The Number of Elements in a Finite Field is a Power of a Prime Number
Problem 726
Let $\F$ be a finite field of characteristic $p$.
Prove that the number of elements of $\F$ is $p^n$ for some positive integer $n$.
Add to solve later Tagged: vector space
Vector Space Problems and Solutions.
The other popular topics in Linear Algebra are
Gauss-Jordan Elimination Inverse Matrix Eigen Value Caley-Hamilton Theorem Caley-Hamilton Theorem
Check out the list of all problems in Linear Algebra
Add to solve later Are These Linear Transformations?
Problem 717
Define two functions $T:\R^{2}\to\R^{2}$ and $S:\R^{2}\to\R^{2}$ by
\[
T\left(
\begin{bmatrix}
x \\ y
\end{bmatrix}
\right)
=
\begin{bmatrix}
2x+y \\ 0
\end{bmatrix}
,\;
S\left(
\begin{bmatrix}
x \\ y
\end{bmatrix}
\right)
=
\begin{bmatrix}
x+y \\ xy
\end{bmatrix}
.
\]
Determine whether $T$, $S$, and the composite $S\circ T$ are linear transformations.
Add to solve later Find a Spanning Set for the Vector Space of Skew-Symmetric Matrices
Problem 714
Let $W$ be the set of $3\times 3$ skew-symmetric matrices. Show that $W$ is a subspace of the vector space $V$ of all $3\times 3$ matrices. Then, exhibit a spanning set for $W$.
Add to solve later Determine Bases for Nullspaces $\calN(A)$ and $\calN(A^{T}A)$
Problem 713
Determine bases for $\calN(A)$ and $\calN(A^{T}A)$ when
\[
A=
\begin{bmatrix}
1 & 2 & 1 \\
1 & 1 & 3 \\
0 & 0 & 0
\end{bmatrix}
.
\]
Then, determine the ranks and nullities of the matrices $A$ and $A^{\trans}A$.
Add to solve later Prove Vector Space Properties Using Vector Space Axioms
Problem 711
Using the axiom of a vector space, prove the following properties.
Let $V$ be a vector space over $\R$. Let $u, v, w\in V$.
(a) If $u+v=u+w$, then $v=w$.
(b) If $v+u=w+u$, then $v=w$.
(c) The zero vector $\mathbf{0}$ is unique.
(d) For each $v\in V$, the additive inverse $-v$ is unique.
(e) $0v=\mathbf{0}$ for every $v\in V$, where $0\in\R$ is the zero scalar.
(f) $a\mathbf{0}=\mathbf{0}$ for every scalar $a$.
(g) If $av=\mathbf{0}$, then $a=0$ or $v=\mathbf{0}$.
(h) $(-1)v=-v$.
The first two properties are called the cancellation law.
Add to solve later Find a Basis for the Subspace spanned by Five Vectors
Problem 709
Let $S=\{\mathbf{v}_{1},\mathbf{v}_{2},\mathbf{v}_{3},\mathbf{v}_{4},\mathbf{v}_{5}\}$ where
\[
\mathbf{v}_{1}=
\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\ 2 \\ 2 \\ -1
\end{bmatrix}
,\;\mathbf{v}_{2}=
\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\ 3 \\ 1 \\ 1
\end{bmatrix}
,\;\mathbf{v}_{3}=
\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\ 5 \\ -1 \\ 5
\end{bmatrix}
,\;\mathbf{v}_{4}=
\begin{bmatrix}
1 \\ 1 \\ 4 \\ -1
\end{bmatrix}
,\;\mathbf{v}_{5}=
\begin{bmatrix}
2 \\ 7 \\ 0 \\ 2
\end{bmatrix}
.\]
Find a basis for the span $\Span(S)$.
Add to solve later How to Find a Basis for the Nullspace, Row Space, and Range of a Matrix
Problem 708
Let $A=\begin{bmatrix}
2 & 4 & 6 & 8 \\
1 &3 & 0 & 5 \\
1 & 1 & 6 & 3
\end{bmatrix}$.
(a) Find a basis for the nullspace of $A$.
(b) Find a basis for the row space of $A$.
(c) Find a basis for the range of $A$ that consists of column vectors of $A$.
(d) For each column vector which is not a basis vector that you obtained in part (c), express it as a linear combination of the basis vectors for the range of $A$.
Add to solve later Can We Reduce the Number of Vectors in a Spanning Set?
Problem 707
Suppose that a set of vectors $S_1=\{\mathbf{v}_1, \mathbf{v}_2, \mathbf{v}_3\}$ is a spanning set of a subspace $V$ in $\R^3$. Is it possible that $S_2=\{\mathbf{v}_1\}$ is a spanning set for $V$?
Add to solve later Does an Extra Vector Change the Span?
Problem 706
Suppose that a set of vectors $S_1=\{\mathbf{v}_1, \mathbf{v}_2, \mathbf{v}_3\}$ is a spanning set of a subspace $V$ in $\R^5$. If $\mathbf{v}_4$ is another vector in $V$, then is the set
\[S_2=\{\mathbf{v}_1, \mathbf{v}_2, \mathbf{v}_3, \mathbf{v}_4\}\]
still a spanning set for $V$? If so, prove it. Otherwise, give a counterexample.
Add to solve later Vector Space of Functions from a Set to a Vector Space
Problem 705
For a set $S$ and a vector space $V$ over a scalar field $\K$, define the set of all functions from $S$ to $V$
\[ \Fun ( S , V ) = \{ f : S \rightarrow V \} . \]
For $f, g \in \Fun(S, V)$, $z \in \K$, addition and scalar multiplication can be defined by
\[ (f+g)(s) = f(s) + g(s) \, \mbox{ and } (cf)(s) = c (f(s)) \, \mbox{ for all } s \in S . \]
(a) Prove that $\Fun(S, V)$ is a vector space over $\K$. What is the zero element?
(b) Let $S_1 = \{ s \}$ be a set consisting of one element. Find an isomorphism between $\Fun(S_1 , V)$ and $V$ itself. Prove that the map you find is actually a linear isomorpism.
(c) Suppose that $B = \{ e_1 , e_2 , \cdots , e_n \}$ is a basis of $V$. Use $B$ to construct a basis of $\Fun(S_1 , V)$.
(d) Let $S = \{ s_1 , s_2 , \cdots , s_m \}$. Construct a linear isomorphism between $\Fun(S, V)$ and the vector space of $n$-tuples of $V$, defined as
\[ V^m = \{ (v_1 , v_2 , \cdots , v_m ) \mid v_i \in V \mbox{ for all } 1 \leq i \leq m \} . \]
(e) Use the basis $B$ of $V$ to constract a basis of $\Fun(S, V)$ for an arbitrary finite set $S$. What is the dimension of $\Fun(S, V)$?
(f) Let $W \subseteq V$ be a subspace. Prove that $\Fun(S, W)$ is a subspace of $\Fun(S, V)$.
Add to solve later Find a Basis for Nullspace, Row Space, and Range of a Matrix
Problem 704
Let $A=\begin{bmatrix}
2 & 4 & 6 & 8 \\
1 &3 & 0 & 5 \\
1 & 1 & 6 & 3
\end{bmatrix}$.
(a) Find a basis for the nullspace of $A$.
(b) Find a basis for the row space of $A$.
(c) Find a basis for the range of $A$ that consists of column vectors of $A$.
(d) For each column vector which is not a basis vector that you obtained in part (c), express it as a linear combination of the basis vectors for the range of $A$.
Add to solve later Describe the Range of the Matrix Using the Definition of the Range
Problem 703
Using the definition of the range of a matrix, describe the range of the matrix
\[A=\begin{bmatrix}
2 & 4 & 1 & -5 \\
1 &2 & 1 & -2 \\
1 & 2 & 0 & -3
\end{bmatrix}.\]
Add to solve later Are these vectors in the Nullspace of the Matrix?
Problem 692
Let $A=\begin{bmatrix}
1 & 0 & 3 & -2 \\
0 &3 & 1 & 1 \\
1 & 3 & 4 & -1
\end{bmatrix}$. For each of the following vectors, determine whether the vector is in the nullspace $\calN(A)$.
(a) $\begin{bmatrix}
-3 \\
0 \\
1 \\
0
\end{bmatrix}$
(b) $\begin{bmatrix}
-4 \\
-1 \\
2 \\
1
\end{bmatrix}$
(c) $\begin{bmatrix}
0 \\
0 \\
0 \\
0
\end{bmatrix}$
(d) $\begin{bmatrix}
0 \\
0 \\
0
\end{bmatrix}$
Then, describe the nullspace $\calN(A)$ of the matrix $A$.
Add to solve later Find a Basis for the Range of a Linear Transformation of Vector Spaces of Matrices
Problem 682
Let $V$ denote the vector space of $2 \times 2$ matrices, and $W$ the vector space of $3 \times 2$ matrices. Define the linear transformation $T : V \rightarrow W$ by
\[T \left( \begin{bmatrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{bmatrix} \right) = \begin{bmatrix} a+b & 2d \\ 2b – d & -3c \\ 2b – c & -3a \end{bmatrix}.\]
Find a basis for the range of $T$.
Add to solve later For Fixed Matrices $R, S$, the Matrices $RAS$ form a Subspace
Problem 664
Let $V$ be the vector space of $k \times k$ matrices. Then for fixed matrices $R, S \in V$, define the subset $W = \{ R A S \mid A \in V \}$.
Prove that $W$ is a vector subspace of $V$.
Add to solve later A Line is a Subspace if and only if its $y$-Intercept is Zero
Problem 663
Let $\R^2$ be the $x$-$y$-plane. Then $\R^2$ is a vector space. A line $\ell \subset \mathbb{R}^2$ with slope $m$ and $y$-intercept $b$ is defined by
\[ \ell = \{ (x, y) \in \mathbb{R}^2 \mid y = mx + b \} .\]
Prove that $\ell$ is a subspace of $\mathbb{R}^2$ if and only if $b = 0$.
Add to solve later Determine the Values of $a$ so that $W_a$ is a Subspace
Problem 662
For what real values of $a$ is the set
\[W_a = \{ f \in C(\mathbb{R}) \mid f(0) = a \}\]
a subspace of the vector space $C(\mathbb{R})$ of all real-valued functions?
Add to solve later The Centralizer of a Matrix is a Subspace
Problem 660
Let $V$ be the vector space of $n \times n$ matrices, and $M \in V$ a fixed matrix. Define
\[W = \{ A \in V \mid AM = MA \}.\]
The set $W$ here is called the centralizer of $M$ in $V$.
Prove that $W$ is a subspace of $V$.
Add to solve later Prove that the Center of Matrices is a Subspace
Problem 658
Let $V$ be the vector space of $n \times n$ matrices with real coefficients, and define
\[ W = \{ \mathbf{v} \in V \mid \mathbf{v} \mathbf{w} = \mathbf{w} \mathbf{v} \mbox{ for all } \mathbf{w} \in V \}.\]
The set $W$ is called the center of $V$.
Prove that $W$ is a subspace of $V$.
Add to solve later Subspace Spanned by Trigonometric Functions $\sin^2(x)$ and $\cos^2(x)$
Problem 612
Let $C[-2\pi, 2\pi]$ be the vector space of all real-valued continuous functions defined on the interval $[-2\pi, 2\pi]$.
Consider the subspace $W=\Span\{\sin^2(x), \cos^2(x)\}$ spanned by functions $\sin^2(x)$ and $\cos^2(x)$.
(a) Prove that the set $B=\{\sin^2(x), \cos^2(x)\}$ is a basis for $W$.
(b) Prove that the set $\{\sin^2(x)-\cos^2(x), 1\}$ is a basis for $W$.
Add to solve later 
