Selected Solutions

Math 420
Homework 2
1/20/12
1.5.8 Let

C11 C12
C=
C21 C22

be a 2 2 matrix. We inquire when it is possible to find 2 2 matrices A and B such that

C = AB BA. Prove that such matrices can be found if and only if C11 + C22 = 0.
It is easy to see that if


A11 A12
A=
A21 A22


B11 B12
and B =
,
B21 B22

then



A12 B21 A21 B12
A11 B12 + A12 B22 A12 B11 A22 B12
AB BA =
.
A21 B11 + A22 B21 A11 B21 A21 B22
A21 B12 A12 B21
If there exist 2 2 matrices A and B such that C = AB BA, then we have
C11 + C22 = ( A12 B21 A21 B12 ) + ( A21 B12 A12 B21 ) = 0.
Conversely, suppose C11 + C22 = 0, so we have


C11 C12
C=
.
C21 C11
If C21 6= 0, let
"
A=

1
1

C11C+21C12

"
and B =

C11 +C12
C21

1
C12
1 C21
0

#
.

If C21 = 0 but C12 6= 0, let

"
A=
If C21 = C12 = 0, let

CC11
12


1
0

"
and B =

0
C11
A=
C11 0

#
1 + C12
.
0

1
11
CC12


0 1
and B =
.
1 0

In each case, it is easy to check that AB BA = C.

1.6.6 Suppose A is a 2 1 matrix and that B is a 1 2 matrix. Prove that C = AB is not

invertible.
1

Let

Then, we have

 


a
A = 1 and B = b1 b2 .
a2

a1 b1 a1 b2
C = AB =
.
a2 b1 a2 b2


If a1 = 0, the first row of C is all zeroes, so C is not invertible. Otherwise, subtracting aa12
times the first row from the second row gives a second row of all zeroes, and again this
implies C is not invertible.

1.6.7 Let A be an n n (square) matrix. Prove the following two statements:
(a) If A is invertible and AB = 0 for some n n matrix B, then B = 0.
(b) If A is not invertible, then there exists an n n matrix B such that AB = 0 but
B 6= 0.
(a) If A in invertible and AB = 0, then B = A1 AB = A1 0 = 0.
(b) If A is not invertible, the system AX = 0 has a nontrivial solution X0 . Let B be the
n n matrix whose columns are all equal to X0 . Then B 6= 0 but AB = 0.


1.6.10 Prove the following generalization of Exercise 6. If A is an m n matrix, B is an

n m matrix and n < m, then AB is not invertible.
The homogeneous system of linear equations given by BX = 0 consists of n equations in
m unknowns. Since n < m, this system will always have a nontrivial solution. Let X0 be
a nontrivial solution. Then ( AB) X = A( BX ) = A(0) = 0, so X0 is a nontrivial solution to
( AB) X = 0. Since a nontrivial solution to this system exists, Theorem 13 implies that AB
is not invertible.

2.1.3 If C is the field of complex numbers, which vectors in C3 are linear combinations
of (1, 0, 1), (0, 1, 1), and (1, 1, 1)?
It is easy to check, by performing elementary row operations, that the matrix

1 0 1
A : = 0 1 1
1 1 1
is invertible. Thus, the system AX = Y has a solution for each 3 1 matrix Y. Since the
column Y is a linear combination of the columns of A (Exercise 1.6.6), this means that any
vector in C3 is a linear combination of the given vectors.

2

2.1.4 Let V be the set of all pairs ( x, y) of real numbers, and let F be the field of real
numbers. Define

( x, y) + ( x1 , y1 ) = ( x + x1 , y + y1 )
c( x, y) = (cx, y).
Is V, with these operations, a vector space over the field of real numbers?
No, V is not a vector space with these operations, as the distributive proberty 4(d) fails:

(1 + 1)(0, 1) = 2(0, 1) = (2(0), 1) = (0, 1),

but
1(0, 1) + 1(0, 1) = (0, 1) + (0, 1) = (0 + 0, 1 + 1) = (0, 2).


2.1.5 On Rn , define two operations

=
c = c.
The operations on the right are the usual ones. Which of the axioms for a vector space
are satisfied by (Rn , , )?
Consider each of the axioms.
3(a) This axiom fails. Addition is not commutative, since 6= whenever 6= .
3(b) This axiom fails. Addition is not associative. For example, take = = 0 and
6= 0. Then ( ) = , but ( ) = .
3(c) This axiom does hold. Taking 0 to be the usual zero vector in Rn , we have 0 =
for all Rn , and this vector is unique since = in Rn implies = = 0.
3(d) This axiom also holds. We define = for all Rn . Then () = = 0.
Uniqueness easily follows from uniqueness of additive inverses in Rn (with usual
operations).
4(a) This axiom fails, as 1 = 6= for nonzero .
4(b) This axiom fails, as (c1 c2 ) = c1 c2 , but c1 (c2 ) = c1 c2 , and these are not
equal when c1 , c2 , and are nonzero.
4(c) This axiom holds, since c ( ) = c( ) = c (c) = c c .
4(d) This axiom fails. For example, for 6= 0, (1 + 1) = 2 6= 0, but 1 1 =
() = 0.