Selected Solutions to Linear Algebra Done Right by Sheldon Axler

Matt Rosenzweig

Contents
1 Chapter 1 2 Chapter 2 3 Chapter 3 3.1 Exercise 2 . . . 3.2 Exercise 3 . . . 3.3 Exercise 4 . . . 3.4 Exercise 5 . . . 3.5 Exercise 6 . . . 3.6 Exercise 7 . . . 3.7 Exercise 8 . . . 3.8 Exercise 9 . . . 3.9 Exercise 10 . . 3.10 Exercise 11 . . 3.11 Exercise 12 . . 3.12 Exercise 13 . . 3.13 Exercise 14 . . 3.14 Exercise 15 . . 3.15 Exercise 16 . . 3.16 Exercises 17, 18 3.17 Exercise 19 . . 3.18 Exercise 22 . . 3.19 Exercise 23 . . 3.20 Exercise 24 . . 3.21 Exercise 25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5

1 2 3

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Exercise 1
Let V be a F-vector space with dim(V ) = 1, and let T : V V be a linear operator. By the rank-nullity theorem, we have that 1 = dim(V ) = dim(ker(T )) + dim(Im(T )) If T = 0, then T v = 0 v v V ; if T = 0, then dim(Im(T )) 1. Hence, dim(Im(T )) = 1 and since Im(T ) V is a subspace, we conclude that V = Im(T ). Hence, for some v = 0 V , T v = v , where F . Consider the linear operator T I : V V . Since v ker(T ), we see that Im(T I ) = {0}.

3.1

Exercise 2
1 3

Consider the function f : R2 R dened by f (x, y ) := x3 + y 3

1

(x, y ) R2

Clearly, f (1, 0) + f (0, 1) = 2, but f (1, 1) = 2 3 = f (1, 0) + f (0, 1), which shows that f is not additive. However, for R, f (x, y ) = 3 x3 + 3 y 3
1 3

= 3 (x3 + y 3 )

1 3

= x3 + y 3

1 3

= f (x, y )

3.2 3.3

Exercise 3 Exercise 4

Let T HomF (V, F), and suppose that u V \ ker(T ).

3.4

Exercise 5

Let T : V W be an injective linear map, and let v1 , , vn V be a linearly independent list in V . For 1 , , n F, we have by linearity that 0 = 1 T v1 + + n T vn = T (1 v1 + + n vn ) 1 v1 + + n vn ker(T ) = {0} , where the last equality follows by injectivity. We conclude that T v1 , , T vn is a linearly independent list in W .

3.5

Exercise 6

Let V0 , V1 , , Vn be F-vector spaces and Sj HomF (Vj , Vj 1 ) be injective. We prove that S1 Sn : Vn V0 is injective by induction on n. The case n = 1 is true by hypothesis, so suppose S1 Sn1 : Vn1 V0 is injective. Observe that ker(S1 Sn ) = {v V0 : Sn v ker(S1 Sn1 )} ker(Sn ) = {v V0 : Sn v ker(S1 Sn1 )} By our induction hypothesis, Sn v ker(S1 Sn1 ) Sn v = 0 v = 0. We conclude that ker(S1 Sn ) = {0}.

3.6

Exercise 7

Suppose v1 , , vn V span V and T HomF (V, W ) is surjective. Let w W , such that w = T v , for v V . Then v = a1 v1 + + an vn , for scalars a1 , , an F, so that w = T v = T (a1 v1 + + an vn ) = a1 T v1 + + an T vn spanF {T v1 , , T vn }

3.7 3.8

Exercise 8 Exercise 9
ker(T ) = (x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 ) F4 : x1 = 5x2 , x3 = 7x4

Let T : F4 F2 be a linear map such that

To show that T is surjective, it suces by the rank-nullity theorem to show that dim(ker(T )) 2. I claim that the vectors (5, 1, 0, 0) and (0, 0, 7, 1) form a basis for ker(T ). Clearly, these are linearly independent elements in ker(T ). Suppose that (x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 ) ker(T ). Then x1 = 5x2 , x3 = 7x4 , so (x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 ) = (5x2 , x2 , 7x4 , x4 ) = x2 (5, 1, 0, 0) + x4 (0, 0, 7, 1)

3.9

Exercise 10
ker(T ) = (x1 , , x5 ) F5 : x1 = 3x2 , x3 = x4 = x5

Suppose there exists a linear map T : F5 F2 with

Clearly, T = 0 since the element (1, 0, 0, 0, 0) / ker(T ). By the rank-nullity theorem, it suces show that dim(ker(T )) 2 to arrive at a contradiction. But this is evident since (1, 3, 0, 0, 0) and (0, 0, 1, 1, 1) ker(T ) are linearly independent.

3.10

Exercise 11

Let V, W be a F-vector spaces and T HomF (V, W ) such that both ker(T ) and Im(T ) are nite-dimensional. Let {v1 , , vn } be a basis set for ker(T ) and {w1 , , wm : wj = T uj , uj V, 1 j m} be a basis set for Im(T ). Observe that u1 , , um are linearly independent in V . I claim that spanF {v1 , vn , u1 , , um } = V . Assume the contrary: there is some v V \spanF {v1 , , vn , u1 , , um }. T v Im(T ) \ {0}, so there are scalars a1 , , am , not identically zero, such that T v = a1 w1 + + am wm = a1 T u1 + + am T um = T (a1 u1 + am um )

3.11

Exercise 12

Let V and W be F-vector spaces with n = dim(V ) < , m = dim(W ) < . Suppose there exists a surjective linear map T : V W . Then by the rank-nullity theorem, n = dim(ker(T )) + dim(Im(T )) = dim(ker(T )) + dim(W ) m Now suppose m n. Let {v1 , , vn } be a basis set for V and {w1 , , wm } be a basis set for W . Let T : V W be the unique linear operator dened by T vj := wj , for 1 j m, and T vj := 0, for m < j n. Clearly, T is surjective.

3.12

Exercise 13

Let V and W be F-vector spaces with n = dim(V ) < , m = dim(W ) < , and suppose U V is a subspace. Suppose there exists T HomF (V, W ) such that ker(T ) = U . Then by the rank-nullity theorem, dim(V ) = dim(ker(T )) + dim(Im(T )) = dim(U ) + dim(Im(T )) dim(U ) = dim(V ) dim(Im(T )) dim(U ) dim(V ) dim(W ) Now suppose that dim(U ) dim(V ) dim(W ).

3.13

Exercise 14

Let V, W be F-vector spaces with dim(W ) = n < . Suppose that T is injective. Let {w1 , cdots, wn } be a basis set for W . Now suppose there exists S HomF (W, V ) such that ST = I : V V .

3.14 3.15

Exercise 15 Exercise 16

Suppose U and V are nite-dimensional F-vector spaces and S : V W and T : U V are linear operators. Observe that u ker(ST ) T u ker(S ) or u ker(T ). Let u1 , , un be a basis for ker(ST ), where n = dim(ker(ST )). Set m = dim(ker(S )) and l = dim(ker(T )). Consider the disjoint subsets of indices E1 := {j : uj ker(T )} and E2 := {j : T uj = 0, T uj ker(S )}. Clearly, |E1 | dim(ker(T )). By Exercise 3.5, the T uj , for j E2 , form a linearly independent list in V . Hence, |E2 | dim(ker(S )), dim(ker(ST )) = n = |E1 | + |E2 | dim(ker(T )) + dim(ker(S ))

3.16

Exercises 17, 18

The solutions to these exercises follow from the result that the matrix of the composition of two linear operators is the product their respective matrices in corresponding order.

3.17

Exercise 19
a1,1 . . A := M(T ) = . am,1 . . . a1,n am,n

Let T HomF (Fn , Fm ), and let

be the matrix of T with respect to the standard bases of Fn and Fm . For any (x1 , , xn ) Fn , T (x1 , , xn ) = x1 T (1, 0, , 0) + + xn T (0, , 0, 1) = x1 (a1,1 , , am,1 ) + + xn (a1,n , , am,n ) = (x1 a1,1 + + xn a1,n , , x1 am,1 + + xn am,n )

3.18

Exercise 22

We rst prove the direction. Let S 1 , T 1 denote the inverse operators of S and T , respectively. Then T 1 S 1 : V V is a linear operator and (T 1 S 1 )(ST ) = T 1 (S 1 S )T = T 1 IT = T 1 T = I, (ST )(T 1 S 1 ) = S (T T 1 )S 1 = SS 1 = I

which shows that T 1 S 1 is the inverse of ST . We now prove the direction. Since ker(T ) ker(ST ), we see that T is injective, hence invertible. Any w ker(S ) can be written as w = T v for some v V , which implies that ker(S ) = {0}, hence T is injective and therefore invertible.

3.19

Exercise 23

Let V be a nite-dimensional F-vector space, and set n := dim(V ). It suces to show ST = I T S = I , since the argument for the reverse implication is the same. Since ker(T ) ker(ST ) and n < , we have that T is invertible. Since ker(S ) V = Im(T ) , we see that S is also invertible. Hence, T = IT = (S 1 S )T = S 1 (ST ) = S 1 I = S 1 T 1 = S so that ST = I = T S .

3.20

Exercise 24

Let V be al F-vector space with n = dim(V ) < , and let T HomF (V ). We rst prove . Let F such that T = I . Then for any S HomF (V ), ST = S (I ) = (SI ) = (I )S = T S We now prove . Suppose that ST = T S S HomF (V ). Let {v1 , , vn } be a basis set for V . Dene n linear operators S1 , , Sn : V V by Sj (vk ) = jk vj , 4 1 k n

For each 1 j n, we have T vj = a1,j v1 + + an,j vn Observe that for 1 j, k n, kj (a1,j v1 + + an,j vn ) = T (kj vj ) = (T Sk )vj = (Sk T )vj = Sk (a1,j v1 + + an,j vn ) = ak,j vk We see that if k = j , then ak,j = 0, and if k = j , then aj,j vj = a1,j v1 + + an,j vn Since {v1 , , vn } is a basis set, the preceding equality implies that ai,j = 0 for i {1, , n} \ {j }. To complete the proof, we must show that a1,1 = = an,n . This follows from observing that for any distinct i, j {1, , n}, we can dene the operator Si,j by Si,j vi := vj , Si,j vj := vi and Si,j vk := 0 for k / {i, j }. ai,i vi = T vi = T Si,j vj = Si,j T vj = Si,j (aj,j vj ) = aj,j vi ai,i = aj,j

3.21

Exercise 25

Let V be a nite-dimensional F-vector space with dim(V ) = n > 1. Let v1 , , vn be a basis for V . Let T, S : V V be the unique linear operatos respectively dened by T v1 = v1 , T vj = 0 2 j n, Sv1 = 0, Svj = vj 2 j n

Clearly, T and S are nonvertible since they are not injective; however, T + S = I , which shows that the set of noninvertible operators on V is not a subspace of HomF (V ).