PROBLEM SET 1
LINEAR ALGEBRA (MTH201) (20252026 (I))
(1) Let F be a field. Show that the following properties are true.
(a) The additive identity is unique.
(b) The multiplicative identity is unique.
(c) The cancellation law holds; that is, if a + b = a + c, then b = c for all a, b, c ∈ F, and if
ab = ac, then b = c for all b, c ∈ F and a ∈ F \ {0}.
(d) 0 · x = 0 for all x ∈ F.
(2) Show that Zp , the set of integers modulo p, is a field when p is prime.
(3) The characteristic char(F ) of a field F is defined as the smallest positive integer p such that
p · 1 = 0, where 1 is the multiplicative identity of F , and p · 1 denotes 1 added to itself p
times. If no such p exists, the characteristic of F is said to be 0. Show that if a field F has
characteristic p > 0, then p must be a prime number.
(4) Let F and K be fields. A map φ : F → K is called a field homomorphism if it satisfies the
following properties for all a, b ∈ F :
(i) φ(a + b) = φ(a) + φ(b) (preserves addition),
(ii) φ(ab) = φ(a)φ(b) (preserves multiplication),
(iii) φ(1) = 1 (preserves multiplicative identity).
If, in addition, the map φ is bijective, then it is called a field isomorphism, and F and K
are said to be isomorphic fields.
(a) Show that any field homomorphism is injective.
(b) Any field F contains a unique smallest subfield, called its prime subfield. Show that:
(i) If char(F ) = 0, then the prime subfield is isomorphic to Q.
(ii) If char(F ) = p > 0 for some prime p, then the prime subfield is isomorphic to Fp .
Therefore, every field contains a subfield isomorphic to either Q or Fp .
(5) Show that there exists a unique field with two elements.
(6) (a) Show that the following are equivalent for any A ∈ Mn (F ):
(i) AB = 0n for some nonzero B ∈ Mn (F ).
(ii) BA = 0n for some nonzero B ∈ Mn (F ).
(b) We say that a matrix A ∈ Mn (F ) is a zero divisor in Mn (F ) if it satisfies one (equivalently
both) of the conditions stated above. Find all zero divisors in Mn (F ).
(7) Let m, n ∈ N, A ∈ Mm×n (F ), and B ∈ Mn×m (F ). Show the following:
(a) Im − AB is invertible if and only if In − BA is invertible.
(b) AB cannot be invertible if m > n.
(c) If n = m, then find a necessary and sufficient condition for AB to be invertible.
(8) Show that elementary matrices are invertible, and their inverses are also elementary matrices.
(9) Prove that if two homogeneous systems in two unknowns have the same solutions, then they
are equivalent.
(10) Using elementary row operations, produce a row echelon form (Gaussian elimination method)
of the matrix:
0 2 8 −7
A = 2 −2 4 0
−3 4 −2 −5
1
2
(11) Find all solutions to the following linear system of equations using the Gauss–Jordan elimina-
tion method (row-reduced echelon form):
3x + 2y − z − 2w = 5
4x + 3y − 2z + 2w = 3
−2x − y + 6w = −7
(12) Determine the row-reduced form R of the following matrix:
1 2 1 0
M = −1 0 3 5
1 −2 1 1
Also find the invertible 3 × 3 matrix P such that R = P M .