THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS

MATH2101 Linear Algebra I

Tutorial 3

1. Let A and B be two n × n matrices satisfying AB = BA.

(a) Prove that

(A + B)3 = A3 + 3A2 B + 3AB 2 + B 3 .
(b) Give an example of A and B to show that the identity in (a) does not hold if AB ≠ BA.
2. Let A be a square matrix that satisfies

A2 + 3A + 2I = O. (1)

(a) Show that A is invertible.

(b) Give an example of A satisfying (1) such that A + I is not invertible.
(c) Give an example of A satisfying (1) such that A + I is invertible.

3. Give an example for each of the following, or explain why no example exists.
(a) A pair of non-zero square matrices A and B of the same size such that AB = O.
(b) A 3 × 3 nonzero matrix A such that A3 = O.
(c) A 2 × 2 real matrix A such that there is no 2 × 2 real matrix B satisfying B 2 = A.
(d) A non-square matrix whose columns are linearly independent.
4. Prove or disprove the following.
(a) If S is a linearly independent set in Rn and v ∈ Rn , then S ∪ {v} is linearly independent.
(b) If S is a linearly dependent set in Rn and v ∈ Rn , then S ∪ {v} is linearly dependent.
(c) Let u, v and w be vectors in Rn . If each of {u, v}, {v, w} and {w, u} is linearly indepen-
dent, so is {u, v, w}.
(d) If A and B are both symmetric, then so is ABA.
(e) Let A and B be upper triangular square matrices of the same size such that their diagonal
entries are all equal to 1. Then AB = BA.