MAT 423

LINEAR ALGEBRA

C H A P T E R 4 : V E C T O R S PA C E S
SUBTOPIC 2: VECTOR SPACES
FACULTY OF COMPUTER AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
 Real Vector Spaces

Let V be a set containing vectors u, v, w and m and n be scalars. V is called a vector

space if the following axioms (conditions) are satisfied by all vectors u, v, w in V.

1. If u, v ∈ V, then u + v ∈ V
2. u + v = v + u
3. u + (v + w) = (u + v) + w
4. There exists a zero vector, 0∈ V, then mu∈V
5. For each u∈V, there exists -u∈V, such that u + (-u) = (-u) + u = 0
6. If m is any scalar and u∈V, then mu∈V
7. m(u + v) =mu + mv
8. (m + n)u = mu + nu
9. m(nu) = (mn)u
10. 1.u = u

Examples of vector spaces are 𝑅2 , 𝑅3 , ⋯ , 𝑅𝑛 ,

𝑀23 , 𝑀23 , ⋯ , 𝑀𝑚𝑛 , and 𝑃1 , 𝑃2 , ⋯ , 𝑃𝑛 .
 Example 1
Solution cont. :
Given that Check Axiom A
𝑎, 𝑏 + 𝑐, 𝑑 = 𝑎, 𝑏 LHS = 𝒖 + 𝒗
𝑚 𝑎, 𝑏 = (𝑚𝑎, 𝑚𝑏) = 𝑎, 𝑏 + 𝑐, 𝑑
= 𝑎, 𝑏
Determine whether the following RHS = 𝒗 + 𝒖
axioms are satisfied: = 𝑐, 𝑑 + 𝑎, 𝑏
Axiom A: 𝒖 + 𝒗 = 𝒗 + 𝒖 = (𝑐, 𝑑)
Axiom B: 𝑚 + 𝑛 𝒖 = 𝑚𝒖 + 𝑛𝒖 ≠LHS
∴Axiom A not satisfied
Check Axiom B
LHS = 𝑚 + 𝑛 𝒖 Operation of multiplication
Solution: = 𝑚 + 𝑛 𝑎, 𝑏
Let 𝒖 = (𝑎, 𝑏) = ( 𝑚 + 𝑛 𝑎, 𝑚 + 𝑛 𝑏)
𝒗 = 𝑐, 𝑑 RHS = 𝑚𝒖 + 𝑛𝒖 Operation of
𝑚 and 𝑛 are scalar = 𝑚 𝑎, 𝑏 + 𝑛 𝑎, 𝑏 multiplication
= 𝑚𝑎, 𝑚𝑏 + 𝑛𝑎, 𝑛𝑏
= 𝑚𝑎, 𝑚𝑏
≠LHS
∴Axiom B not satisfied
 Example 2

Given that
𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 + 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑎 + 𝑐 + 𝑏 + 2𝑑 𝑥 Check Axiom A
𝑘 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 = 𝑘𝑎 + 𝑘𝑏𝑥 LHS= 𝑝 + 𝑞 + 𝑟
= 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 + [ 𝑐 + 𝑑𝑥 + 𝑒 + 𝑓𝑥 ]
= 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 + 𝑒 + 𝑑 + 2𝑓 𝑥
Determine whether the following axioms are = 𝑎 + 𝑐 + 𝑒 + 𝑏 + 2 𝑑 + 2𝑓 𝑥
satisfied: = 𝑎 + 𝑐 + 𝑒 + 𝑏 + 2𝑑 + 4𝑓 𝑥
Axiom A : 𝑝 + 𝑞 + 𝑟 = 𝑝 + 𝑞 + 𝑟
Axiom B : 𝑘 + 𝑙 𝑝 = 𝑘𝑝 + 𝑙𝑝 RHS = 𝑝 + 𝑞 + 𝑟
where k and l are scalars = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑐 + 𝑑𝑥 + (𝑒 + 𝑓𝑥)
= 𝑎 + 𝑐 + 𝑏 + 2𝑑 𝑥 + 𝑒 + 𝑓𝑥
= 𝑎 + 𝑐 + 𝑒 + 𝑏 + 2𝑑 + 2𝑓 𝑥
≠ LHS
Solution: ∴Axiom A not satisfied
Let 𝑝 = 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥
𝑞 = 𝑐 + 𝑑𝑥 Check Axiom B
𝑟 = 𝑒 + 𝑓𝑥 LHS = 𝑘 + 𝑙 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥
k and 𝑙 are scalar = 𝑘 + 𝑙 𝑎 + 𝑘 + 𝑙 𝑏𝑥
RHS = 𝑘𝑝 + 𝑙𝑝
= 𝑘 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥 + 𝑙 𝑎 + 𝑏𝑥
= 𝑘𝑎 + 𝑘𝑏𝑥 + 𝑙𝑎 + 𝑙𝑏𝑥
= 𝑘𝑎 + 𝑙𝑎 + 𝑘𝑏 + 2𝑙𝑏 𝑥
≠LHS
∴Axiom B not satisfied