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Math 2135-002: Linear Algebra for Math Majors, Spring 2021


Homework


Latex HW template. HWtemplate.tex, HWtemplate.pdf.

Latex guide


Assignment
Assigned
Due
Problems
1/15/21
1/20/21
Read Section 1.1 (pages 1-12).

HW1 1/20/21
1/27/21
Read Chapter 1, Section I, Subsection 2-3 (pages 13-34).

Practice problems (pages 9-12): 1.17, 1.18, 1.23, 1.36.

Problems to turn in:

1. Exercise 1.22.

2. Exercise 1.27.

3. Find all triples $(x,y,z)$ of positive real numbers satisfying the nonlinear system

$$ \begin{array}{rl} x^2y&=2\\ xy^2z&=4\\ yz^2&=8 \end{array} $$

using the following method. First, take the logarithm of each equation. Then replace $\log(x)$ with a new symbol $X$, $\log(y)$ with $Y$, $\log(z)$ with $Z$, and solve the resulting linear system for $(X, Y, Z)$. Use your answer to solve the original system. (You can use a log to any base, but it is probably easiest to use base $2$.)

Solution sketches (linalghw1sol.tex),
Solution sketches (linalghw1sol.pdf),
Solution sketches (video).

HW2 1/20/21
2/3/21
Practice problems (pages 241-242): Chapter 3, Section IV: 2.14, 2.17.

Problems to turn in:

1. Let $A = \begin{bmatrix} 1&1\\ 0&1\end{bmatrix}$. Show by induction that $A^n = \begin{bmatrix} 1& n\\ 0&1\end{bmatrix}$.

2. I have three matrices: $A$ is $m\times n$, $B$ is $p\times q$, and $C$ is $r\times s$. Suppose I tell you that, because of their dimensions, the triple product $ABC$ is not defined, even though the triple product in every other order is defined (i.e., $ACB, BAC, BCA, CAB, CBA$ are all defined). Explain how you know that I made a mistake.

3. This problem is about multiplicative inverses of matrices.
(a) Find the multiplicative inverse of each type of elementary matrix: $P_{ij}$, and $E_{ij}(r)$ for the case $i\neq j$ and the case $i=j$.
(b) Show that if $A^{-1}$ is the multiplicative inverse of $A$ and $B^{-1}$ is the multiplicative inverse of $B$, then $B^{-1}A^{-1}$ is the multiplicative inverse of $AB$.

Solution sketches (linalghw2sol.tex),
Solution sketches (linalghw2sol.pdf),

HW3 2/4/21
2/10/21
Read Chapter 1, Section II, Subsection 1-2 (Pages 35-46). Skim Section III, Subsection 1 (Pages 50-54. We have already discussed this material, so just make sure it is familiar).

Practice problems (pages 46-47): 2.11, 2.12, 2.17 (Hint: Yes. Why?).

Problems to turn in:

1. Exercise 2.16, parts (b), (c), (d).

2. Let ${\bf e}_i$ be the vector of length $n$ whose $i$th entry is $1$ and whose other entries are $0$. The set $\{{\bf e}_1, {\bf e}_2, \ldots, {\bf e}_n\}$ is called the ``standard basis for $\mathbb R^n$''. Show that the standard basis is independent.

3. Let $A$ be an $m\times n$ matrix and let ${\bf e}_i$ be a standard basis vector of length $n$. Explain why the product $A\cdot {\bf e}_i$ equals the $i$th column of $A$.

Optional Fun Challenge! (0 points!)
An ant starts at a point in the plane and walks in a straight line for 1 unit. He then turns left at a right angle and walks in a straight line for 1/2 unit. He then turns left again at a right angle and walks 1/3 unit. He continues to turn left at right angles and walk 1/4 unit, 1/5 unit, 1/6 unit, ETC. As time progresses, this ant spirals closer and closer to a limiting location. At the limit, how far will the ant be from where he started?

Solution sketches (linalghw3sol.tex),
Solution sketches (linalghw3sol.pdf),

HW4 2/11/21
2/24/21
Read Chapter 2, Section I-II (Pages 83-103).

Practice problems (pages 92-96): 1.17, 1.20, 1.22(b).

Problems to turn in:

1. Describe a way to view the set $\mathbb C$ of complex numbers as a real vector space. (This means: describe the additive structure and how to scale elements by a real number.)

2. Let $\mathbb R[x]$ be the real vector space of polynomials in the variable $x$ with real coefficients. Let $S\subseteq \mathbb R[x]$ be the subset of polynomials whose roots are real numbers. Determine whether $S$ is a subspace of $\mathbb R[x]$. (Say the answer, then give the reason.)

3. Let $\mathbb R[x]$ be the real vector space of polynomials in the variable $x$ with real coefficients. Let $Z\subseteq \mathbb R[x]$ be the subset of those polynomials with roots at $x=0, 1, 2$. Determine whether $Z$ is a subspace of $\mathbb R[x]$. (Say the answer, then give the reason.)

Solution sketches (linalghw4sol.tex),
Solution sketches (linalghw4sol.pdf),

HW5 3/4/21
3/10/21
Read Chapter 3, Sections I.1, I.2, II.1, III.1, III.2.

This set of exercises will concern the problem of determining the matrix of a linear transformation relative to input and output bases. We are using the notation ${}_{\mathcal C}[T]_{\mathcal B}$, introduced in class on Friday, March 5. The book uses a slightly different notation for this: $[T]_{{\mathcal B},{\mathcal C}}$, see the definition at the top of page 214 and Remark 1.3 below it.

Problems to turn in:

1. Let $P_n$ be the $\mathbb R$-vector space of polynomials of degree at most $n$. Let ${\mathcal B}=(1,x,\ldots,x^n)$ be an ordered basis for this space. Let $D\colon P_n\to P_n\colon f(x)\mapsto f'(x)$ be the differentiation map (which is linear). Determine ${}_{\mathcal B}[D]_{\mathcal B}$.

2. Using the notation of Problem 1, let $T_n\colon P_n\to P_n$ be defined by $T_n(f(x)) = f(x+1)$. ($T_n$ is linear.)
(a) Determine ${}_{\mathcal B}[T_3]_{\mathcal B}$.
(b) Predict what ${}_{\mathcal B}[T_n]_{\mathcal B}$ will look like. (You don't have to verify your guess.)

3. Explain why
(a) ${}_{\mathcal D}[T]_{\mathcal C}\cdot {}_{\mathcal C}[S]_{\mathcal B}= {}_{\mathcal D}[T\circ S]_{\mathcal B}$.
(b) ${}_{\mathcal B}[\textrm{id}]_{\mathcal B}=I$.
(Here ``$\textrm{id}$'' refers to the ``identity transformation'' which is the transformation $\textrm{id}(x)=x$.)

Solution sketches (linalghw5sol.tex),
Solution sketches (linalghw5sol.pdf),

HW6 3/11/21
Unusual Due Date!

3/19/21

1. Let $A$ be the $4\times 4$ matrix whose entries are all $1$'s, and let $T(x)=Ax$.
(a) Find a basis for the image of $T$.
(b) Find a basis for the kernel of $T$.
(c) What is the rank of $T$?
(Recall that $\textrm{rank}(T) = \dim(\textrm{im}(T))$.)

2. Let $A$ be the matrix for differentiation $D\colon P_3\to P_3 \colon f(x)\mapsto f'(x)$ relative to the ordered basis $(1, x, x^2, x^3)$, and let $T(x)=Ax$.
(a) Find a basis for the image of $T$.
(b) Find a basis for the kernel of $T$.
(c) What is the rank of $T$?

3. If $A$ is an $n\times n$ matrix, then any matrix of the form $B = C^{-1}AC$ is called a conjugate of $A$. Explain why the following statement is true: If $T\colon \mathbb R^n\to \mathbb R^n$ is a linear transformation whose matrix relative to the standard basis $\mathcal E$ is $A = {}_{\mathcal E}[T]_{\mathcal E}$, then the matrix ${}_{\mathcal B}[T]_{\mathcal B}$ for $T$ relative to some other basis $\mathcal B$ is a conjugate of the matrix $A$.

Solution sketches (linalghw6sol.tex),
Solution sketches (linalghw6sol.pdf).

HW7 3/27/21
Unusual Due Date!

4/2/21

1. Let $\mathbb V$ be the real vector space of $n\times n$ matrices. Let $U\leq \mathbb V$ be the subspace of upper triangular matrices and let $L\leq \mathbb V$ be the subspace of lower triangular matrices. By computing the necessary dimensions, verify that $\dim(U+L)=\dim(U)+\dim(L)-\dim(U\cap L)$. (Note: a matrix is upper triangular if all entries strictly below the main diagonal are zero, and is lower triangular if all entries strictly above the main diagonal are zero.)

2. Let $P_3$ be the $4$-dimensional real vector space of all polynomials in $\mathbb R[x]$ that have degree at most $3$. Let $S\leq P_3$ be the $2$-dimensional subspace of those polynomials $p(x)$ satisfying $p(1)=p(2)=0$. Find bases for $P_3$ and $S$, and a basis for a complement $S^{\perp}$ to $S$.

3. Use a determinant to find the area of the triangle in $\mathbb R^2$ whose vertices are $(1,1), (3,61), (101,3)$. (Hint: a triangle is half a parallelogram.)

Solution sketches (linalghw7sol.tex),
Solution sketches (linalghw7sol.pdf).

HW8 4/4/21
Unusual Due Date!

4/9/21

1. Compute the determinant of the following matrix using each of the methods indicated.
$$ \begin{bmatrix} 1&0&2\\ 0&1&2\\ 1&1&3\\ \end{bmatrix} $$ (a) The permutation expansion.
(b) The Laplace expansion along the second column.
(c) Gaussian elimination.

2. Explain why the determinant of an upper triangular matrix equals the product of the diagonal entries.

3. Let $A$ and $B$ be $n\times n$ matrices with $B = [{\bf b}_1 \cdots {\bf b}_n]$.
(a) Use the fact that $AB = [A{\bf b}_1 \cdots A{\bf b}_n]$ to show that, as a function of the columns of $B$, $f({\bf b}_1,\ldots,{\bf b}_n):=\det(AB)$ is multilinear and alternating.
(b) We showed that if $f$ is a multilinear and alternating function of $n$ columns, then $$f(B) = \textrm{(perm expansion of $\det(B)$)}\cdot f({\bf e}_1,\ldots,{\bf e}_n).$$ Use this and part (a) to conclude that $\det(AB)=\det(B)\cdot\det(A)=\det(A)\cdot\det(B)$.

Solution sketches (linalghw8sol.tex),
Solution sketches (linalghw8sol.pdf).

HW9 4/9/21
4/16/21
1. Show that if $\lambda$ is an e-value for $A$ and $k$ is an integer, then $\lambda^k$ is an e-value for $A^k$.

2. Suppose that $A$ is a $2\times 2$-matrix and that $\det(A-I) = -16$ and $\det(A-2I) = -15$. What are the e-values of $A$?

3. Let $T\colon M_{2\times 2}(\mathbb R)\to M_{2\times 2}(\mathbb R)\colon M\mapsto M^t$ be the operation of transpose. Find the characteristic polynomial, e-values, and e-spaces of $T$.

Solution sketches (linalghw9sol.tex),
Solution sketches (linalghw9sol.pdf).

HW10 4/18/21
4/23/21
1. What is the minimal polynomial of the $3\times 3$ matrix of all $1$'s? Does your answer suggest that the matrix is diagonalizable or nondiagonalizable?

2. How is the minimal polynomial of $A$ related to the minimal polynomial of $A-I$?

3. Show that if $A$ is diagonalizable, then $A-I$ is diagonalizable.
Solution sketches (linalghw10sol.tex),
Solution sketches (linalghw10sol.pdf).