MAE 200A Homework set #1

Linear Systems of Equation and Vector Spaces

Assigned: Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Please justify all of your answers.

Problem 1 (20pts): Basic skills

You should be able to solve concrete system of linear equations via Gaussian elimination. For example, for each
system that follow, describe the solution set and interpret the answers in terms of geometry in the x-space and the
b-space.


2x1 3x2 = 1
x1 + x2 + x3 = 2
(a)
(b)
5x1 + x2 = 2
x1 + x2 x3 = 1

(c)

(e)

x1 + x2 2x3
x1 x2 3x3

x1 3x2 4x3

x1 + 2x2 + 3x3

2x1 + 3x2 + 4x3

3x1 + 4x2 + 5x3

x1 + x2

= 3
= 1
= 1
=
=
=
=

5
8
c
2

(d)

(f )

2x1 + x2 + x3
3x1 + x2 x3

x1 2x3

x1 + x2
x2 + x3
...
xn1 + xn

= 10
= 6
= 4
=
=

1
2

n1

Problem 2 (30pts): A meditation

Consider the matrix equation:

1
.5

1 1
x1
1 1 . x2 =
1 1
x3

2
1
2.5

where is a constant.
When is set to 0, find the solution of this system of linear equations via Gaussian elimination. Do you need
to pivot?
When is non-zero, but less than 216 away from 0, find the solution of the system of linear equations. Is the
solution near the unperturbed solution (i.e. the solution you found in the previous question)? Solve the system
numerically (say with matlab) for = 216 , 217 , 223 without using the analytical solution that you found.
Describe your results.
Now solve the system analytically for near 0.5; say = 0.5 + and assume to be on the order of 216 .
What happens as decreases? Interpret geometrically. Can you solve the linear system on a computer for
= 216 , 217 , 223 ? Comment.

Problem 3 (15pts): Vector space examples

In each of the following cases, determine if the given space with the operations given form a vector space. If so,
determine its dimension and provide a basis, if possible.
1. Cn with scalar multiplication over the real numbers.
2. In Rn , we consider the hyperplanes, Pa = {x Rn |x1 .a1 + . . . + xn .an = c} where a1 , . . . , an are n given real
numbers, not all zero and c is a given real number.
3. The set of n m matrices with real entries. S calar multiplication with real numbers and addition between
matrices are defined as usual.
4. The set of n n matrices A that satisfy AT .A = A.AT = I, where AT denotes the transpose of A and I
represents the identity matrix. The scalar multiplication and addition are inherited from the set of n n
matrices.
5. The set of symmetric n n matrices with the inherited operations from the set of matrices (recall that A is
symmetric if AT = A).
6. The set of skew-symmetric matrices with the inherited operations from the set of matrices (recall that A is
skew-symmetric if AT = A).
7. The set of sequences of real numbers converging to a given real number .
Problem 4 (20pts): column rank versus row rank
In the following, x Rn is considered as a column vector. A represents an n m matrix with entries in the real
numbers. The column rank of A is defined as the dimension of the span of the set of colum vectors of A (considered
as vectors in Rn ). It is denoted cr(A). Similarly, we can define the row rank of A, denoted as rr(A), to be the
dimension of the span of the row of A (considered as vectors in Rm ). The goal of this exercise is to prove that
cr(A) = rr(A). To do so, prove the following propositions:
1. xT .x = 0 if and only if x = 0.
2. Ax = 0 if and only if AT A.x = 0.
3. dim(Range(A)) = dim(Range(AT A))
4. cr(A) = cr(AT ) and conclude.
Problem 5 (15pts): On matrix inverses
1. Every real number except 0 has a multiplicative inverse. Does every square matrix that is not all 0s have an
inverse? Does every square matrix that has no 0 entries has an inverse?
2. It is often stated as a theorem that (AB)1 = B 1 A1 . This relation however, presents some subtleties: prove
or disporve the following propositions.
if the inverses of A and B exist, then AB is invertible. What are the type of the matrices?
if the inverse of AB exists, then the inverses of A and B exist.
3. Assume that we change the definition of the inverse of a matrix A to simply be any matrix B such that AB = I.
Is the inverse defined in this way unique? Can you find an inverse of [1, 0, 0]?