Applied Mathematics I Physics Department, National Taiwan University

Professor Jiun-Huei Proty Wu Semester 112-2 (Spring 2024)

Example Sheet 1

1. Consider a vector space V that contains three vectors: 1 + 2𝑡 2 , 𝑡 + 𝑡 2 , 𝑡 2 − 1. What is the

minimum possible dimension of V? Write down a possible basis of such V (that has the minimum
possible dimension.)

2. Consider a vector space V that contains three vectors: 1 + 2𝑡 2 , 𝑡 + 𝑡 2 , 1 − 2𝑡. What is the
minimum possible dimension of V? Write down a possible basis of such V (that has the minimum
possible dimension.)

1 0 0 1 𝑖 0 −1 0
3. Consider a vector space V that contains three vectors: [ ],[ ],[ ],[ ]. What
0 1 1 0 0 𝑖 0 −1
is the minimum possible dimension of V? Write down a possible basis of such V (that has the
minimum possible dimension.)

4. If {1 + 2𝑡 2 , 𝑡 + 𝑡 2 , 𝑡 2 − 1} forms a basis of a vector space S, what are the coordinates of the

following vectors?
(i) 𝑡2
(ii) 𝑡
(iii) 1
(iv) 1+𝑡

1 0 0 1 0 0
5. Consider a vector space with the basis {[ ],[ ],[ ]}.
0 0 1 0 0 1
(a) What are the coordinates of the following vectors?
1 2
(i) [ ]
2 3
0 0
(ii) [ ]
0 0
(b) Write down a 2 by 2 matrix that does not belong to this vector space.

6. Consider the following maps A of a vector space V. Are these maps linear?
(a) 𝐀𝐱 = 𝐱 + 𝐚, where 𝐱 is a vector in R3 and 𝐚 is a constant vector therein.
(b) 𝐀𝐱 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 2 𝑦, where 𝐱 = (𝑥, 𝑦) is a vector in R2.
(c) 𝐀𝐱 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑥 + 𝑦, where 𝐱 = (𝑥, 𝑦) is a vector in R2.
(d) 𝐀𝐱 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) = 2𝑥 + 𝑧, where 𝐱 = (𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) is a vector in R3.
(e) 𝐀𝐱 = 𝑓(𝑥1 , … , 𝑥𝑚 ) = (𝑎11 𝑥1 + ⋯ + 𝑎1𝑚 𝑥𝑚 , … , 𝑎𝑛1 𝑥1 + ⋯ + 𝑎𝑛𝑚 𝑥𝑚 ), where 𝐱 =
(𝑥1 , … , 𝑥𝑚 ) is a vector in Rm and A maps V into an Rn.
(f) 𝐀𝐱 = 𝐌𝐱, where 𝐱 is an n by n matrix and M is an n by n constant matrix.

7. Consider the determinant and prove the following: (hint:ε-tensor)

(a) 𝐷𝑒𝑡(𝑨) = 0 if any two rows or columns are the same.
(b) Adding a multiple of one row (column) to another row (column) leaves the determinant
unchanged.
(c) 𝐷𝑒𝑡(𝑨𝑩) = 𝐷𝑒𝑡(𝑨)𝐷𝑒𝑡(𝑩).
(d) 𝐷𝑒𝑡(𝑨) = 𝐷𝑒𝑡(𝑨𝑇 )