Mathematics 3410 - Homework 5

Only selected problems will be graded.

1. (Nicholson 7.1.1(d)) Let T : Mm,n → Mk,l ; T (A) = P AQ, P a k × m matrix, Q

an n × l matrix, both fixed.
Solution. Let A, B ∈ Mmn and c ∈ R.
(i) We have that

T (A + B) = P (A + B)Q = (P A + P B)Q = P AQ + P BQ = T (A) + T (B)

and T preserves vector addition.

(ii) We have
T (cA) = P (cA)Q = cP AQ,
since c is a scalar and commutes with matrices and thus T preserves scalar
multiplication.
Therefore T is a linear transformation.
2. Let T : M2,2 (R) → R be defined by T (A) = det(A). Show that T is not a linear
transformation.
Solution. Note that
     
3 3 1 2 1 0
= + .
3 3 0 1 2 1

However,
 3 3

det = 3 · 3 − 3 · 3 = 0,
3 3
 1 2

det = 1 · 1 − 2 · 0 = 1,
0 1
 1 0

det = 1 · 1 − 0 · 2 = 1.
2 1

It follows that
 1 2   1 0   1 2   1 0 
det + = 0 6= 1 = det + det .
0 1 2 1 0 1 2 1

Therefore we have found matrices A and B such that T (A + B) 6= T (A) + T (B)

and thus T is not a linear transformation.
3. (Nicholson 7.1.3(d)) If T : R2 → R2 and
 1   0   1   1 
T = and T = .
−1 1 1 0
 1 
Find T .
−7
Solution. We shall determine c1 , c2 ∈ R such that
     
1 1 1
= c1 + c2 .
−7 −1 1

Note that this is the same as

    
1 1 1 c1
=
−7 −1 1 c2

1
 Thus we need to row reduce the matrix
 
1 1 1
.
-1 1 −7

We find that this is row equivalent to

 
1 0 4
.
0 1 −3

It follows that      
1 1 1
=4 −3 .
−7 −1 1
Applying the linear transformation T to both sides of this equation, we obtain
 1    1   
1
T =T 4 −3
−7 −1 1
 1   1 
= 4T − 3T
−1 1
   
0 1
=4 −3
1 0
 
−3
= .
4

4. (Nicholson 7.1.4(a)) Let T : R2 → R3 such that

   
 1  1   −1   0
T =  0  and T =  1 .
2 0
1 1
 2 
Compute T .
1
Solution. We shall determine c1 , c2 ∈ R such that
     
2 1 −1
= c1 + c2 .
1 2 0

Note that this is the same as

    
2 1 −1 c1
=
1 2 0 c2

Thus we need to row reduce the matrix

 
1 −1 2
.
2 0 1

We find that this is row equivalent to

 
1 0 1/2
.
0 1 −3/2

Therefore      
2 1 1 3 −1
= − .
1 2 2 2 0

2
 Applying the linear transformation T to both sides of this equation, we obtain
 2   1  1  3  −1  
T =T −
1 2 2 2 0
   
1  1  3  −1 
= T − T
2 2 2 0
   
1 0
1 3
=  0 −  1 
2 2
1 1
 
1/2
=  −3/2  .
−1

5. (Nicholson 7.1.5(a)) If T : V → V is a linear transformation, find T (v) and T (w)

if: T (v + w) = v − 2w and T (2v − w) = 2v
Solution. Since T is a linear transfomation it follows that

T (v) + T (w) = v − 2w (1)

and
2T (v) − T (w) = 2v. (2)
Combining (1) and (2) we find that

(T (v) + T (w)) + (2T (v) − T (w)) = (v − 2w) + 2v

and thus
3T (v) = 3v − 2w.
Multiplying by 31 , we find

1 2
T (v) = (3v − 2w) = v − w. (3)
3 3
Rearranging equation (2) we have

T (w) = 2T (v) − 2v.

Substituting equation (3) into this we find

2 4
T (w) = 2(v − w) − 2v = − w.
3 3
6. (Nicholson 7.1.8(a)) Let {v1 , . . . , vn } be a basis of V and let T : V → V be a
linear transformation. If T (vi ) = vi for each i, show that T = 1V .
Solution. Let v ∈ V . Since {v1 , . . . , vn } is a basis, we have

v = c1 v1 + · · · + cn vn

for some constants c1 , . . . , cn . Therefore

T (v) = T (c1 v1 + · · · + cn vn )
= c1 T (v1 ) + · · · + cn T (vn ) since T is a linear transformation
= c1 v1 + · · · + cn vn since T (vi ) = vi
= v.

Therefore T is the identity function. That is, T = 1V .

3
7. (Nicholson 7.1.15(a)) Let T : V → W be a linear transformation. If U is a
subspace of V , show that T (U ) = {T (u) | u in U } is a subspace of W (called the
image of U under T ).
Solution.
• Let T (u1 ), T (u2 ) be elements of T (U ) (where u1 , u2 ∈ U ). Note that

T (u1 ) + T (u2 ) = T (u1 + u2 ) since T is a linear transformation.

It follows that T (u1 ) + T (u2 ) ∈ T (U ) since u1 + u2 ∈ U . Therefore T (U ) is

closed under vector addition.
• Let T (u) be an element of T (U ) (where u ∈ U ) and c ∈ R. Then

cT (u) = T (cu) since T is a linear transformation.

8. (Nicholson 7.1.17(a).) Let T : V → W be a linear transformation and let

v1 , . . . , vn denote vectors in V . If {T (v1 ) , . . . , T (vn )} is linearly independent,
show that {v1 , . . . , vn } is also independent.
Solution. Assume by way of contradiction that {v1 , . . . , vn } is a dependent set.
Then there exists c1 , . . . , cn ∈ R, not all zero such that

c1 v1 + · · · + cn vn = ~0.

We may assume without loss of generality that c1 6= 0, by swapping vectors if

necessary. Apply the linear transformation T to both sides of the equation to
obtain
T (c1 v1 + · · · + cn vn ) = T (~0)
Since T is a linear transformation it follows that

c1 T (v1 ) + · · · + cn T (vn ) = ~0.

6 0, this implies that {T (v1 ), · · · , T (vn )} is a linearly dependent set

Since c1 =
which is a contradiction. Therefore, {v1 , . . . , vn } is independent.