Qn. 1 (20 marks) Choose a correct option for each question. No justification is required.

Each
correct answer is worth 4 marks (no deduction for wrong answers).

(i) Let A be an 2n × n matrix with at least n pivot positions. Consider the statements:
(I) The matrix transformation x 7→ Ax is one-to-one.
(II) The matrix transformation x 7→ Ax is onto.
(III) The system Ax = b is always consistent for every b in R2n .
(IV) The system Ax = 0 has unique zero solution.
The correct statement(s) is/are:
(A) I only (B) II, III only (C*) I, IV only (D) II, IV only

Solution: The number of pivot positions cannot exceed the number of columns (n)/rows (2n)
in the matrix. In this case, A should have exactly n pivot positions, occupying all columns
of A. So (I) and (IV) are correct. As the last n rows of A have no pivot positions, (II) and
(III) are not correct.

(ii) Let T : R5 → R3 be a linear transformation such that {T (e1 ), T (e2 ), T (e5 )} forms a linearly
independent set. Then:
(A) T is both one-to-one and onto.
(B*) T is not one-to-one but onto.
(C) T is one-to-one but not onto.
(D) T is neither one-to-one nor onto.
 
Solution: The standard matrix A = T (e1 ) . . . T (e5 ) of T has size 3 × 5. Since T (e1 ),
T (e2 ), T (e5 ) are linearly independent, one can find at least 3 pivot positions in A. But A has
3 rows only, so the number of pivot positions in A is exactly 3, and occupying all the rows of
A. Thus T is onto.
As there are 2 columns of A containing no pivot positions, T is not one-to-one.
   
(iii) Let A = a1 a2 a3 be row equivalent to B = b1 b2 b3 . Consider the statements:
(I) If a3 = a1 + a2 , we also have b3 = b1 + b2 and vice versa.
(II) If {a1 , a2 , a3 } is linearly independent, {b1 , b2 , b3 } is also linearly independent and vice
versa.
(III) A and B contains the same number of pivot positions.
The correct statement(s) is/are:
(A) I, II only (B) III only (C) II, III only (D*) I, II, III

Solution: If we treat A, B as row-equivalent augmented matrices, the condition a3 = a1 + a2

says that (1, 1) is a solution of the linear system represented by A. Since the linear system
represented by B should also have this solution, we can conclude that b3 = b1 + b2 . Similar
for the converse. Thus (I) is correct.
If we treat A, B as coefficient matrices, the condition {a1 , a2 , a3 } being linearly independent
says that the homogeneous system represented by A has unique zero solution. The same
holds true for the homogeneous system represented by B. Thus (II) is correct.
When A and B are row-equivalent, they have the same RREF. So the number of pivot
positions should be the same and (III) is also correct.

1
(iv) Let A, B be n × n matrices such that A is invertible but B is not invertible. Then which of
the following matrices is invertible?

(A) A + B (B) AB (C) A + AB (D*) none of the previous

    
1 0 −1 0 0 0
Solution: (A): Take A = ,B= , but A + B = is not invertible.
0 1 0 0 0 1
(B): AB must not be invertible, or else A−1 · AB = B will be invertible (as it is a product of
invertible matrices), contradicting to our choice of B.
(C): The same counter example in (A) will show that A + AB is not invertible in such a case.

(v) Let A, B be n × n real matrices satisfying A2 = B 2 = (AB)3 = In . Consider the following

statements:

(I) det A = det B.

(II) ABA = BAB.
(III) ABAB = BABA.

The correct statement(s) is/are:

(A) I only (B*) I, II only (C) I, III only (D) II, III only

Solution: (I) is correct. From det A2 = det In = 1 we get det A = ±1. Similarly det B = ±1
and det(AB) = 1. So we must have det A = det B.
(II) is also correct. As (AB)3 = In , we have

ABA = ABA(AB)3 = ABAAB(AB)2 = ABIn B(AB)2 = A(AB)2 = AABAB = BAB.

(III) is not correct. One can check:

BABA · AB = BABB = BA, ABAB · AB = (AB)3 = In .

So if BABA = ABAB, we need BA = In which is in general not correct. Or, we can produce
a counter example:
" √ #
1 3
 
√2 2 −1 0
A = Q6 =
π
3
, B = Q2 =
π , [note: AB = R− 2π ]
2 − 21 0 1 3

then A2 = B 2 = (AB)3 = I2 ;
" √ # " √ #
1 3 3
− − −√12
but ABAB = √32 2 , BABA = 2 , so ABAB 6= BABA in this case.
2 − 21 − 23 − 12

2
Qn. 2 (20 marks) Consider the following vectors:
         
0 1 1 0 1
a1 = 1 , a2 = 0 , a3 = 1  ,
     a4 = 1  ,
 b = 0.

1 0 0 0 1

(a) Find the reduced row-echelon form of the matrix:

 
A = a1 a2 a3 a4 b .

(b) Check whether the sets {a1 , a2 , a3 } and {a1 +2a2 , a2 +2a3 , a3 +2a1 } are linearly independent.
Explain briefly your answers.

(c) Let u1 , u2 , u3 ∈ R3 and suppose that the set T = {u1 + 2u2 , u2 + 2u3 , u3 + 2u1 } is linearly
independent. Check whether the set S = {u1 , u2 , u3 } is also linearly independent. Explain
briefly your answer.

Solution: (a) We perform the standard row reduction algorithm on A:

     
0 1 1 0 1 r ↔r 1 0 1 1 0 −r +r 1 0 1 1 0
1 2 1 3
 1 0 1 1 0  −−−−− −→  0 1 1 0 1  −−−−− −→  0 1 1 0 1
1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 −1 −1 1
   
−r3
1 0 1 1 0 −r3 +r2
1 0 0 0 1
−−−−−
−→  0 1 1 0 1  −−−−− −→  0 1 0 −1 2  (in RREF.)
−r3 +r1
0 0 1 1 −1 0 0 1 1 −1

(b) The set {a

 1 , a2 , a3 } is linearly independent because by the sequence of EROs in (a), the matrix
a1 a2 a3 will be transformed to:
   
0 1 1 1 0 0
1 0 1 → 0 1 0
1 0 0 0 0 1

which contains pivot position in every column. For the set {a1 + 2a2 , a2 + 2a3 , a3 + 2a1 }, we can
also perform EROs to the matrix formed:
       
2 3 1 r ↔r 1 0 2 −2r +r 1 0 2 − 3 r2 +r3 1 0 2
1 3 1 3 2
 1 2 3  −−−−−−→  1 2 3  −−−−− −→  0 2 1  −−−−− −→  0 2 1 
−r1 +r2
1 0 2 2 3 1 0 3 −3 0 0 − 29

again having pivot position in every column, showing that the set is also linearly independent.
(c) By definition, we study the vector equation for vectors in S:

c1 u1 + c2 u2 + c3 u3 = 0.

First re-arrange the terms so that it becomes a vector equation for vectors in T :

0 = c1 u1 + c2 u2 + c3 u3 = d1 (u1 + 2u2 ) + d2 (u2 + 2u3 ) + d3 (u3 + 2u1 ). (∗)

We can choose (d1 , d2 , d3 ) that satisfy the following equations:

c1 = d1 + 2d3 , c2 = 2d1 + d2 , c3 = 2d2 + d3 ,

from which we get:

1 4 2 2 1 4 4 2 1
d1 = c1 + c2 − c3 , d2 = − c1 + c2 + c3 , d3 = c1 − c2 + c3 . (∗∗)
9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9

3
Now, since T is linearly independent, from equation (∗) we must have d1 = d2 = d3 = 0. Substitute
them into equation (∗∗), we get 3 equations on c1 , c2 , c3 , and we can show that it has unique solution
c1 = c2 = c3 = 0. Thus the vectors in S forms a linearly independent set.
Note: The above argument can be greatly simplified by using matrix notations. So we set up
c1 u1 + c2 u2 + c3 u3 = 0 and choose (d1 , d2 , d3 ) such that:
      
c1 d1 + 2d3 1 0 2 d1
c =  c2  =  2d1 + d2  =  2 1 0   d2  = M d,
c3 2d2 + d3 0 2 1 d3

making c1 u1 + c2 u2 + c3 u3 = d1 (u1 + 2u2 ) + d2 (u2 + 2u3 ) + d3 (u3 + 2u1 ). Solution vector d exists
because the matrix M turns out to be invertible, with inverse M −1 given by:
 1 4
− 29

9 9
M −1 =  − 29 19 4 
9 , and d = M −1 c.
4 2 1
9 −9 9

Using the fact that T is linearly independent, we force d = 0, and hence c = M d must also be 0.
This verifies the linear independence of S.

Qn. 3 (20 marks) Find the inverse of the matrix A:

 
1 1 0 −1
0 1 −1 0 
A= .
0 1 0 −1 
1 0 −1 2

Solution: We perform EROs to the combined matrix [ A | I4 ]:

   
1 1 0 −1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 −1 1 0 0 0
 0 1 −1 0 0 1 0 0  −r1 +r4  0 1 −1 0 0 1 0 0
 0 1 0 −1 0 0 1 0  −−−−− −→ 
  
0 1 0 −1 0 0 1 0
1 0 −1 2 0 0 0 1 0 −1 −1 3 −1 0 0 1
   
1 1 0 −1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 −1 1 0 0 0
−r2 +r3  0 1 −1 0 0 1 0 0  2r3 +r4  0 1 −1 0 0 1 0 0
−−−−−−→  −−−−−−→  
r2 +r4  0 0 1 −1 0 −1 1 0   0 0 1 −1 0 −1 1 0
0 0 −2 3 −1 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 −1 −1 2 1
   
1 1 0 0 0 −1 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 −1 2 1
r4 +r3  0 1 −1 0 0 1 0 0  r3 +r2  0 1 0 0 −1 −1 3 1 
−−−−−−→   −−−−−
−→  
r4 +r1  0 0 1 0 −1 −2 3 1   0 0 1 0 −1 −2 3 1 
0 0 0 1 −1 −1 2 1 0 0 0 1 −1 −1 2 1
 
1 0 0 0 1 0 −1 0
−r2 +r1  0 1 0 0 −1 −1 3 1
−−−−−−→  0 0 1 0 −1 −2 3 1 


0 0 0 1 −1 −1 2 1

Hence A−1 is given by:  

1 0 −1 0
 −1 −1 3 1 
A−1  −1 −2 3 1  .
= 

−1 −1 2 1

4
Qn. 4 (20 marks) Let T : R3 → R4 be a linear transformation such that:
     
  −2   2   0
0  −2m + 2  0  1  1
 =  1 ,
 
T 0 =
    , T  −1  =   , T  1
2   0   0 
2 1 1
2 −m m+2

where m is a real number.

(a) Find the standard matrix A of T in terms of m.

(b) Determine the value(s) of m such that:

(i) T is not onto, (ii) T is not one-to-one.

 
Solution: (a) We use the formula A = T (e1 ) T (e2 ) T (e3 ) . Then:
   
  −2 −1
0  −2m + 2 
 ⇒ T (e3 ) =  −m + 1  ;
 
T (2e3 ) = T  0  = 
 2   1 
2
2 1
     
      −1 2 −3
0 0 0  −m + 1   1   −m 
e2 =  1  =  0  −  −1  ⇒ T (e2 ) =  −
  0  =  1 ;
  
 1
0 1 1
1 −m m+1
       
        0 2 −2 4
1 1 0 0  1   1   −2m + 2   2m 
e1 =  0  =  1  +  −1  −  0  ⇒ T (e1 ) =  0 + 0 −
   
  −2  .
= 
2
0 1 1 2
m+2 −m 2 0

So the standard matrix of T is:

 
4 −3 −1
 2m −m −m + 1 
A=
 −2
.
1 1 
0 m+1 1

(b) (i) T is never onto as there cannot exist 4 pivot positions in A (A has 3 columns only). In this
case m can be any real number.
(ii) We perform EROs to A first:
       
4 −3 −1 4 −3 −1 4 −3 −1 4 −3 −1
m
 2m −m −m + 1 
  → 0

2 1− m   1
2  →  0 −2
1
2
  1 1 
 →  0 −2 2  .
 −2 0 − 1 1
1 1 
2 2
 0 0 1  0 0 1 
0 m+1 1 0 m+1 1 0 0 2+m 0 0 0

For T to be not one-to-one, we must have a non-pivot column. This will never happen and hence
no such m exists.

5
Qn. 5 (20 marks) Let a, b, c, d, x, y, z denote some real numbers. Consider the matrix A:
 
a b c d
 b xb xc xd 
A=  c xc
.
yc yd 
d xd yd zd

(a) Use suitable row/column operations to find det A in factorized form.

(b) Let (a, b, c, d) = (1, 1, 1, 1). Find all (x, y, z) such that A is invertible.

(c) Evaluate the following determinant:

 
4 3 2 1 

3 2×3 2×2 2×1
D =  .
 2 2 × 2 3 × 2 3 × 1 

1 2×1 3×1 4×1

Solution: (a) By performing row replacement operations −xr1 + r2 , −yr1 + r3 , −zr1 + r4 , we get:
   
a b c d   a b c d 
  
 =  b − xa
 b xb xc xd   0 0 0 
det A = 
 c xc yc yd   c − ya xc − yb 0 0 
 
 d xd yd zd   d − za xd − zb yd − zc 0 
 
 b − xa 0 0 0 
 
3  c − ya xc − yb 0 0 

= (−1) 
 d − za xd − zb yd − zc 0 

 a b c d
= −d(b − xa)(xc − yb)(yd − zc).

(b) When (a, b, c, d) = (1, 1, 1, 1), we have:

det A = −(1 − x)(x − y)(y − z).

For A to be invertible, we need det A 6= 0. So the corresponding (x, y, z) are:

x 6= 1 and y 6= x and z 6= y.

(c) D corresponds to det A with (a, b, c, d) = (4, 3, 2, 1) and (x, y, z) = (2, 3, 4). So:

D = −d(b − xa)(xc − yb)(yd − zc) = −(3 − 2 × 4)(2 × 2 − 3 × 3)(3 × 1 − 4 × 2)

= −(−5)(−5)(−5) = 125.

— END —