ (G + H) = G + (F ∩ H).
Exercise 6 Consider in R4 the vectors v1 = (1, 2, 3, 4) and v2 = (1, −2, 3, −4). Can we deter-
mine two real numbers x and y so that (x, 1, y, 1) ∈ ⟨v1 , v2 ⟩ ? And so that (x, 1, 1, y) ∈ ⟨v1 , v2 ⟩ ?
Exercise 7 Which of the following are linearly independent vectors ?
1
1. v1 = (1, 0, 1), v2 = (0, 2, 2) and v3 = (3, 7, 1) in R3 .
2. v1 = (1, 0, 0), v2 = (0, 1, 1) and v3 = (1, 1, 1) in R3 .
3. v1 = (1, 2, 1, 2, 1), v2 = (2, 1, 2, 1, 2), v3 = (1, 0, 1, 1, 0) and v4 = (0, 1, 0, 0, 1) in R5 .
4. v1 = (2, 4, 3, −1, −2, 1), v2 = (1, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1) and v3 = (0, −1, 0, 3, 6, 2) in R6 .
5. v1 = (2, 1, 3, −1, 4, −1), v2 = (−1, 1, −2, 2, −3, 3) and v3 = (1, 5, 0, 4, −1, 7) in R6 .
Exercise 8 Find a basis of the subspace D = {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 : x + y = 0, x − y + z = 0}.
Exercise 9 Let V = R3 , and let
S = {v1 = (1, 1, 1), v2 = (1, 1, 2), v3 = (1, 2, 3)} .
1. Show that S is a basis of V .
2. Determine the coordinates of v = (5, 7, 12) with respect to the basis S.
Exercise 10 Let R3 [X] be the vector space of polynomials of degree ⩽ 3. Show that the
following sets are bases of R3 [X] : B1 = {1, X, X 2 , X 3 }, B2 = {1, 1 − X, X − X 2 , X 2 − X 3 },
B3 = {1, 1 + X, 1 + X + X 2 , 1 + X + X 2 + X 3 }.
Exercise 11 Determine the values of t ∈ R for which the polynomials X 2 + t/2 , X − t , (X +
t + 1)2 form a basis of R2 [X].
Exercise 12 Consider in R4 the vectors v1 = (1, 2, 3, 4), v2 = (2, 2, 2, 6), v3 = (0, 2, 4, 4), v4 =
(1, 0, −1, 2) and v5 = (2, 3, 0, 1). Let F = ⟨v1 , v2 , v3 ⟩ and G = ⟨v4 , v5 ⟩. Determine a basis of each
of the subspaces F ∩ G, F, G and F + G.
Exercise 13 .
1. Give an example of a set of linearly independent vectors in R3 which does not span R3 .
2. Give an example of a set of vectors in R3 which spans R3 , but is linearly dependent.
Exercise 14 Let U and V be the vector subspaces of R3 defined as follows :
U = (x, y, z) ∈ R3 , x + y − 2z = 0 ,
V = ⟨(2, −1, 0), (−4, 2, 0)⟩ .
1. Determine a basis and the dimension of each subspace.
2. Is R3 = U ⊕ V ?
Exercise 15 Let U and V be the vector subspaces of R3 given by U = ⟨(2, 3, −1), (1, −1, −2)⟩
and V = ⟨(3, 7, 0), (5, 0, −7)⟩. Show that U = V .
Exercise 16
√ √ √
1. Consider in R2 the vectors u1 = (3 + 5, 2 + 3 5) and u2 = (4, 7 5 − 9). Show that u1
and u2 are linearly independent over Q, but linearly dependent over R.
2. Consider the vectors v1 = (1 − i, i) and v2 = (2, −1 + i) in C2 .
(a) Show that the vectors v1 and v2 are linearly independent over R, but linearly de-
pendent over C.
(b) Show that the set S = {(1, 0), (i, 0), (0, 1), (0, i)} is a basis of the R-vector space C2 .
Determine the coordinates of the vectors v1 and v2 with respect to this basis.
