Mathematics I for EOR: Homework 1:

Exercise 1
Consider the following 4 points in R5 : p~1 = (3, 2, 1, 2, 3), p~2 = (−1, 1, −1, 1, −1), p~3 = (2, 0, 0, 0, 0)
and p~4 = (−5, −4, −3, −2, −1). Show that these 4 points indeed span a 3D hyperplane in R5
and find the parametric equation of the hyperplane.

The first step is computing 3 difference-vectors:

     
−4 −1 −8
−1 −2 −6
d~1 = p~2 − p~1 =  ~2 = p~3 − p~1 = −1 d~3 = p~4 − p~1 = 
     
−2
 
 d   −4

−1 −2 −4
−4 −3 −4

1 point for realizing that you have to compute 3 difference vectors and 1 point for doing
it correctly. There are multiple correct combinations, but all of them should subtract THE
SAME fourt vector from the other 3 (~p1 in this solution).

Next, we should show that these points indeed span a 3D hyperplane. This means that the 3
difference-vectors are linear independent. So compose the matrix of the 3 difference-vectors:
 
−4 −1 −8
−1 −2 −6
 
A= −2 −1 −4

−1 −2 −4
−4 −3 −4

And then, we compute its rank by Gaussian elimination.

Use elementary row-operation 3 to clean the first column.
Replace second row by −0.25 times the first row plus the second row.
Replace third row by −0.5 times the first row plus the third row.
Replace fourth row by −0.25 times the first row plus the fourth row.
Replace fifth row by −1 times the first row plus the fifth row.
 
−4 −1 −8
 0 −1.75 −4
 
A=  0 −0.5 0 

 0 −1.75 −2
0 −2 4
Next, use elementary row-operation 3 to clean the second column.
Replace third row by −2/7 times the second row plus the third row.
Replace fourth row by −1 times the second row plus the fourth row.
Replace fifth row by −8/7 times the second row plus the fifth row.
 
−4 −1 −8
 0 −1.75 −4 
 
A= 0 0 1.14

0 0 2 
0 0 8.57

1
Next, use elementary row-operation 3 to clean the third column.
Replace fourth row by +1/4 times the third row plus the fourth row.
Replace fifth row by +1.07 times the third row plus the fifth row.
 
−4 −1 −8
 0 −1.75 −4 
 
A= 0 0 1.14
0 0 0 
0 0 0
This is the row-echelon form of A. The number of non-zero rows in A is 3, so rank(A) = 3. As
A is a 3 × 5, thsi means that A has maximal rank. Hence, the 3 difference-vectors are linear
independent. As a result, the 4 points indeed span a 3D hyperplane.
1 point for realizing that one has to check linear independence of the 3 difference vectors, 1 point
for realizing that this can be done by checking the rank of A through Gaussian elimination and
1 point for a Gaussian elimination that was correctly written down. In this homework, stupid
miscalculations are forgiven, but the Gaussian elimination should be worked out as above. Else,
this point is not obtained.

The hyperplane parametric equation then becomes:

~x(s, t, u) = p~1 + s · d~1 + t · d~2 + u · d~3 =

         
3 −4 −1 −8 3 − 4s − t − 8u
2 −1 −2 −6  2 − s − 2t − 6u 
         
1 + s · −2 + t · −1 + u · −4 =  1 − 2s − t − 4u 
         
2 −1 −2 −4  2 − s − 2t − 4u 
3 −4 −3 −4 3 − 4s − 3t − 4u
1 point for writing down an equation consistent with the choice of difference-vectors above.
NOTE: The constant vector (~p1 in this solution) should be the same one as what is subtracted
in computing the difference vectors.

Exercise 2
Consider the following 3 points in R3 : p~1 = (2, −1, 3), p~2 = (−2, 1, 1) and p~3 = (1, 2, −3). Find
both the parametric and the non-parametric equation of the plane through these three points.
Use the cross-product for obtaining the non-parametric equation. Prove that both equations
describe the same plane.

Parametric equation: works the same as the exercise above:

   
−4 −1
~
d1 = p~2 − p~1 =  2  ~
d2 = p~3 − p~1 =  3
−2 −6
1 point for the correct computation of the difference vectors.
As −4/ − 1 = 4, but 2/3 6= 4, These vectors are not a multiple of each other, hence linear in-
dependent. So the parametric equation becomes: 1 point for a notion of linear independence
       
2 −4 −1 2 − 4s − t
~x(s, t) = p~1 + s · d~1 + t · d~2 = −1 + s ·  2  + t ·  3  = −1 + 2s + 3t
3 −2 −6 3 − 2s − 6t

2
1 point for the correct parametric equation

Non-parametric equation using the cross-product:

     
−4 −1 −6
~n = d~1 × d~2 =  2  ×  3  = −22
−2 −6 −10

1 point for correctly working out the cross product.

So all vectors in the plane must obey:
   
x −6
y  · −22 = −6x − 22y − 10z = 0
z −10

1 point for using the dot-product in this way.

Then, shift the plane to go through one of the points (we use p~1 ):

−6 · 2 − 22 · −1 − 10 · 3 = −20

So the correct equation is:

−6x − 22y − 10z = −20 or 6x + 22y + 10z = 20

1 point for properly implementing the shift.

Proof that the two equations are the same:

6 · (2 − 4s − t) + 22 · (−1 + 2s + 3t) + 10 · (3 − 2s − 6t) =

12 − 24s − 6t − 22 + 44s + 66t + 30 − 20s − 60t = 20

So the equation is satisfied for all s, t. That is what we had to show.
1 point for this proof.

The homework has a total of 13 points. Hence, the homework grade is 0.2 · score/13.