Some SOLUTION

Let ψ : R3 → R3 be the linear operator defined by

ψ(x, y, x) = (x cos θ − y sin θ, x sin θ + y cos θ, z)

for every (x, y, z) ∈ R3 .

1. Find the matrix representation A of ψ with respect to the standard ordered basis B of R3 ,

2. Find the adjoint of ψ,

3. Compute the matrix representation B of ψ ∗ with respect to the standard ordered basis B of R3 . Show
that
(i) AB = I3 ,
(ii) {ψ(e1 ), ψ(e2 ), ψ(e3 )} is an orthonormal basis of R3 , where {e1 , e2 , e3 } is the standard basis of R3 ,
(iii) ||ψ(u)|| = ||u|| for every u ∈ R3 .

Solution
Let B = {e1 , e2 , e3 } denote the standard ordered basis of R3 .
(a) We see that
ψ(e1 ) = ψ(1, 0, 0) = (cos θ, sin θ, 0) = cos θe1 + sin θe2 + 0e3 ,

ψ(e2 ) = ψ(0, 1, 0) = (− sin θ, cos θ, 0) = − sin θe1 + cos θe2 + 0e3 ,

ψ(e3 ) = ψ(0, 0, 1) = (0, 0, 1) = 0e1 + 0e2 + 1e3 .

Then the matrix representation of ψ with respect to B is
 
cos θ − sin θ 0
A = [ψ]B =  sin θ cos θ 0 .
0 0 1

(b) Let u = (x, y, z) ∈ R3 . Then

3
X 3
X
ψ ∗ (u) = ⟨ψ ∗ (u), e1 ⟩ ei = ⟨u, ψ(e1 )⟩ ei .
i=1 i=1

Here, ⟨ · , · ⟩ is the standard inner product on R3 . Hence

ψ ∗ (u) = (x cos θ + y sin θ)e1 + (−x sin θ + y cos θ)e2 + ze3 = (x cos θ + y sin θ, −x sin θ + y cos θ, z)

for every u = (x, y, z) ∈ R3 .

(c) We see that
ψ ∗ (e1 ) = (cos θ, − sin θ, 0) = cos θe1 − sin θe2 + 0e3 ,

ψ ∗ (e2 ) = (sin θ, cos θ, 0) = sin θe1 + cos θe2 + 0e3 ,

ψ ∗ (e3 ) = 0e1 + 0e2 + 1e3 .

Then the matrix representation of ψ ∗ with respect to B is
 
cos θ sin θ 0
B = [ψ ∗ ]B = − sin θ cos θ 0 .
0 0 1

(METHOD II)

 t  
cos θ − sin θ 0 cos θ sin θ 0
B = [ψ ∗ ]B = [ψ]∗B =  sin θ cos θ 0 = − sin θ cos θ 0 .
0 0 1 0 0 1

(c)(i) We see that

  
cos θ − sin θ 0 cos θ sin θ 0
AB = [ψ]B [ψ ∗ ]B =  sin θ cos θ 0 − sin θ cos θ 0 = I3
0 0 1 0 0 1

(c)(ii) By a direction calculation, we have

⟨ψ(e1 ), ψ(e2 )⟩ = (cos θ, sin θ, 0)(− sin θ, cos θ, 0)t = 0,

⟨ψ(e1 ), ψ(e3 )⟩ = (cos θ, sin θ, 0)(0, 0, 1)t = 0,
⟨ψ(e2 ), ψ(e3 )⟩ = (− sin θ, cos θ, 0)(0, 0, 1)t = 0,
⟨ψ(e1 ), ψ(e1 )⟩ = (cos θ, sin θ, 0)(cos θ, sin θ, 0)t = 1,
⟨ψ(e2 ), ψ(e2 )⟩ = (− sin θ, cos θ, 0)(− sin θ, cos θ, 0)t = 1,
⟨ψ(e3 ), ψ(e3 )⟩ = (0, 0, 1)(0, 0, 1)t = 1.

Hence {ψ(e1 ), ψ(e2 ), ψ(e3 )} is an orthogonal basis for R3 .

(c)(iii)
(METHOD I): Note that ψ(x, y, x) = (x cos θ − y sin θ, x sin θ + y cos θ, z). Then

2
∥ψ(x, y, z)∥ = ⟨ψ(x, y, z), ψ(x, y, z)⟩
= (x cos θ − y sin θ)2 + (x sin θ + y cos θ)2 + z 2
= x2 + y 2 + z 2
2
= ∥(x, y, z)∥

Hence ∥ψ(u)∥ = ∥u∥ for all u ∈ R3 .

(METHOD II) By (c)(i), we see that [ψ]B [ψ ∗ ]B = I3 . Then [ψ ◦ ψ ∗ ]B = I3 = [I]B , where I : R3 → R3 is
the identity map. Hence ψ ◦ ψ ∗ = I, and so ψ ∗ ◦ ψ = I (This is because ψ ◦ ϕ = I implies that ϕ = ψ −1 ).
Let u ∈ R3 . Then
2 2
∥ψ(u)∥ = ⟨ψ(u), ψ(u)⟩ = ⟨ψ ∗ (ψ(u)), u⟩ = ⟨(ψ ∗ ◦ ψ)(u), u⟩ = ⟨I(u), u⟩ = ⟨u, u⟩ = ∥u∥ .

Therefore, ∥ψ(u)∥ = ∥u∥ for all u ∈ R3 .

Let ⟨· , ·⟩ be the standard inner product on Mn,1 (F) and let A ∈ Mn (F). Show that

⟨A∗ u, v⟩ = ⟨u, Av⟩

for every u, v ∈ Mn,1 (F).

Solution.

Let u = (ui ) and v = (vi ) be elements in Mn,1 (F). Then

n
X
⟨A∗ u, v⟩ = (A∗ u)i · vi ,
i=1

= (A∗ u)t · v
= (ut (A∗ )t )v
= ut (A)v
= ut (Av)
= ut · Av
= ⟨u, Av⟩ .

REMEMBER THAT:
The standard inner product ⟨ · , · ⟩ on Mn,1 (R) is

n
X
⟨u, v⟩ := ui vi ⇒ ⟨u, v⟩ = ut · v
i=1

for all u = (ui ) and v = (vi ) ∈ Mn,1 (F) with F = C or R.

Let (V, ⟨· , ·⟩) be an inner product space and let W be a subspace of V . Define the function ψW : V → V
such that for every v ∈ V , ψW (v) is the projection v onto W . Show that
(a) ψW is a well defined mapping,

(b) ψW is a linear operator on V ,

(c) ψW is self-adjoint,
2
(d) ψW = ψW .

Solution.

(a) First, we show that ψW is well defined. To do this, we show that ψW (u) = ψW (v) whenever u = v ∈ V .
Let u, v ∈ V . Since V = W ⊕ W ⊥ , it follow that there exist two unique pairs (u1 , u2 ), (v1 , v2 ) ∈ W × W ⊥
such that u = u1 + u2 and v = v1 + v2 . If u = v, then u1 − v1 = v2 − u2 . Note that W ∩ W ⊥ = {0}, it
follows that u1 − v1 = 0 and v2 − u2 = 0. So u1 = v1 , and thus
ψW (u) = ψW (u1 + u2 ) = u1 = v1 = ψW (v1 + v2 ) = ψW (v)

as desired. (Recall that ψW (u1 + v1 ) := u1 whenever u1 + v1 ∈ V = W × W ⊥ )

(b) Let u, v ∈ V and α ∈ F. Then u = u1 + u2 and v = v1 + v2 for some u1 , v1 ∈ W and u2 , v2 ∈ W ⊥ . Then

ψW (αu + v) = ψW ((αu1 + v1 ) + (αu2 + v2 ))

= αu1 + v1
= αψW (u) + ψW (v)

because αu1 + v1 ∈ W , ψW (u) = u1 and ψW (v) = v1 . Therefore ψW (αu + v) = αψW (u) + ψW (v) for all
u, v ∈ V and α ∈ F.
∗
(c) We claim that ψW = ψW . Let u.v ∈ V . Then u = u1 + u2 and v = v1 + v2 for some u1 , v1 ∈ W and
⊥
u2 , v2 ∈ W . Therefore
⟨u, ψW (v)∗ ⟩ = ⟨ψW (u), v⟩
= ⟨u1 , v1 + v2 ⟩
= ⟨u1 , v1 ⟩ + ⟨u1 , v2 ⟩ .
Since u1 ⊥v2 , it follows that
⟨u, ψW (v)∗ ⟩ = ⟨u1 , v1 ⟩ . (0.0.1)
On the other hand,
⟨u, ψW (v)⟩ = ⟨u1 + u2 , v1 ⟩
= ⟨u1 , v1 ⟩

since u2 ⊥v1 . By (0.0.1), we conclude that ⟨u, ψW (v)∗ ⟩ = ⟨u, ψW (v)⟩ for every u, v ∈ V . Hence ψW
∗
= ψW .

(d) Let u.v ∈ V . Then u = u1 + u2 and v = v1 + v2 for some u1 , v1 ∈ W and u2 , v2 ∈ W ⊥ . We see that
2
ψW (u), v = ⟨ψW (ψW (u)), v⟩
= ⟨ψW (u1 ), v⟩
= ⟨u1 , v⟩
= ⟨ψW (u), v⟩ .
2 2
Then ψW (u), v = ⟨ψW (u), v⟩ for all u, v ∈ V . Hence ψW = ψW .
Let ⟨V, ⟨· , ·⟩⟩ be a finite dimensional inner product space over F. Let B be an ordered basis of V and let C
be an ordered orthonormal basis of V . Let ψ, φ ∈ L(V ) and α ∈ F. Show that
(a) [ψ + φ]B = [ψ]B + [φ]B ,

(b) [αψ]B = α[ψ]B ,

(c) [ψ ◦ φ]B = [ψ]B [φ]B ,

(d) if ψ is invertible, then [ψ −1 ]B = [ψ]−1

B ,

(e) [ψ]B = [φ]B if and only if ψ = φ,

(f) [ψ ∗ ]C = [ψ]∗C ,

(g) ψ ◦ ψ ∗ = ψ ∗ ◦ ψ if and only if [ψ]C [ψ]∗C = [ψ]∗C [ψ]C ,

(h) ψ ∗ = ψ if and only if [ψ]∗C = [ψ]C ,

(i) ψ ∗ = −ψ if and only if [ψ]∗C = −[ψ]C ,

(j) if ψ is invertible, then ψ ∗ = ψ −1 if and only if [ψ]∗C = [ψ]−1

C .

Solution.

Suppose that dim V = n and F = C or F = R. Let B = {b1 , . . . , bn } be an ordered basis of V and let
C = {c1 , . . . , cn } be an ordered orthonormal basis of V .

(a) For each integer 1 ⩽ j ⩽ n, ψ(ej ) ∈ V . Then there exist unique scalars a1j , . . . , anj ∈ F such that
n
X
ψ(ej ) = a1j e1 + · · · + anj en = aij ei . (0.0.2)
i=1

Likewise, for each integer 1 ⩽ j ⩽ n, there exist unique scalars b1j , . . . , bnj ∈ F such that
n
X
φ(ej ) = b1j e1 + · · · + bnj en = bij ei . (0.0.3)
i=1

Thus, by (0.0.2) and (0.0.3), we have

n
X
(ψ + φ)(ej ) = ψ(ej ) + φ(ej ) = (aij + bij )ei (0.0.4)
i=1

for j = 1, . . . , n. In view of (0.0.2) and (0.0.3), together with the definition of the matrix representation of
linear map, we have
[ψ]B = (aij ) and [φ]B = (bij )
which are matrices in Mn (F). By (0.0.4), we see that

[ψ + φ]B = (aij + bij )

is a matrix in Mn (F) with (i, j)-th entry aij + bij . Hence [ψ + φ]B = (aij + bij ) = (aij ) + (bij ) = [ψ]B + [φ]B ,

(d). Since ψ is invertible, the inverse of ψ exists and ψ ◦ ψ −1 = I, where ψ −1 denotes the inverse of ψ and I
is the identity linear operator on V . By (c), we see that

[ψ]B [ψ −1 ]B = [ψ ◦ ψ −1 ]B = [I]B = In .

Then [ψ]B is invertible and [ψ]−1

B = [ψ
−1
]B as desired.