Math 110: Worksheet 1 Solutions

August 30

Thursday Aug. 24
1. Determine whether or not the following sets form vector spaces over the given fields.
 
1 a
(a) The set V of all matrices of the form where a, b ∈ R, over R with standard
b 1
addition and scalar multiplication.
 
1 a
Note that V is not closed under addition: for a, b, c, d ∈ R, we have and
  b 1
1 c
but
d 1      
1 a 1 c 2 a+c
+ = ∈
/ V.
b 1 d 1 b+d 2
We conclude that V is not a vector space with the given operations.
 
1 a
(b) The set V of all matrices of the form where a, b ∈ R, over R with addition
b 1
⊕ and scalar multiplication  defined by
         
1 a 1 c 1 a+c 1 a 1 ka
⊕ = , k = .
b 1 d 1 b+d 1 b 1 kb 1

We claim that V is indeed a vector space with the given operations. Note first
that
 V is closed
 under the addtion and scalar multiplication operations: for
1 a 1 c
, ∈ V and k ∈ R, we have
b 1 d 1
     
1 a 1 c 1 a+c
⊕ = ∈V
b 1 d 1 b+d 1
and    
1 a 1 ka
k = ∈ V.
b 1 kb 1

1
VS 1: Observe that
     
1 a 1 c 1 a+c
⊕ = (∵ defn. of addition)
b 1 d 1 b+d 1
 
1 c+a
= (∵ comm. of addition in R)
d+b 1
   
1 c 1 a
= ⊕ (∵ addition)
d 1 b 1
VS 2: Note that
         
1 a 1 c 1 e 1 a+c 1 e
⊕ ⊕ = ⊕ (∵ defn. of addition)
b 1 d 1 f 1 b+d 1 f 1
 
1 (a + c) + e
= (∵ addition again)
(b + d) + f 1
 
1 a + (c + e)
= (∵ add. assoc. in R)
b + (d + f ) 1
   
1 a 1 c+e
= ⊕ (∵ addition)
b 1 d+f 1
     
1 a 1 c 1 e
= ⊕ ⊕ (∵ addition)
b 1 d 1 f 1
 
1 0
VS 3: The matrix ∈ V and acts as the zero vector:
0 1
     
1 a 1 0 1 a
⊕ =
b 1 0 1 b 1
   
1 a 1 −a
VS 4: Given any ∈ V , its additive inverse is as
b 1 −b 1
     
1 a 1 −a 1 0
⊕ =
b 1 −b 1 0 1
VS 5: Observe that    
1 a 1 a
1 = .
b 1 b 1
VS 6: Let k, l ∈ R, we have
   
1 a 1 (kl)a
(kl)  = (∵ defn. of scalar mult)
b 1 (kl)b 1
 
1 k(la)
= (∵ mult. assoc. in R)
k(lb) 1
 
1 la
= k (∵ scalar mult.)
lb 1
  
1 a
= k l (∵ scalar mult.)
b 1

2
 VS 7: We have
     
1 a 1 c 1 a+c
k ⊕ = k (∵ addition.)
b 1 d 1 b+d 1
 
1 k(a + c)
= (∵ scalar mult.)
k(b + d) 1
 
1 ka + kc
= (∵ dist. in R)
kb + kd 1
   
1 ka 1 kc
= ⊕ (∵ addition)
kb 1 kd 1
     
1 a 1 c
= k ⊕ k (∵ scalar mult.)
b 1 d 1
VS 8: We have
   
1 a 1 (k + l)a
(k + l)  = (∵ scalar mult.)
b 1 (k + l)b 1
 
1 ka + la
= (∵ dist. in R)
kb + lb 1
   
1 ka 1 la
= ⊕ (∵ addition.)
kb 1 lb 1
     
1 a 1 a
= k ⊕ l (∵ scalar mult.)
b 1 b 1
(c) The set V of all positive real numbers over R with addition ⊕ and scalar multi-
plication  defined by
x ⊕ y = xy, a  x = xa .

We show that V is indeed a vector space with the given operations. Note first
that if x, y ∈ V and a ∈ R, we have
x ⊕ y = xy ∈ V, a  x = xa ∈ V
so V is closed under addition and scalar multiplication.
VS 1: We have
x ⊕ y = xy (∵ addition)
= yx (∵ mult. comm. in R)
= y⊕x (∵ addition)
VS 2: Note that
(x ⊕ y) ⊕ z = (xy) ⊕ z (∵ addition)
= (xy)z (∵ addition)
= x(yz) (∵ mult. assoc. in R)
= x ⊕ (yz) (∵ addition)
= x ⊕ (y ⊕ z) (∵ addition)

3
 VS 3: Observe that 1 ∈ V and

1 ⊕ x = 1x = x.

VS 4: For any x ∈ V , note that x−1 ∈ V so that

x ⊕ x−1 = xx−1 = 1.

VS 5: Note that
1  x = x1 = x.
VS 6: Let a, b ∈ R. We then have

(ab)  x = xab (∵ scalar mult.)

b a
= (x ) (∵ exponents in R)
= a  (xb ) (∵ scalar mult.)
= a  (b  x) (∵ scalar mult.)

VS 7: Note that

a  (x ⊕ y) = a  (xy) (∵ addition)
a
= (xy) (∵ scalar mult.)
a a
= x y (∵ exponents in R)
= (x ) ⊕ (y a )
a
(∵ scalar mult.)
= (a  x) ⊕ (a  y) (∵ addition)

VS 8: We have

(a + b)  x = xa+b (∵ scalar mult.)

a b
= x x (∵ exponents in R)
= (x ) ⊕ (xb )
a
(∵ addition)
= (a  x) ⊕ (b  x) (∵ scalar mult.)

(d) The set V of solutions of the differential equation f 00 (t) − 4f (t) = t, t ∈ R over
R with standard addition and scalar multiplication.

Observe that V is not closed under addition: if f1 , f2 ∈ V , then for all t ∈ R

f100 (t) − 4f1 (t) = t, f200 (t) − 4f2 (t) = t

so that

(f1 + f2 )00 (t) − 4(f1 + f2 )(t) = (f100 (t) − 4f1 (t)) + (f200 (t) − 4f2 (t)) = 2t 6≡ t.

We conclude that V is not a vector space with the given operations.

4
 (e) The set V of 2 × 2 invertible matrices with real entries over R with standard
addition and scalar multiplication.
   
1 0 1 0
Observe that V is not closed under addition: we have , ∈ V but
0 1 0 −1
     
1 0 1 0 2 0
+ =
0 1 0 −1 0 0
is not invertible. We conclude that V is not a vector space with the given opera-
tions.
2. By definition, every field F has a multiplicative identity, an element e such that e·x = x
for every element x ∈ F . What is the multiplicative identity for R? Prove that the
multiplicative identity is unique for any given field.

The multiplicative identity for R is the number 1 as 1 · x = x for all x ∈ R.

To show that the identity is unique, let e and e0 be two identities. Consider then the
product e · e0 . By thinking of e as an identity, we have e · e0 = e0 . Likewise, thinking of
e0 as an identity leads to e · e0 = e so that e = e0 . Thus, the identity is unique.

Tuesday Aug. 29
3. Prove that the set of matrices with zero trace form a subspace of Mn×n (F ). Does the
same hold for matrices with zero determinant?

Let T be the set of matrices with zero trace. As Mn×n (F ) is a vector space over F and
T is its subset, we merely need to check three properties:
• the matrix Z consisting only of zero entries evidently has zero trace so Z ∈ T .
• let A, B ∈ T ; it follows then that tr(A) = tr(B) = 0. Note then that
n
X n
X n
X
tr(A + B) = (A + B)ii = Aii + Bii = tr(A) + tr(B) = 0.
i=1 i=1 i=1

• let A ∈ T and k ∈ F ; we have tr(A) = 0 so that

n
X n
X
tr(kA) = (kA)ii = k Aii = ktr(A) = 0.
i=1 i=1

We conclude that T is a subspace of Mn×n (F ).

The same cannot be said however about the set of matrices with zero determinant as
it is not closed under addition. As an example, let A be the diagonal matrix with
A11 = 0 and Aii = 1 for i = 2, . . . , n and let B consist only of zeros except for B11 = 1.
Then, det(A) = det(B) = 0 but det(A + B) = 1 6= 0.

5
4. Let B(R) be the set of all bounded functions on R (A function f is bounded if there
exists M such that |f (x)| ≤ M for all x. Thus sin(x) is bounded on R but ex is not).
Prove that B(R) is a subspace of F(R, R), the set of all functions from R to R.

As F(R, R) is a vector space and B(R) is its subset, we just need to check the following
three properties:
• the function z ≡ 0 is clearly bounded (as |z(x)| = 0 < 1 for all x) so z ∈ R.
• let f, g ∈ B(R). Then there exist M, N such that |f (x)| ≤ M and |g(x)| ≤ N for
all x ∈ R. Note then that, by the triangle inequality
|(f + g)(x)| = |f (x) + g(x)| ≤ |f (x)| + |g(x)| ≤ M + N
for all x ∈ R; thus, (f + g) is bounded and hence in B(R).
• let f ∈ B(R) and a ∈ R. Observe then that for all x ∈ R
|(af )(x)| = |af (x)| = |a||f (x)| ≤ |a|M
so af ∈ B(R).
We conclude that B(R) is a subspace of F(R, R).
5. Let W1 and W2 be subspaces of a vector space V . Prove that W1 + W2 = W2 if and
only if W1 is a subspace of W2 .

Suppose first that W1 is a subspace of W2 . Let t ∈ W1 + W2 ; there then exist w1 ∈ W1

and w2 ∈ W2 such that t = w1 + w2 . As W1 is a subspace of W2 , it follows that
w1 ∈ W2 as well and hence t = w1 + w2 ∈ W2 so that W1 + W2 ⊂ W2 . As we also have
W2 ⊂ W1 + W2 , we conclude that W1 + W2 = W2 .
Conversely, suppose that W1 + W2 = W2 ; we want to show that W1 is a subspace of
W2 . Let w1 ∈ W1 and w2 ∈ W2 ; then, w1 + w2 ∈ W1 + W2 . As W1 + W2 = W2 , there
exists some t ∈ W2 such that
w1 + w2 = t ⇒ w1 = t + (−w2 ) ∈ W2 .
We conclude that W1 ⊂ W2 and, in particular, that W1 is a subspace of W2 .
6. Let v1 = (0, 1) and v2 = (1, 1) and define W1 = {tv1 : t ∈ R} and W2 = {tv2 : t ∈ R}.
Also, let V = R2 over R with standard operations.
(a) Show that W1 and W2 are subspaces of V .

As W1 and W2 are subsets of V which itself is a vector space, we just need to

check the following three properties: (we treat both the spaces at the same time)
• 0 ∈ Wi by setting t = 0 in the definitions.
• let x, y ∈ Wi . There then exist t, s ∈ R such that x = tvi and y = svi so
that
x + y = tvi + svi = (t + s)vi ∈ Wi .

6
 • let x ∈ Wi and a ∈ R. Note then that

ax = a(tvi ) = (at)vi ∈ Wi .

We conclude that both W1 and W2 are subspaces of V .

(b) Show that V = W1 ⊕ W2 .

We need to show that (i) W1 ∩ W2 = {0} and (ii) W1 + W2 = V . For (i), note
that if u ∈ W1 ∩ W2 , then for some t, s ∈ R, we have u = tv1 and u = sv2 so that

tv1 = sv2 ⇒ (0, t) = (s, s).

It follows that s = 0 ⇒ t = 0 so u must be the zero vector.

For (ii), let x = (a, b) ∈ R. We want show that x = w1 + w2 for some w1 ∈ W1
and w2 ∈ W2 . Note that setting w1 = (0, b − a) and w2 = (a, a) accomplishes
this as wi ∈ Wi for i = 1, 2 and

w1 + w2 = (0, b − a) + (a, a) = (a, b) = v.

As both (i) and (ii) hold, we conclude that V = W1 ⊕ W2 .

7. Let E and O denote respectively the subsets consisting of all the even and odd functions
in V := F(R, R). In the homework, you are supposed to show that both E and O are
subspaces of V . Assuming that, prove that V = E ⊕ O.

As in the previous problem, we just need to show that (i) E ∩ O = {0} and (ii)
E + O = V . For (i), let f ∈ E ∩ O. Then, for any x ∈ R, we have f (−x) = f (x) and
f (−x) = −f (x) so that f (x) = −f (x) ⇒ f (x) = 0 ⇒ f ≡ 0.
For (ii), let f ∈ V . We need to show that f = g + h where g ∈ E and h ∈ O. Define
for all x ∈ R
f (x) + f (−x) f (x) − f (−x)
g(x) = , h(x) = .
2 2
Note then that g(x) + h(x) = f (x) for all x. Furthermore, for any x ∈ R, we have

f (−x) + f (x)
g(−x) = = g(x)
2
f (−x) − f (x)
h(−x) = = −h(x).
2
This shows that g ∈ E and h ∈ O and hence establishes (ii). We conclude that
V = E ⊕ O.