The Row Space

If A is an m x n matrix, each
row of A has n entries and
thus can be identified with a
vector in R . The set of all
n

linear combinations of the

row vectors is called the
row space of A and is
denoted by Row A. …
Each row has n entries, so
Row A is a subspace of Rn.
Since the rows of A are
identified with the columns
of AT, we could also write
Col AT in place of Row A.
  -2 -5 8 0 -17  r1 = (-2,-5,8,0,-17)
 1 3 -5 1 5 
r2 = (1,3,-5,1,5)
A=  
 3 11 -19 7 1  r3 = (3,11,-19,7,1)
 
 1 7 -13 5 -3  r4 = (1,7,-13,5,-3)

The row space of A is the

subspace of R5 spanned by
{r1, r2, r3, r4 }.
If two matrices A and B are
row equivalent, then their
row spaces are the same. If
B is in echelon form, the
nonzero rows of B form a
basis for the row space of A
as well as B.
If A and B are row equivalent
matrices, then
(a) A given set of column
vectors of A is linearly
independent if and only if the
corresponding column vectors
of B are linearly independent.
(b) A given set of column
vector of A forms a basis for
the column space of A if and
only if the corresponding
column vector of B forms a
basis for the column space
of B.
Find the bases for the row
and column spaces of
 1 -3 4 -2 5 4 
 2 -6 9 -1 8 2 
A=  
 2 -6 9 -1 9 7 
 
 -1 3 -4 2 -5 -4 
Solution Since elementary row
operations do not change the
row space of a matrix, we can
find a basis for the row space of
A by finding a basis for the row
space of any row-echelon form
of A.
 1 -3 4 -2 5 4
2 -6 9 -1 8 2 

2 -6 9 -1 9 7
 
 -1 3 -4 2 -5 - 4
1 -3 4 -2 5 4 
0  -2 R1 + R2
 0 1 3 -2 -6 
-2 R1 + R3
0 0 1 3 -1 -1 
  R1 + R4
0 0 0 0 0 0 

1 -3 4 -2 5 4 
0 0 1 3 -2 - 6 
 - 1R2 + R3
0 0 0 0 1 5 
 
0 0 0 0 0 0 

 1 -3 4 -2 5 4 
 0 0 1 3 -2 -6 
R=  
0 0 0 0 1 5 
 
0 0 0 0 0 0 
r1 = 1 -3 4 -2 5 4
r2 =  0 0 1 3 -2 -6

Now using the theorem (1) the

r3 =  0 0 0 0 1 5

non-zero vectors of R form a

basis for the row space of R,
and hence form bases for the
row space of A. these bases
vectors are
r1 = 1 -3 4 -2 5 4
r2 =  0 0 1 3 -2 -6
r3 =  0 0 0 0 1 5
 Keeping in mind that A and R may
have different column spaces, we
cannot find a basis for the column
space of A directly from the column
vectors of R. however, it follows
from the theorem (2b) if we can find
a set of column vectors of R that
forms a basis for the column space
of R, then the corresponding column
vectors of A will form a basis for the
column space of A.
  1  4  5
 0  1  -2 
c1 =   c3 =   c5 =  

 The first, third, and fifth columns

 0
 
 0
 0
 
 0
 1
 
 0

of R contains the leading 1’s of

the row vectors, so
 1  4  5
 0  1  -2 
c1 =   c3 =   c5 =  
 0  0  1
     
 0  0  0
 form a basis for the column space
of R, thus the corresponding
column vectors of A
  1  4  5
 2  9  8
c1 =   c3 =   c5 =  
 2  9  9
     
 -1  -4   -5

form a basis for the column

space of A.
Find bases for the space
spanned by the vectors
v1 = (1,-2,0,0,3) v 2 = (2,-5,-3,-2,6)
v 3 = (0,5,15,10,0) v4 = (2,6,18,8,6)
Solution Except for a
variation in notation, the
space spanned by these
vectors is the row space of
the matrix
 1 -2 0 0 3 
 2 -5 -3 -2 6 
 
 0 5 15 10 0 
 
 2 6 18 8 6 
Transforming Matrix to Row
Echelon Form:
1 -2 0 0 3
2 -5 -3 -2 6 

0 5 15 10 0
 
2 6 18 8 6
1 -2 0 0 3
0  (-2)R1 + R2
 1 3 2 0
(-2)R1 + R4
0 5 15 10 0
  (-1)R2
0 10 18 8 0
1 -2 0 0 3
0 1 3 2 0  (-5)R2 + R3

0 0 0 0 0  (-10)R2 + R4
 
0 0 -12 -12 0
 1 -2 0 0 3
0 1 3 2 0 
 R34
0 0 -12 -12 0 
 
0 0 0 0 0

1 -2 0 0 3
0 1 3 2 0 
 (-1/12)R3
0 0 1 1 0
 
0 0 0 0 0

 1 -2 0 0 3 
 0 1 3 2 0
Therefore, R=  
 0 0 1 1 0
 
 0 0 0 0 0 
w1 = (1,-2,0,0,3), w 2 = (0,1,3,2,0), w 3 = (0,0,1,1,0)

 The non-zero row vectors in this

matrix are
w1 = (1,-2,0,0,3), w 2 = (0,1,3,2,0), w 3 = (0,0,1,1,0)

 These vectors form a basis for

the row space and consequently
form a basis for the subspace of
R5 spanned by v1, v2, v3.
Find a basis for the row
space of A consisting
entirely of row vectors from
A, where  1 -2 0 0 3 
 2 -5 -3 -2 6 
A=  
 0 5 15 10 0 
 
 2 6 18 8 6 
 Solution We will transpose A,
thereby, converting the row space of
A into the column space of AT; then
we will use the method of example
(2) to find a basis for the column
space of AT; and then we will
transpose again to convert column
vectors back to row vectors.
Transposing A yields
  1 2 0 2
 -2 -5 5 6 

AT =  0 -3 15 18 
 
 0 -2 10 8
 3 6 0 6 

Transforming Matrix to Row

Echelon Form:
1 2 0 2
 -2 -5 5 6 

0 -3 15 18 
 
0 -2 10 8
 3 6 0 6 
1 2 0 2 
0 -1 5 10 
 2 R1 + R2
0 -3 15 18 
  (-3)R1 + R5
0 -2 10 8 
 0 0 0 0 
  1 2 0 2 
 0 1 -5 -10 

 0 -3 15 18  (-1)R2
 
 0 -2 10 8 
 0 0 0 0 

1 2 0 2 
0 1 -5 -10 
  (3)R + R
2 3
0 0 0 -12 
  (2)R2 + R4
0 0 0 -12 
 0 0 0 0 

 1 2 0 2 
 0 1 -5 -10 
 
 0 0 0 1  (-1/12)R3
 
 0 0 0 -12 
 0 0 0 0 
  1 2 0 2 
 0 1 -5 -10 
 
 0 0 0 1  12 R3 + R4
 
 0 0 0 0 
 0 0 0 0 

1 2 0 2 
0 1 -5 -10 

R = 0 0 0 1 
 
0 0 0 0 
 0 0 0 0 

The first, second and fourth columns contain the

leading 1’s,
so the corresponding column vectors in AT form a
basis for the
column space of AT; these are
  1  2  2
 -2   -5  6
     
c1 =  0  , c2 =  -3 and c4 =  18
     
 0  -2 8
 3   6   6 

Transposing again and

adjusting the notation
appropriately yields the basis
vectors
r1 = 1 -2 0 0 3 , r2 =  2 -5 -3 -2 6  and r4 =  2 6 18 8 6 

for the row space of A.

The main result of this
lecture involves the three
spaces: Row A, Col A, and
Nul A. The following example
prepares the way for this
result and shows how one
sequence of row operations
on A leads to bases for all
three spaces.
Find bases for the row space,
the column space and the
null space of the matrix
 -2 -5 8 0 -17 
 1 3 -5 1 5 
A=  
 3 11 -19 7 1 
 
 1 7 -13 5 -3 
The rank of A is the dimension of
the column space of A. Since Row
A is the same as Col AT, the
dimension of the row space of A is
the rank of AT. The dimension of
the null space is sometimes called
the nullity of A.
The Rank Theorem
The dimensions of the column
space and the row space of an
m x n matrix A are equal. This
common dimension, the rank of
A, also equals the number of
pivot positions in A and
satisfies the equation
rank A + dim Nul A = n
If A is an m x n, matrix, then
(a) rank (A) = the number of
leading variables in the
solution of Ax = 0
(b) nullity (A) = the number of
parameters in the general
solution of Ax = 0
Find the number of parameters
in the solution set of Ax = 0 if A
is a 5 x 7 matrix of rank 3.

nullity (A)=n-rank (A)=7-3=4

There are four parameters.
If A is any matrix, then

rank (A) = rank (A ) T

 Four Fundamental
Matrix Spaces
Row space of A
Column space of A
Null space of A
Null space of AT
Suppose that A is an m x n
matrix of rank r, AT is an n x m
matrix of rank r .
Fundamental space
Dimension
Row space of A r
Column space of A r
Null space of A n-r
Null space of AT m-r
If A is a 7 x 4 matrix, then
the rank of A is at most 4
and, consequently, the
seven row vectors must be
linearly dependent. …
If A is a 4 x 7 matrix, then
again the rank of A is at
most 4 and, consequently,
the seven column vectors
must be linearly dependent.
Let A be an n x n matrix.
Then the following
statements are each
equivalent to the statement
that A is an invertible
matrix. …
The columns of A form a
basis of R .n

Col A = R n

dim Col A = n
rank A = n
Nul A = {0}
dim Nul A = 0
The matrices below are row
equivalent
 2 -1 1 -6 8   1 -2 -4 3 -2 
 1 -2 -4 3 -2   0 3 9 -12 12 
A=   B=  
 -7 8 10 3 -10  0 0 0 0 0
   
 4 -5 -7 0 4  0 0 0 0 0
1. Find rank A and dim Nul A.
2. Find bases for Col A and
Row A.
3. What is the next step to
perform if one wants to find a
basis for Nul A?
4. How many pivot columns
are in a row echelon form of
A?
T