1.

(5 points each) State whether the following are true or false, and justify all of your
answers.
0

a. Let A be a 33 matrix with eigenvectors v1 = 1 , v2 =
5

1
2
, v3 =
8

4
1

. A is
0

diagonalizable.
Solution:
TRUE. These vectors are linearly independent since:
0
1

1
2
8

4
1

1 ~ 0
0
0

2
1
2

1
1

4 ~ 0
0
5

2
1
0

1
4 the columns are linearly independent.
13

Thus we have 3 linearly independent eigenvectors for a 33 matrix, which implies that A
is diagonalizable by The Diagonalization Theorem.
b. det (ATA) 0.
Solution:
TRUE.
det (ATA) = det (AT)(det A) since det(AB) = (det A)(det B)
= (det A)(det A) since det A = det (AT)
= (det A)2 0
since det A R
c. It is possible for a 33 matrix with real entries to have the eigenvalues 2, -3, and i.
Solution:
FALSE.
Complex eigenvalues of a real-valued matrix come in conjugate pairs, so -i would also
need to be an eigenvalue.

1. (continued)

d. If J is the Jordan canonical form of a matrix A, then A is similar to J.

Solution:
TRUE.
If J is the Jordan canonical form of a matrix A, then A = PJP-1, which implies that A is
similar to J.
1

e. Let A = 2
3

2
3
6

3
7 . The vector v =
9

10
1

is in Nul(A).

Solution:
FALSE.
A vector v is in Nul(A) if Av = 0.
1

Here, Av = 2
3

2
3
6

7
9

10
1

2

= 3
6

0. Thus v Nul(A).

f. Each eigenvalue of A is also an eigenvalue of A2.

Solution:
FALSE.
1

2
If A =
, then the eigenvalues of A are 1 and 2. But A = 0 4 , and its
0
2

eigenvalues are 1 and 4. Thus the eigenvalue 2 of A is not an eigenvalue of A2.

In general, if is an eigenvalue of A, then 2 is an eigenvalue of A2.

 1
0
2

2. Let u =
, v = 4 , w =
3
2

5
6

be vectors in R3.

a. (5 points) What is the distance from u to w?

Solution:
4

dist(u, w) = u w = 4 =
4

16 16 16

48

4 3

b. (10 points) Find the component of u orthogonal to v.

Solution:
Let L = Span{v}.
1
1
0
uv
2
2
2
u projLu =
vv v =
20 4
3
3
2

1
1.6
=

3.2

c. (10 points) Find the projection of u onto the subspace of R3 spanned by v and w.
[NOTE: To use the nice dot product formula, what kind of set/basis must you have??]
Solution:
We must have an orthogonal basis for Span{v, w} we use Gram-Schmidt!
5

wv
10
v = 6
Let v1 = v; v2 = w
4
vv
20
7
2

= 4 .
8

Then, if W = Span{v, w}:

0
u v1
u v2

v
v
projWu =
1 +
2 = .4
v1 v1
v2 v2
.2

5
37
4
+

105
8

37

190

21

37

105

38

275

105

21

21

55

21

d. (10 points) Find the distance from u to the subspace of R3 spanned by v and w.

Solution:
Let W = Span{v, w}.
1

dist(u, W) = u projWu = 2
3

37

38

21

21

55

21

16 21

= 4 21 =

8
21

(16) 2 (4) 2 ( 8) 2
21

336
4 21
=
21
21

3. (20 points) Let u1, , up be an orthogonal basis for a subspace W of Rn, and let
T: Rn Rn be defined by T(x) = projW x. Show that T is a linear transformation.
Solution:
Since u1, , up is an orthogonal basis, we can write:
x up
x u1
up
u1 + +
up up
u1 u1
To show that T is a linear transformation, we must show 2 things:

projW x =

(i) T(x + y) = T(x) + T(y):

( x y) u p
( x y ) u1
up
u1 + +
up up
u1 u1
x up y up
x u1 y u1
up
u1 + +
=
(props of dot product)
up up
u1 u1
x up
y up
x u1
y u1
up +
u p (props of vectors)
u1 + +
u1 + +
=
up up
up up
u1 u1
u1 u1
= T(x) + T(y)

T(x + y) =

(ii) T(cx) = cT(x):

(cx ) u p
(cx) u1
up
u1 + +
up up
u1 u1
c( x u p )
c( x u1 )
up
u1 + +
=
up up
u1 u1

T(cx) =

(props of dot product)

x u1
x up

(props of vectors)
u p u p
u1 u1

= c

= cT(x)
Thus, T is a linear transformation.

4. Let a subspace U of R5 be defined by: U = {(x1, x2, x3, x4, x5): x1 = 3x2, x3 = 7x4}
a. (15 points) Find a basis for U.
Solution:
Vectors in U look like:

3x 2

7x 4 = x2

x4

x 5

0 + x4

7 + x5

0
0
0 . Therefore a basis is:

0
1

3

1
0
0

0

0
0

, 7

1
0

0
0

, 0

0
1

b. (5 points) What is the dimension of U?

Solution:
The dimension of U is the number of elements in the basis, which is 3.

5. Given the quadratic form on R3: Q(x) = x12 + 25x22 10x1x2

a. (5 points) What is the matrix of this quadratic form?
Solution:
1

A=
5

5
25

b. (15 points) Make a change of variable that transforms this quadratic form into one with
no cross- product terms. Tell me what the P matrix is, and write what the new
quadratic form looks like in the new variable.
Solution:
To make a change of variable to satisfy the conditions that we want, we find a P such that
x = Py, and with yT(PTAP)y a quadratic form with no cross product terms (i.e. with PTAP a
diagonal matrix).
So, we want to orthogonally diagonalize A! Meaning we find an orthonormal basis for
R2 such that PTAP is diagonal, where P is the matrix whose columns are the orthonormal
basis.
The eigenvalues of A are the roots of the polynomial:
(1 )(25 ) 25 = 2 26 = ( 26)
eigenvalues are 0 and 26
Now we find bases for the eigenspaces:
1

For = 0: A 0I =
5

5
1
~
25
0

5
0

basis is
1

1
5
~

1
0

25

For = 26: A 26I =

5

basis is

0
5

Since these eigenvectors correspond to different eigenvalues, they are orthogonal. So to

get an orthonormal basis we just normalize.

u1 =

26

26

, u2 =

26
26

P=

26
26

26
26

and the new quadratic form is 0y12 + 26y22.

6. (20 points) Suppose that T1, , Tn are injective linear transformations such that
T1 Tn makes sense (i.e. the codomain of Ti+1 is the domain of Ti.) Prove that
T1 Tn is injective.
[Recall: T1 Tn(x) = T1((Tn(x))) = composition of functions]
Solution:
We can prove this in a few ways Ill do 2:
(i) A transformation T is one-to-one if an only if ker(T) = {0}
Since T1, , Tn are injective, ker(T1) = {0}, , ker(Tn) = {0}.
So now, what is in the kernel of T1 Tn?
Assume T1 Tn(x) = T1((Tn(x))) = 0. We show that x = 0.
T1 injective T2((Tn(x))) = 0.
T2 injective T3((Tn(x))) = 0.
.
Tn-1 injective Tn(x) = 0.
Tn injective x = 0.
Thus, T1 Tn(x) = 0 x = 0, which means that ker(T1 Tn) = {0}, and T1 Tn is
injective.
(ii) A transformation T is one-to-one if and only if [T(x) = T(y) x = y]
So Ti(x) = Ti(y) x = y for all i = 1, , n.
Assume T1 Tn(x) = T1 Tn(y). We show that x = y.
T1 injective T2((Tn(x))) = T2((Tn(y)))
T2 injective T3((Tn(x))) = T3((Tn(y)))
.
Tn-1 injective Tn(x) = Tn(y)
Tn injective x = y
Thus T1 Tn(x) = T1 Tn(y) x = y , which means that T1 Tn is injective.

7.
a. (5 points) What is the definition of orthogonally diagonalizable?
Solution:
A matrix A is orthogonally diagonalizable if there exist an orthogonal matrix P and a
diagonal matrix D such that A = PDP-1 = PDPT.
3

b. (20 points) Orthogonally diagonalize the matrix A = 2

4

2
6
2

4
2 , given that its
3

eigenvalues are 7 and -2.

Solution:
We want to find an orthonormal basis for R3.
Since we have the eigenvalues already, we find bases for the eigenspaces:
4

For = 7: A 7I = 2
4

2
1
2

basis is 2
0

For = -2: A + 2I = 2
4

~ 0
0

4
2
4

1
, 0
1

2
8

4
2

basis is 1 2
1

2
0
0

0 ~ 0

0
0
4

0
0

1
0
0

~ 5
4

4
2

OR 1
2

1
1

4 ~ 0

5
0

4
1
0

1
1

1
~ 0
2
0
0

0
1
0

1
1

The basis that we found for the eigenspace of = 7 is not orthogonal, so we use GramSchmidt to make it orthogonal:
1

v1 = 2 ; v2 =
0

1
0

1

1
1
2

5
0

So {v1, v2} is an orthogonal basis for the eigenspace of = 7, and {v1, v2, 1 } is an
2
2

orthogonal basis for R since 1

2
3

corresponds to a different eigenvalue than v1 and v2,

which implies that it is orthogonal to both v1 and v2.

Now we just have to normalize:

u1 =

, u2 =

5
5

23

45

, u3 =

45

45

3
3

Thus A = PDPT for

P=

5
5

4
2
5

45
45
45

23
1
2

and D = 0
0

0
7
0

0
0 .
2

8. (15 points) Show that two vectors u and v of an inner product space V are orthogonal if
and only if u v2 = u2 + v2.
Solution:
First, we note that:
u v2 = <u v, u v >
= <u, u> <u, v> <v, u> + <v, v>
= <u, u> 2<u, v> + <v, v>
= u2 2<u, v> + v2

(by the def of u2)

(by props of inner product)
(by props of inner product)
(by the def of u2)

Then u v2 = u2 + v2 -2<u, v> = 0

<u, v> = 0
u and v are orthogonal.

9.
a. (5 points) State the Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality.
Solution:
For all u, v in a vector space V, <u, v> uv.

b. (5 points) Circle one: Cauchy is pronounced cow-shee

coh-shee

cow-chee

2
1
a2 b2
ab
.

and v = . Show that
2
2
1

a
c. (10 points) Let u =
b

Solution:
We use Cauchy-Schwarz!
<u, v> = a + b

u = a 2 b 2

Then Cauchy-Schwarz a + b ( a 2 b 2 )( 2 )
(a + b)2 (a2 + b2)(2)

( a b) 2
a2 + b2
2

( a b) 2
a2 b2

2
22
ab

a2 b2
.
2

v = 1 1 2