Mathematics – II

(MATH F112)
BITS Pilani Dr. Amit Setia (Associate Professor)
Department of Mathematics
K K Birla Goa Campus
 Chapter-4
General Vector spaces
4.2 Subspaces
Theorem 4.2.6:.
Let V be a vector space.
If   S  {v1 , v2 , . . . , vr }  V ,
  S '  {w1 , w2 , . . . , wr }  V , then:
span  S  = span  S '
 each vector in S is a linear
combination of those in S', and
each vector in S' is a linear
combination of those in S.

Note: spanning sets are not unique.

Example
Method for simplified form of span  S  , where S  n

1) Form a matrix A whose rows are vectors of S

2) Find RREF of A and call this as B
3) Then the simplified form of span  S  is the set
of all linear combinations of nonzero rows of B
Example: Find the simplified form of span  S 
1) S  u1 , u2 , u3   4
, where
u1   2, 4, 6,8  , u2   3, 6,9,12  , u3   4,8,12,16 
2) S   p1  x  , p2  x  , p3  x   P3 , where
p1  x   2  4 x  6 x 2  8 x 3 , p2  x   3  6 x  9 x 2  12 x 3 ,
p3  x   4  8 x  12 x 2  16 x 3
3) S   A, B, C  M 22 , where
2 4 3 6  4 8
A  ,B    ,C   
 6 8   9 12  12 16 
Solution:
2 4 6 8  1 2 3 4 
A   3 6 9 12  RREF 0 0 0 0   B
 4 8 12 16  0 0 0 0 

span( S1 ) will also span the subspace span( S )

where S1  {v1}, v1  1, 2,3, 4 

Note that this mehod enables us to find

a simplified spanning set S1 but with this
method we may not get S1  S .
And, if we want a subset S1  S such that
span  S1   span  S  , then apply the next method.
Method for shrinking a spanning set, where S  n
1) Form a matrix A whose columns are vectors of S
2) Find RREF of A and call this as B
3) Find the pivot columns of B, the corresponding
columns in A will give the required shrinked spanning set.
Example: Find a subset S1 of S such that
span  S1   span  S 
1) S  u1 , u2 , u3   4
, where
u1   2, 4, 6,8  , u2   3, 6,9,12  , u3   4,8,12,16 
2) S   p1  x  , p2  x  , p3  x   P3 , where
p1  x   2  4 x  6 x 2  8 x 3 , p2  x   3  6 x  9 x 2  12 x 3 ,
p3  x   4  8 x  12 x  16 x
2 3

3) S   A, B, C  M 22 , where
2 4 3 6  4 8
A  ,B    ,C   
6 8  9 12  12 16 
soluion 1 :
3
2 3 4 1 2 2
4 6 8 0 0 0 =B
A=
6 9 12
RREF
0 0 0
8 12 16 0 0 0

here first column of B is the pivot column

 first column of A is the only member of
the required shrinked spanning set S1

span( S1 ) will also span the subspace span( S )

where S1  {v1}, v1   2, 4, 6,8 

Note that this mehod enables us to find

a simplified spanning set S1  S such that
span  S1   span  S  .
 Chapter-4
General Vector spaces
4.3 Linear Independence
Definition: Linearly independent set
If a nonempty set S  {v1 , v2 , . . . , vr } in a vector space V
is linearly independent ,
then the vector equation
k1v1  k2 v2  · · ·  kr vr  0 1
has at least one solution, namely,
k1  0, k2  0, . . . , kr = 0.  trivial soluion 
If this is the only possible solution of 1 ,
then S is called linearly independent set.
If there are solutions in addition to this,
then S is called linearly dependent set.
Example *

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Solution: 1
Solution:  2 
Solution:  3
  c1  2c2  3c3 2c1  4c2  6c3  0 0 
   
 1
3 c  6 c2  9c3 4c1  8c2  12c3  0 0 
 c1  2c2  3c3  0
2c1  4c2  6c3  0
3c1  6c2  9c3  0
4c1  8c2  12c3  0
Writing the given system as Ax  0
12 3 0 1 2 3 0 
   
 2
4 6 0 0 0 0 0
 A | 0   RREF  
6 9 0
3 0 0 0 0 
   
 4
8 12 0  0 0 0 0 
 2 nonpivot columns  2 free variables
 nontrivial solution exists
 the given set is linearly dependent
Theorem 4.3.1
A set S is a set of two or more vectors is
a) Linearly dependent 
at least one vector in S is expressible as a
linear combination of the other vectors in S .
e.g. S  {1  2 x,3  6 x,9  10 x}  P1 is linearly
dependent as 3  6 x  3 1  2 x 
b) Linearly independent 
no vector in S is expressible as a
linear combination of the other vectors in S .
e.g. S  {1, 2,3 ,  2,3, 4  ,  3,3,3 }  3
is linearly
independent as no vector in S is expressible as a
linear combination of the other vectors in S .
Theorem 4.3.2
a )A set that contains 0 is linearly dependent
e.g. S  {1  x 4 , x, x 2 , 0}  P4 is linearly dependent
b) A set with exactly one vector is linearly independent
 that vector is not 0.
e.g. S  {1  x }  P4 is linearly independent
4

c) A set with exactly two vectors is linearly independent

 if neither vector is a scalar multiple of the other.
e.g. S  {1  x, 2  3 x}  P1 is linearly independent
Theorem 4.3.3
Let S  {v1 , v2 , . . . , vr } be a set of vectors in n
.
If r > n, then S is linearly dependent.

Example
Let S  {v1 , v2 , v3} be a set of vectors in 2
,
where v1  1, 2  , v2  (2, 3), v3 =(3,4)
then S is linearly dependent by using last
theorem, as r  3  2  n.
Exercise
Determine all values of k for which the following
matrices form a linear independent set in M 22
1 0   1 0   2 0 
1 k  ,  k 1  ,  1 3
     
Method for checking whether the given set S  n
is linearly independent or not
1) Form a matrix A whose columns are vectors of S
2) Find RREF of A and call this as B
3) If every column of B is a pivot column,
then S is linearly independent otherwise not.

Exercise: Try to solve all 3 parts of Example  * on slide 13

using the above method, it will save your time.
1 2 
note a matrix   can be considered as 1, 2,3, 4   4

3 4 
to apply the above method
Also, a polynomial 5  2 x  3 x 2 can be considered as  5, 2,3  3
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Please try text book exercsie problems
for better understanding of all concepts.
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Reference:
H. Anton and Chris Rorres,
Elementary Linear Algebra with Supplemental Applications,
11th edition,
John Wiley & Sons, 2017.

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