National University of Singapore
Department of Mathematics
Semester 1, 2025/26 MA2001 Linear Algebra I Tutorial 6
Questions in this tutorial sheet will be discussed in the tutorial classes in Week 8 (6/10-
10/10).
You are advised to revise Sections 3.5-3.6 before attempting the questions.
Questions
1. Determine which of the following sets are bases for R3 . (For some of them, you
may use Theorem 3.6.11 to arrive at the answer quickly.)
(a) S1 = {(2, 2, 2), (0, 0, 3), (0, 1, 1)}.
(b) S2 = {(2, 1, 4), (0, 1, 2), (1, 1, 3)}.
(c) S3 = {(3, 1, 4), (2, 3, −5), (5, −2, 9), (1, 4, −1)}.
(d) S4 = {(1, 1, 1), (2, −1, 0)}.
(Learning objectives: After learning more about bases, we may not need to use
the definition all the time.)
2. Find a basis for and determine the dimension of each of the following subspaces.
(a) the plane 2x − y − 3z = 0 in R3 .
(b) the line x = s, y = −s, z = 3s, s ∈ R in R3 .
(c) the solution space of the homogeneous linear system in variables x, y, z, w
x − y − z + 2w = 0
2x − 2y − z + 3w = 0
−x + y − z
= 0
(d) {(a − b, a + 2b − c, b, c) | a, b, c ∈ R} in R4 .
(Learning objectives: To find a basis for a subspace, we can first find a spanning
set of the subspace and then check if the spanning set is linearly independent. )
3. Let S = {v1 , v2 , v3 } be a basis for R3 and let
u1 = av1 + bv2 + cv3
u2 = dv1 + ev2 + f v3
u3 = gv1 + hv2 + kv3
1
where a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, k are some real numbers. Suppose that
a d g
b e h
c f k
is invertible. Prove that {u1 , u2 , u3 } is a basis of R3 .
(Learning objectives: This question shows how we can ‘generate’ a new basis
from an existing basis using an invertible matrix. )
4. Let V and W be subspaces of Rn . Show that
dim(V + W ) = dim(V ) + dim(W ) − dim(V ∩ W ).
(Learning objectives: This equation relating the dimensions of subspaces re-
sembles one from counting the number of elements in two sets. )
5. The two statements below are false. Give examples of S1 , S2 , V and W to show
that they are false.
(a) If S1 and S2 are basis for V and W respectively, where V and W are subspaces
of a vector space, then S1 ∩ S2 is a basis for V ∩ W .
(b) If S1 and S2 are basis for V and W respectively, where V and W are subspaces
of a vector space, then S1 ∪ S2 is a basis for V + W .
Consider the two statements below. It can be shown that they are true. How are
they different from statements (a) and (b) respectively?
(c) If V and W are subspaces of a vector space, then there exists a basis S1 for
V and a basis S2 for W such that S1 ∩ S2 is a basis for V ∩ W .
(d) If V and W are subspaces of a vector space, then there exists a basis S1 for
V and a basis S2 for W such that S1 ∪ S2 is a basis for V + W .
(Learning objectives: Two statements that look similar can have very different
meanings. When reading a mathematical statement, always be careful and be clear
about what it is saying. )