SSEA
Summer 2017
 

Math 51, Homework-1

Section numbers are from the course textbook.

1. Section 1, Problem 4.

2. Section 1, Problem 6.

3. Consider the vector:  

2
v= ,
3
which is represented by a line segment starting from the point (−1, 2) in the 2-dimensional
plane. What is the end point of that line segment?

4. Find the components of the vector that is represented by a line segment connecting the
points (0, 0) and (2, 3) in the 2-dimensional plane.

5. Find the components of the vector that is represented by a line segment connecting the
points (1, 3) and (−2, 4) in the 2-dimensional plane.

6. Find the components of the vector that is represented by a line segment connecting the
points (5, 7, −1) and (0, 4, −5) in the 3-dimensional space.

7. Referring to the figure below, prove that the midpoint M of the line segment joining
points P1 (x1 , y1 , z1 ) and P2 (x2 , y2 , z2 ) is the point:
 
x1 + x2 y1 + y2 z1 + z2
, , .
2 2 2
SSEA Math Module Math 51 Homework-1, Page 2 of 4 August 1, 2017

8. Center of mass Suppose that A, B, and C are the corner points of a thin triangular
plate of constant density as shown below:

(a) Find the vector from C to the midpoint M of side AB.

(b) Find the vector from C to the point that lies two-thirds of the way from C to M
on the median CM. This point is the plate’s center of mass.
(c) Find the coordinates of the plate’s center of mass.

9. Consider vectors u, v, w ∈ R2 :
     
2 1 1
u= , v= , w= .
1 1 −1

Find constants a, b ∈ R such that u = av + bw.

10. Section 2, Problem 2.

11. Section 2, Problem 4

12. Section 2, Problem 8.

13. Section 2, Problem 10.

14. Find the parametric equation of the line through P (1, 2, −1) and Q(−1, 0, 1).

15. Find the parametric equation of the line through P (1, 1, 1) and parallel to the z-axis.

16. Section 3, Problem 2.

17. Section 3, Problem 3.

Sudarsan N.S. Acharya acharyan@stanford.edu

SSEA Math Module Math 51 Homework-1, Page 3 of 4 August 1, 2017

18. Section 3, Problem 8.

19. Section 3, Problem 10.
20. Consider the vectors:
  
4 2
u= , v= .
−8 1
Compute u · v. Draw both vectors in standard position and comment on the angle
between them.
21. Consider the vectors:
     
a1 0 1
 a2  .. 1
.
 
 ..   .. 
     
0
 
.   .
. .
1
 
a =  ..  , ei =  |{z}  , 1 =  ..  .
     
. ith component .
 ..   .. 
0
 
     
 ..  .  .. 
.
 
.  .  .
an 0 1
(a) What is the result of ei · a.
(b) What is the result of 1 · a.
22. Section 6, Problem 2.

Optional Challenge Problems.

23. Let ABCD be a general, not necessarily planar, quadrilateral in space. Show that the
two segments joining the midpoints of opposite sides of ABCD bisect each other.
Hint: Show that the segments have the same midpoint.
24. Prove that if span(v1 , v2 , v3 ) = R3 , then {v1 , v2 , v3 } must be a linearly independent set.
25. Consider the vectors a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 ∈ Rn . Suppose a1 , a2 , a3 are linearly dependent and
that a2 , a3 , and a4 are linearly independent. Show that:
(a) a1 is a linear combination of a2 and a3 .
(b) a4 is not a linear combination of a1 , a2 , and a3 .
26. Suppose x ∈ Rn with n = 2m − 1 and m ≥ 1. We define the middle element value of x
as the component xm . We want to write the difference between the middle element value
and the average of the components of x:
n
1X
xm − xi
n i=1
as a dot product a · x. What are the components of the vector a?

Sudarsan N.S. Acharya acharyan@stanford.edu

SSEA Math Module Math 51 Homework-1, Page 4 of 4 August 1, 2017

27. Consider a vector v as shown in the following figure:

Shade all points (x, y) in the plane such that:

 
x
· v ≤ 0.
y

28. Submarine hunting: Two surface ships on maneuvers are trying to determine a sub-
marine’s course and speed to prepare for an aircraft intercept. Taking the water surface
as the xy-plane and the z−axis pointing upward, ship A is located at (4, 0, 0), whereas
ship B is located at (0, 5, 0). All coordinates are given in thousands of feet. Ship A
locates the submarine in the direction of the vector:
 
2
 3 ,
−1/3

and ship B locates it in the direction of the vector:

 
18
−6 .
−1

Four minutes ago, the submarine was located at (2, −1, −1/3). The aircraft is due in
20 min. Assuming that the submarine moves in a straight line at a constant speed, to
what position should the surface ships direct the aircraft?

Sudarsan N.S. Acharya acharyan@stanford.edu