MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

Assignment 1 MATH 2050 sect. 2 Due: Thursday Sept 14

1. Find the general solution to the following problems in parametric form

(a) 20x − y = 10 (c) ax + by + cz + dw = e

(b) 10x + 3y + 5z = 6

In (c) the variables x, y, z, w are unknowns and a, b, c, d, e are parameters. Assume that
a, b, c, d have nonzero values.

2. Solve each of the systems algebraically and geometrically (or argue that it does not have
a solution). Write the augmented matrix corresponding to each of the systems.

(a) x + y + 4 = 0 (c) 2x + y = 3
9x − 3y = 0 3x − y = 2
(b) 2x + y = 3 20x − 30y = −1
3x − y = 2 (d) 2x + y = 3
20x − 30y = −10 2y + 4x = 6

3. Write a linear system corresponding to the given augmented matrix.

   
4 12 16 −1 2 −3 4 5
(a) (b)
3 −9 −1 0 −10 0 1 100

4. The University of Noware (UofN) is a small elite university, which has three schools:
Unnatural Activities (UA), Natural Curiosities (NC), and Supernatural Sciences (SS). At
every school, expenses per student remained unchanged for the past three years. Find
these expences (in thousands dollars per student) given the enrollment numbers and the
total university budget:

year Enrollment Budget

UA NC SS (in thousands $)
2003 200 250 150 2950
2004 180 220 200 3160
2005 240 180 150 2940

5. Compose your own word problem that requires solution of a linear system. Then solve
your problem.
 MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

Assignment 2 MATH 2050 sect. 2 Due: Thursday Sept 21

1. Find all solutions to the following in parametric form in two ways. Use sample value(s)
of parameter(s) to obtain a particular numeric solution from one of the forms. Then find
value(s) of parameter(s) in another form that yield the same numeric solution.

(a) 4x − y = 2 x+y+z =2
(b)
x−y−z =3

2. Show that the system of 3 equations x + 2y − z = a, 2x + y + 3z = b, x − 4y + 9z = c has

no solutions unless c = 2b − 3a. In the latter case, how many solutions does the system
have?

3. (Partial fraction decomposition): Find a, b, c such that

x2 − x + 3 ax + b c
= 2 + .
(x2 + 2)(2x − 1) x + 2 2x − 1

(see hint in Text, Q.1.1.15)

4. Solve the given systems in two ways: by straightforward elimination and by elementary
operations on augmented matrices. Preferably, divide a sheet vertically in two halves
and carry out calculations to show parallels between the two ways (arithmetic operations
should be essentially the same).
 
 x + y + 2z = −1  2x + y + z = − 1
(a) 2x + y + 3z = 0 (b) x + 2y + z = 0
 −2y + z = 2  3x − 2z = 5

5. Which of the following matrices are in reduced row echelon form? Which are in row
echelon form?
   
1 −1 2 1 0 0 3 1
(a)  0 0 0  (d)  0 0 0 1 1 
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
 
  1 1
2 1 −1 3 (e)
(b) 0 1
0 0 0 0  
  0 0 1
1 −2 3 5 (f)  0 0 1
(c)
0 0 0 1 0 0 1
 MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

Assignment 3 MATH 2050 sect. 2 Due: Thursday Sept 28

1. § 1.2 # 10

2. § 1.2 # 2(a)

3. § 1.2 # 3(c)

4. § 1.2 # 5(a,c,d)

5. § 1.2 # 7(a)

6. § 1.2 # 8(a)

7. § 1.2 # 12(e–h; then a–d)

8. § 1.2 # 16(a)

9. § 1.3 # 2(a)
 MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

Assignment 4 MATH 2050 sect. 2 Due: Wednesday Oct 11

1. Find all values of a for which the given homogeneous system has a nontrivial solution and
determine all solutions:
x+y−z = 0
ay − z = 0
x + y + az = 0.

2. For each of the following homogeneous systems determine whether it has a nontrivial
solution or not. If it does not (first case of Fredholm’s Alternative), write out the solution

a
for a non-homogeneous
(second case of FA), find system with
a sample general side
right-hand right-hand
column,side
for column . If it does
which theb noh-homogeneous
system is inconsistent.

x−y = 0
x − 2y = 0
(a) (b ) y−z = 0
2x + y = 0
z−x= 0

3. Given coefficient matrix of a homogeneous system find the basic solutions and write the
parametric solution in the vector form

1 2 3 4 5 1
 
0 0 2 −6 4 2
 0 0 0 0 0 0

4. Write the following system of linear equations in the form AX = B :

x1 − x2 + 3x3 = 4, x2 + 10x3 = −4, 20x1 − x3 = 0 ,x4 = 1.

That is, identify matrices A,X,B and point out their dimensions.

5. Consider matrices

     
1 2 3 4 5 0 2 −3 1 5 3 2
A= , B= , C= .
0 0 2 1 4 −1 0 2 1 4 −1 0
Find the following products if they are defined

AB, AC, CA, AB T , AT B, A2 , B 2, C2

6. Find matrix A if
   
3 2 −3 2
4A − = − 2A.
−1 0 −1 7
 MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

Assignment 5 MATH 2050 sect. 2 Due: Thursday Oct 26

1. Consider matrices

     
1 2 3 4 5 0 2 −3 1 5 3 2
A= , B= , C= .
0 0 2 1 4 −1 0 2 1 4 −1 0
Find the following products if they are defined

AB, AC, CA, AB T , AT B, A2 , B 2, C2

2. A square matrix B is called skew-symmetric if B T = −B. Let A be a square matrix.

Show that B = A − AT is skew-symmetric.

3. The trace of a square matrix A, denoted trA, is the sum of the elements on the main
diagonal of A. Show that if A and B are n × n matrices then

trAT = trA, tr(A + B) = trA + trB, tr(AB) = tr(BA).

4. Find all symmetric 2 × 2 matrices A such that A2 = 0. (Remember that the right-hand
side of this equation is the zero 2 × 2 matrix, not the number zero!)

5. (a) If A2 can be formed, what can be said about the size of A?

(b) If ABC can be formed, A is 3 × 3, and C is 5 × 5, what size is B ?

6. In each case compute all powers of A using the block decomposition indicated:

1 −1 2 −1
1 0 0  
  0 1 0 0
1 1 −1
0 0 −1 1 
(a)  1 −1 1  (b)  
0 0 0 1

7. A square matrix P is called an idempotent if P 2 = P . Show that:

(a) If P is an idempotent, so are I − P and P (I − P ).
(b) If P is an idempotent, so is P T .

8. Bonus question (+1 to midterm score)

If A is an n × n matrix, its corank is the number corank(A) = n − rk (A).
(a) Show that if AX = 0 is a homogeneous system of linear equations, then the general
solution will contain exactly corank(A) free parameters.
(b) Let A and B be two n×n matrices. Show that corank(AB) ≤ corank (A)+ corank (B ).
 MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

Assignment 6 MATH 2050 sect. 2 Due: Thursday Nov 2

1. (Question 6 of Assignment 5).

2. A matrix obtained from the identity matrix by a single elementary row operation is called
an elementary matrix. Determine the 3 × 3 matrices corresponding to the operations (a)
R1 ↔ R2 , (b) R3 → 5R3 and (c) R2 → −3R1 + R2 .

3. Show that the product of two square lower-triangular matrices is a lower-triangular matrix.

4. Simplify: (a) (ABC)T (A−1 )T (C T B T )−1 ; (b) (AB T )−1 (B 2 )T A2 ; (c) (AB −1 C −1 )T (AT )−1 C T B T .
Here A,B,C are invertible square matrices of the same size.

5. Find the inverses or show that there is no inverse:

1 2 3
   
1 −5 4 5 6
(a)  7 8 9 
0 1 (e)
 
2 −5 −1 4 5 2
(b)  
−1 3
3 5 0 0 0 0 −1
   1 −2 −2 0 
3 7 1
(f) 
 0 −1 −1 0


(c)  1 2 1 
1 0 0
 
2 1 0
(d)  3 2 1 

 
A 0
6. (a) A and
andIfonly if ABand
are Bsquare matrices,
are both showand
invertible, that the block matrix is invertible if
0 B
 −1  
A 0 A−1 0
(b) 0 B = −1 .
0 B
7. Write the system in the matrix form and solve it using matrix inverse.

x + y = 5, x − y = 9.
 MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

Assignment 7 MATH 2050 sect. 2 Due: Thursday Nov 9

1. Compute the determinants:

1 −5 −1 4 5 2
   
  0 0 0 −1 

(a)    
0 1 −
cost sint  1 −2 −2 0 
  (f)  0 −1 −1 0 

   
(b) 
3

  
sint5 0cost a b c
   
3 7 1  0 d e 
   
(c) 

1 2 1
 (g) 
0 0 f 

1 0 x   
0 a 2 3
   
2 1 y  −a 0 4 5 
   

(d)  3 2 z   − 2 − 4 0 6 
 (h)  
1 2 3  −3 −5 −6 0 
   
4 5 6   
 
(e) 
7 8 9 

 
2. Are the following determinants odd or even? (Solve with as little calculation as possible.)

10 13 7 1 4 1 1 1 1
   
 2 4 5 −9 2  1 1 −1 −1 
   
(a)  1 2 67 −16 3  1 −1 1 −1 
  (b)  
 1 2 −3 −7 4  1 −1 −1 1 
   
 1 1 −3 2 2   
 
 
3. Show (using a simple argument rather than a long calculation) that the following deter-
minant is divisible by 7 (use the fact that the numbers 3535, 7105, 3997, 8554 are divisible
by 7).
3 5 3 5
 
7 1 0 5 
 .
3 9 9 7 
 
8 5 5 4 
 
 
4. Find characteristic polynomial and eigenvalues of the following matrices:

0 1 1 a 0 0
   
  1 0 1 0 b 1
1 2  (a 6= b).
(a) ; (b)  1 1 0 ; (c) 0 0 b
3 2
 MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY OF NEWFOUNDLAND
DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

Assignment 8 MATH 2050 sect. 2 Due: Thursday Nov 16

1. Find characteristic polynomial, eigenvectors, eigenvalues, and (if possible) an invertible

matrix P such that P −1 AP is diagonal.
1 0 0
   
1 2 2 1 0
(a)
37 20 −4 (d)  3 2 1 
 
0 5 0
(b)  5 0 −2   
1 a
1 −2 3 (e)
  0 1
2 6 −6 

(c)  1 2 −1  1 a
(f)
0 −1
2. Find all powers An by first finding P such that D = P −1 AP is diagonal. (Use the fact
n n −1
that A = P D P .)

   
1 5 −7 −12
(a) (b)
1 2 6 10
3. Find the inverses A−1 by first finding P such that D = P −1 AP is diagonal for matrices
−1 −1 −1
in Q.2. (Use the fact that A = P D P .) Compare the answer with result obtained
by another inversion method.
4. Show that if λ is an eigenvalue of A, then (a) 3λ is an eigenvalue of 3A; (b) λ + 2 is an
eigenvalue of A + 2I .
5. Show that if λ is an eigenvalue of A, then 3λ is also an eigenvalue of AT . (Hint: Use the
fact that det M T = det M for any square matrix M .)

6. Show that A invertible if and only if 0 is not an eigenvalue of A.

7. Show that the matrices of (a) shift, Sn , n ≥ 2, and (b) cyclic shift, Cn , n ≥ 3 are not
diagonalizable. Reminder: the sample patterns for these matrices are as follows
0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
   
0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 1  0 0 0 1 
S4 = 
0 0 0 0

 C4 = 
1 0 0 0


Hint: (a) Argue that since (Sn )n = 0, the only possible eigenvalue for Sn is λ = 0. Show
that there is only one eigenvector with this eigenvalue (while in order to diagonalize we
need n independent eigenvectors.)
(b) Argue that since (Cn )n = I, the only possible eigenvalues for Cn is λ = 1 and (for
even values of n) λ = −1. Show that there is only one eigenvector (up to a multiplicative
constant) corresponding to either eigenvalue.
 Assignment 9 MATH 2050 sect. 2 Due: Thursday Nov
30
(with correction in Q.3)

Geometry of the Cube

This assignment offers you to explore various relations in the unit cube with vertices
A(0, 0, 0), B(1, 0, 0), C(0, 1, 0), D(1, 1, 0), E(0, 0, 1), F (1, 0, 1), G(0, 1, 1), H(1, 1, 1).

0. Sketch the cube and label its vertices as described.

1. Find parametric equations of the lines CD, AF, HB .

2. (a) Find equations of the planes AHG and EGC .

(b) Find a parametric equation of the intersection of these planes.

3. Show that the planes AFG and BHC are parallel. Find the distance between them.

4. Find the distance between the skew lines EB and AG.

5. Find cross product of the vectors EB and BG. Then find the area of △EBG.

6. Find coordinates of projection of the point G onto plane CHB .

1
 Math 2050: Answers and comments to Assignment 1
1 Find the general solution to the following problems in parametric form
(a) 20x − y = 10. Answer: x = s, y = 20s − 10, ∀s ∈ R.
(b) 10x+3y +5z = 6. Answer: y = s, z = t, x = 0.6− 0.3s− 0.5t, ∀s,t ∈ R.
(c) ax + by + cz + dw = e.
a b c e
Answer: x = s, y = t, z = u, w = − s− t − u + , ∀s,t,u ∈ R.
d d d d
2 Solve each of the systems algebraically and geometrically (or argue that it does
not have a solution). Write the augmented matrix corresponding to each of the
systems.
(Graphs are not presented here, but they should have been given in your solutions.)
(a) x + y + 4 = 0, 9x − 3y = 0

 
1 1 −4
Answer: x = −1,y = −3, Augm.matrix:
(b) 2x + y = 3, 3x − y = 2, 20x − 30y9= −3
−10 0

2 1 3
 
3 −1 2
Answer: x = 1,y = 1, Augm.matrix:  20 −30 −10 

(Note: here we have 3 equations with 2 unknowns. The answer follows already from
the first two equations and satisfies the 3rd equation, too. Thus, 3rd equation is
unnecessary; the system is redundant.)
(c) 2x + y = 3, 3x − y = 2, 20x − 30y = −1

2 1 3
 
3 −1 2
Answer: There is no solution. Augm.matrix:  20 −30 −1 

(Like in (b), the first two equations lead to the values x = 1, y = 1, but these
values do not satisfy 3rd equation. The system is inconsistent: the three constraints
imposed on x and y cannot be met simultaneously. Graphically, we have 3 lines but
they do not have a common intersection.)
(d) 2x + y = 3, 2y + 4x = 6

Answer: x = s, y = 3 − 2s, ∀s ∈ R. (Infinitely many solutions; graphs of

 
2 1 3
both equations
augm.matrix is the same
correctly, we putline).
the Augm.matrix:
term 4x before 42y 2in 2nd (Note: to write the
equation.)
6