EE/AA 547, LJ Ratliff HW 0 DUE 20171001 (MON) @ 11:30AM

All hw should be uploaded to canvas as a pdf

additional comments:
• Homeworks will in general be due on Wednesdays with the exception of this homework.
• Self-assessment is NOT required on this homework.
• Latex solutions are preferable (however not required) as they make it much easier to read.
This will also give you practice if, e.g., you plan to write papers in the future.
• As an alternative, you may use a iPython notebook (ipynb). In ipynbs you can use both
markdown and latex to write up solutions. The homework solutions with computational
components will be provided in an ipynb (you are welcome to use your preferred computational
tool, mine is Python and I highly recommend it) and it is easy to generate a pdf directly
from the ipynb for submission (instructions can be found on canvas).

Problem 1. Welcome to linear systems theory!

(a) What were you doing prior to your enrollment in your current program? What is your current
program?
(b) What do you aim to do after you graduate?
(c) What do you hope to learn in this course?
(e) Log in to Canvas and edit your profile; specify the name you prefer; please add a head shot
as it will help the instructors. (see my example: https://canvas.uw.edu/about/3590951)
Provide the link to your profile in your solution write up.

Problem 2. Self-assessment. The following questions are intended to help you and the instructors
assess your background knowledge; you do not already need to know how to answer these
questions to receive credit on this assignment—if you are not familiar with what the question
is asking, just say so. If you need to consult textbooks, websites, or other resources to answer the
question, note the resource.
(a) If a function is one-to-one (injective) and onto (surjective), what can you conclude about its
invertibility?
(b) Consider the matrix A ∈ Rn×n . What is the geometric interpretation of an eigenvalue and
eigenvector of A? If you want to use a picture, you can.
(c) If the determinant of a matrix is zero, what can you conclude about its null space?
(d) What do trajectories of  
0 −1
ẋ = x
1 0
look like? No need to simulate the system; just simply draw a little picture or describe them.
(f) Suppose the system in (d) was obtained by linearizing ẋ = f (x) at an equilibrium f (x0 ) = 0.
What can you conclude about the stability of x0 ?
(g) Suppose f (x, y, z) = y 3 + x2 y − xy + yz 2 gives the air pressure at the point (x, y, z). At
(x, y, z) = (1, 1, 1), in which direction should one move so that the pressure increases the
fastest?
(h) Let A : Rn → Rm be a real matrix (n not necessarily equal to m). Show

Null(A) = {0} =⇒ AT A is invertible and AT A > 0