Mathematics 3410 - Homework 4

Only selected problems will be graded.

1. In each, case show that v, w are linearly independent and then find a basis of V
containing v, w, by adding elements of the standard basis of the corresponding
vector space V :
   
1 0 0 1
(a) V = M2,2 , v = ,w=
0 1 1 0
(b) V = P3 , v = x2 + 1, w = x2 + x.
Solution. (a) Note that the standard basis of M2,2 is
n 1 0   0 1   0 0   0 0 o
S= , , , .
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1

We shall choose the second and fourth element to add to the set to obtain a basis.
That is, let    
0 1 0 0
x= and y =
0 0 0 1
and consider the set
       
n 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 o
B= v= ,w= x= and y =
0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1

Observe that    
0 0 1 0
w−x= and v − y = .
1 0 0 0
It follows that the span(B) contains S. That is,

span(B) ⊇ S.

Hence,
span(B) ⊇ span(S) = M2,2 .
Therefore span(B) = M2,2 and B spans M2,2 . Since the dimension of M2,2 is 4
and B has 4 elements, it follows that B is linearly independent and thus a basis
of M2,2 . Note that alternatively, one could show that B is linearly independent
and thus deduce B is a basis.

(b) Note that the standard basis of P3 is {1, x, x2 , x3 }. We shall choose

x = 1 and y = x3

to add to the set and we shall show that

B = {x2 + 1, x2 + x, 1, x3 }

is a basis. Note that dim(P3 ) = 4 and thus it suffices to show that B is linearly
independent by the Theorem that asserts that a set of size 4 is linearly inde-
pendent if and only if it spans the vector space (since the dimension is 4). Let
c1 , c2 , c3 , c4 ∈ R and assume that

c1 (x2 + 1) + c2 (x2 + x) + c3 · 1 + c4 x3 = 0.

Expanding this out and grouping like terms we find that

(c1 + c3 ) + c2 x + (c1 + c2 )x2 + c4 x3 = 0.

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 Equating coefficients to zero, we obtain that c1 + c3 = 0, c2 = 0, c1 + c2 = 0, and
c4 = 0. Since c2 = 0, it follows from the third equation that c1 = −c2 = 0 and
from the first equation that c3 = −c1 = 0. Therefore c1 = c2 = c3 = c4 = 0 and
B is a linearly independent set and thus a basis.
2. Let D, I, and X denote finite, nonempty sets of vectors in a vector space V .
Assume that D is dependent and I is independent. In each case answer yes or
no, and defend your answer.
(a) If X ⊇ D, must X be dependent?
(b) If X ⊆ D, must X be dependent?
(c) If X ⊇ I, must X be independent?
(d) If X ⊆ I, must X be independent?
Solution.
(a) Yes. X must be dependent. If X = D, then this is clear. Now assume that
D ⊆ X and D 6= X. Assume that D = {v1 , . . . , vk } and X = D ∪ E where
E = {w1 , . . . , w` } where ` ≥ 1. Since D is dependent there exist constants
c1 , . . . , ck , not all zero, such that

c1 v1 + · · · + ck vk = ~0.

Without loss of generality, we may assume that, c1 6= 0. Notice that we have

c1 v1 + · · · + ck vk + 0w1 + · · · + 0w` = ~0

and not all of the coefficients are zero since c1 6= 0. Therefore X = D ∪ E is

a dependent set.
(b) No. X may not be dependent. For instance, if D contains one non-zero
element v, then the subset {v} is independent while D is dependent.
(c) No. If I is independent it does not follow that X ⊇ I is independent. Let
I = {v1 , . . . , vk }. For instance, take

X = I ∪ {v, 2v} = {v1 , . . . , vk } ∪ {v, 2v}

where v is any non-zero vector. This is a dependent set since

k
X
0 · vk + 2 · v + 1 · (2v) = ~0.
i=1

(d) Yes. If I is independent, then any subset of I will be independent. Note

that if J ⊂ I is dependent, then

c1 v1 + · · · + ck vk = ~0

where not all ci ’s are zero and this implies that I is dependent which would
be a contradiction.
3. Show that any non-zero vector in a finite dimensional vector space is part of a
basis.
Solution. Let v ∈ V be a non-zero vector. We know that {v} is a linearly indepen-
dent set in V since if c ∈ R and cv = ~0, then c = 0. By the Theorem (Enlarging
a Basis) we have, that there exist vectors v1 , . . . , vk such that {v, v1 , . . . , vk } is
a basis of V .

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4. Suppose U and V are subspaces of Rn with U ∩ V = {~0}. If {u1 , · · · , uk } is a
basis for U and {v1 , · · · , v` } is a basis for V , prove that {u1 , · · · , uk , v1 , · · · , v` }
is a basis for U + V .
Solution. First of all we prove that {u1 , · · · , uk , v1 , · · · , v` } is linearly indepen-
dent. Let
c1 u1 + · · · + ck uk + d1 v1 + · · · + d` v` = ~0.
Then
x = c1 u1 + · · · + ck uk = −(d1 v1 + · · · + d` v` ).
This shows that x ∈ U ∩ V . However, recall that U ∩ V = {~0}. Thus x = ~0.
and so c1 u1 + · · · + ck uk = ~0 and d1 v1 + · · · + d` v` = ~0. Since {u1 , · · · , uk } and
{v1 , · · · , v` } are linearly independent this shows that c1 = · · · = ck = d1 = · · · =
d` = 0.
Next we prove that Span(u1 , · · · , uk , v1 , · · · , v` ) = U + V .
Since any vector in Span(u1 , · · · , uk , v1 , · · · , v` ) can be written as

c1 u1 + · · · + ck uk + d1 v1 + · · · + d` v`

for some ci ’s and di ’s, and c1 u1 + · · · + ck uk ∈ U and d1 v1 + · · · + d` v` ∈ V we

have c1 u1 + · · · + ck uk + d1 v1 + · · · + d` v` ∈ U + V , and so

Span(u1 , · · · , uk , v1 , · · · , v` ) ⊆ U + V.

On the other hand any vector in U + V is in the form u + v for some u ∈ U and
v ∈ V . Since {u1 , · · · , uk } is a basis for U and {v1 , · · · , v` } is a basis for V , there
are ci ’s and di ’s such that u = c1 u1 + · · · + c` u` and v = d1 v1 + · · · + d` v` , so

u + v = c1 u1 + · · · + c` u` + d1 v1 + · · · + d` v` ∈ Span(u1 , · · · , uk , v1 , · · · , v` ).

This shows that U +V ⊆ Span(u1 , · · · , uk , v1 , · · · , v` ). So Span(u1 , · · · , uk , v1 , · · · , v` ) =

U + V.
In conclusion {u1 , · · · , uk , v1 , · · · , v` } is a basis for U + V .
5. Let Mn,n denote the vector space of all n × n matrices.
(a) Let S ⊂ Mn,n . denote the set of symmetric matrices (those satisfying AT =
A). Show that S is a subspace of Mn,n . What is its dimension?
(b) Let K ⊂ Mn,n denote the set of skew-symmetric matrices (those satisfying
AT = −A). Show that K is a subspace of Mn,n . What is its dimension?
(c) Show that S + K = Mn,n .
Solution.
(a) Since ~0T = ~0 then ~0 ∈ S.
If A, B ∈ S, then (A + B)T = AT + B T = A + B, and so A + B ∈ S.
If A ∈ S, and c ∈ R, then (cA)T = cAT = cA, and so cA ∈ S.
So S is a subspace of Mn,n .
For fixed i, j satisfying 1 ≤ i ≤ j ≤ n, define Ai,j = [ars ], where ars = asr =
1 if r = i and s = j, and ars = 0 otherwise. One can show that Ai.j (1 ≤ i ≤
j ≤ n) form a basis of S. It is clear that n + (n − 1) + · · · + 2 + 1 = n(n + 1)/2
such matrices, and so dim S = n(n + 1)/2.
(b) Since ~0T = ~0 then ~0 ∈ K.
If A, B ∈ K, then (A + B)T = AT + B T = −A − B = −(A + B), and so
A + B ∈ K.
If A ∈ K, and c ∈ R, then (cA)T = cAT = c(−A) = −(cA), and so cA ∈ K.
So K is a subspace of Mn,n .

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 For fixed i, j satisfying 1 ≤ i < j ≤ n, define Ai,j = [ars ], where ars = 1 and
asr = −1 if r = i and s = j, and ars = 0 otherwise. One can show that Ai.j
(1 ≤ i < j ≤ n) form a basis of K. It is clear that (n − 1) + · · · + 2 + 1 =
n(n − 1)/2 such matrices, and so dim K = n(n − 1)/2.
(c) Solution 1. First let us observe that S ∩ K = {~0}. Let A ∈ S ∩ K. Note
that if A ∈ S, then AT = A and if A ∈ K, then AT = −A. From these two
equations it follows that
A = AT = −A
or
A = −A.
Now add A to both sides of the equation to obtain

2A = ~0,

where ~0 denotes the zero matrix. However, we can mulitiply both sides of
the equation by 1/2 to obtain
1 1
A= · (2A) = ~0 = ~0.
2 2
Recall that

dim(S + K) + dim(S ∩ K) = dim(S) + dim(K).

From part (a) we have dim(S) = n(n+1)

2 and dim(K) = n(n−1)
2 . Also, dim(S ∩
K) = dim({~0}) = 0. Substituting these values we find that

n(n + 1) n(n − 1) n+1 n−1

dim(S + K) + 0 = + = n( + ) = n · n = n2 .
2 2 2 2
Since S + K is a subspace of Mn,n and both of these vector spaces have
dimension n2 it follows that they are equal.
Solution 2. It is clear that S + K ⊆ Mn,n .
On the other hand for any A ∈ Mn,n we have A = (1/2)(A+AT )+(1/2)(A−
AT ) ∈ S + K. Note that (1/2)(A + AT ) ∈ S and (1/2)(A − AT ) ∈ K. So
Mn,n ⊆ S + K.
Therefore S + K = Mn,n .
6. (a) Can two vectors span R3 ? Can they be linearly independent? Explain.
(b) Can four vectors span R3 ? Can they be linearly independent? Explain.
Solution. (a). Two vectors cannot span R3 . Note that the dimension of dim(R3 ) =
3. If two vectors v1 , v2 span R3 then R3 = Span(v1 , v2 ). This implies that the
dim(R3 ) ≤ 2 which is false.
(b) Let {v1 , v2 , v3 , v4 } be a set of four vectors and let

W = Span(v1 , v2 , v3 , v4 ).

If W contains three linearly independent vectors then W = R3 and it will span

R3 . If W has at most two linearly independent vectors then it will not span R3 .
Four vectors can never be linearly independent in R3 . Note that R3 = span(e1 , e2 , e3 }
where {e1 , e2 , e3 } is the standard basis of R3 . If the four vectors were linearly
independent, then it would follow that 4 ≤ 3 which is a contradiction. (Here we
are using the result that if a vector space is spanned by m vectors and there is a
linearly independent set with n vectors in the vector space, then m ≤ n.)