Linear Algebra Problem Set MTH201

Q: Why is the direct sum of vector spaces W1 and W2, denoted W1 ⊕ W2, considered unique under certain conditions?

The direct sum W1 ⊕ W2 is considered unique if every element v in W1 + W2 can be uniquely expressed as v = w1 + w2, where w1 ∈ W1 and w2 ∈ W2, and this is guaranteed when the intersection W1 ∩ W2 = {0}. This uniqueness condition differentiates it from cases where elements would have more than one representation as sums of elements from W1 and W2 .

Q: How do symmetric and skew-symmetric matrices relate to the vector space Mn(F) when the characteristic of the field F is not 2?

When char(F) ≠ 2, the vector space of n × n matrices, Mn(F), can be expressed as the direct sum of the spaces of symmetric matrices Symn(F) and skew-symmetric matrices Skewn(F). This is because any matrix A in Mn(F) can be uniquely decomposed into a sum of a symmetric matrix (A + A^T)/2 and a skew-symmetric matrix (A - A^T)/2. This property hinges on the ability to divide by 2 in F, which is not possible if char(F) = 2 .

Q: In the context of vector spaces, what ensures that a set of polynomials is linearly independent over a field F?

A set S of nonzero polynomials is linearly independent over a field F if no two distinct polynomials have the same degree. This ensures that any linear combination equating to zero zeros only if each coefficient in the combination is zero, due to the uniqueness of polynomial degrees in determining independence .

Q: What are the conditions that allow the space of n × n matrices to be considered as the direct sum of upper and strictly lower triangular matrices?

The space of n × n matrices Mn(F) can be decomposed as a direct sum of the space of upper triangular matrices and the space of strictly lower triangular matrices if every matrix has a unique representation as the sum of an element from each subspace. This uniqueness is dependent on the zero intersection of these subspaces in terms of common elements (i.e., they only share the zero matrix).

Q: Why is the set of real sequences a vector space, and under what conditions does the set of convergent sequences form a subspace?

The set of real sequences forms a vector space because it satisfies the requirements for vector addition and scalar multiplication. The set of convergent sequences forms a subspace because it meets criteria of closure under addition and scalar multiplication within the larger vector space; sums or scalar multiples of convergent sequences remain convergent, thus forming a subspace .

Q: How can we demonstrate that the union of two subspaces U and W of a vector space V is also a subspace?

To show that the union U ∪ W is a subspace of V, we must prove that if U ⊆ W or W ⊆ U, then their union is closed under addition and scalar multiplication. If U ⊆ W, then U ∪ W = W, which is a subspace. Similarly, if W ⊆ U, then U ∪ W = U, which is also a subspace. If neither is contained in the other, there could be an element in one subspace but not the other, and the union wouldn't necessarily be closed under vector addition, thus not forming a subspace .

Q: How is the dimension of a vector space determined if given a set of linear equations?

The dimension of a vector space formed by the solutions to a system of linear equations is determined by finding a basis for the solution set, which represents the space's span. By converting the linear system into a matrix form, reducing it to row-echelon form, the number of free variables corresponds to the basis size, indicating the space’s dimension .

Q: What is the significance of finding a subspace T in an n-dimensional vector space V that intersects trivially with other subspaces S1 to Sk?

Finding such a subspace T with dim T = n - m that intersects trivially (i.e., T ∩ Si = {0}) with other subspaces S1 to Sk allows us to utilize the dimensions of V to construct a complement to the Si’s. This assures that any vector in V can be represented without interference from vectors that span the Si’s, illustrating how dimensions interact in structured settings .

Q: How can the set of continuous real-valued functions on R be demonstrated as infinite-dimensional?

The vector space C(R), consisting of continuous real-valued functions on R, is shown to be infinite-dimensional by identifying an infinite linearly independent set of functions, such as polynomials of different degrees. Each polynomial degree introduces a new dimension, and no finite linear combination of such polynomials can yield zero unless all coefficients are zero .

Q: In a finite-dimensional vector space, does having equal cardinalities of subsets necessarily imply equal dimensions?

Equal cardinalities of subsets in vector spaces do not necessarily imply equal dimensions because dimension considers the minimal number of independent vectors required to span a space, not the number of elements it has. Hence, one cannot infer dimension equivalence solely from cardinality without assessing the independence and spanning sets .

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Linear Algebra Problem Set MTH201

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PROBLEM SET 3

LINEAR ALGEBRA (MTH201) (2025 - 2026 (I))

(1) Let U and W be subspaces of a vector space V . Then U ∪ W is a subspace of V if and only if U ⊆ W
or W ⊆ U .
(2) Let V be the set of real sequences. Show that it is a vector space, and further show that the set of
all convergent sequences {an } of real numbers is a subspace of V .
(3) Let F be a field and let S ⊆ P (F ) be a set of nonzero polynomials such that no two distinct elements
of S have the same degree. Then S is linearly independent over F .
(4) Let V be a vector space over a field F , and let W1 , W2 ⊆ V be subspaces. Define
W1 + W2 := { w1 + w2 : w1 ∈ W1 , w2 ∈ W2 }.
(a) Show that W1 + W2 is a subspace of V containing both W1 and W2 .
(b) If U ⊆ V is any subspace with W1 ⊆ U and W2 ⊆ U , then W1 + W2 ⊆ U .
(c) If W1 ∩ W2 = {0}, then every v ∈ W1 + W2 can be written uniquely as v = w1 + w2 with
wi ∈ Wi . In this case, we call the space W1 + W2 the direct sum of W1 and W2 , denoted by
W1 ⊕ W2 .
(5) Show that the space Mn (F ) = W1 ⊕ W2 where W1 is the subspace of all upper triangular matrices
and W2 is the subspace of all strictly lower triangular matrices.
(6) Let Mn (F ) denote the vector space of all n × n matrices over a field F . Let
Symn (F ) = {A ∈ Mn (F ) : AT = A}
be the set of all symmetric matrices, and
Skewn (F ) = {A ∈ Mn (F ) : AT = −A}
be the set of all skew-symmetric matrices.
(a) Show that Symn (F ) and Skewn (F ) are subspaces of Mn (F ).
(b) If char(F ) ̸= 2, then show that
Mn (F ) = Symn (F ) ⊕ Skewn (F )
as a direct sum of vector spaces.
(7) If V and W are vector spaces over a field F for which |V | = |W |, does it follow that dim V = dim W ?
(8) Let W be a subspace of Rn . Show that W is a closed subset of Rn . Equivalently, the complement
Rn \ W is open: for every x ∈ Rn \ W there exists r > 0 such that the open ball B(x, r) is contained
in Rn \ W .
(9) Let V be an n-dimensional vector space over an infinite field F . Let S1 , . . . , Sk ⊆ V be subspaces
with dim Si ≤ m < n for all i. Then there exists a subspace T ⊆ V with dim T = n − m and
T ∩ Si = {0} for every i = 1, . . . , k.
(10) Let V be the set of solutions to the system of linear equations:
x1 − 2x2 + x3 = 0 and 2x1 − 3x2 + x3 = 0.
Find a basis of V and its dimension.
(11) Find a basis and the dimensions of the following vector spaces:
(a) The space of n × n matrices with trace zero.
(b) The space of n × n upper triangular matrices.
(c) The space of n × n skew-symmetric matrices and the space of n × n symmetric matrices.
(12) Let C(R) denote the vector space of all continuous real-valued functions on R. Show that C(R) is
infinite-dimensional.

Common questions