Technological Institute of the Philippines - Manila Course: MATH 022A
Math & Physics Department ONLINE LECTURE
TOPIC #_5.1_
Length and Dot Product in Rn
Intended Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the session the students should be able to:
1. Find the distance between two vectors and length of a vector.
2. Find a dot product and the angle between two vectors,
3. Determine orthogonality, and verify the Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality, the triangle
inequality, and the Pythagorean Theorem.
Length of a vector
The formula for length of a vector is IIvII = + + ⋯+
Example
Find the length of a vector
a. v = (4, –2, 1)
IIvII = 4 + (−2) + 1 = √21 units
b. u = (1, 2, 3)
IIuII = √1 + 2 + 3 = √14 units
Distance between two vectors
The formula for distance between two vector is d(u, v) = IIu – vII
Example
Determine the distance between to vectors.
a. u = (1, 2, 3) and v = (4, –2, 1)
= II(1, 2, 3) – (4, –2, 1)II
= II(–3, 4, 2)II
= (−3) + 4 + 2 = √29 units
b. m = (0, 1, 0) and n = (1, –2, 0)
= II(0, 1, 0) – (1, –2, 0)II
= II(–1, 3, 0)II
= (−1) + 3 + 0 = √10 units
Technological Institute of the Philippines - Manila Course: MATH 022A
Math & Physics Department ONLINE LECTURE
Angle between two vectors
The formula of angle between two vectors cos α = ,0<α<π
Example
Find the angle between two vectors.
a. u = (2, 4) and v = (1, 3)
( , )( , )
cos α =
√ √
=
√ √
=
√
√
=
7 2
α= 10
b. m = (0, 1, 0) and n = (1, –2, 0)
( , , )( , , )
cos α =
√ ( )
=
√ √
=
√
√
=
−2 5
α=
5
Technological Institute of the Philippines - Manila Course: MATH 022A
Math & Physics Department ONLINE LECTURE
Unit Vector in the direction of V
The formula of U =
Example
Find the unit of the following:
a. v = (2, 4)
( , )
=
( , )
( , )
=
√
( , )
=
√
= ,
√ √
√ √
= ,
√ √
The unit vector of v = (2, 4) is ,
Orthogonal vectors
The formula or orthogonal vectors is u • v = 0
Example
Determine whether orthogonal, neither or parallel.
a. u = (2, 18) and v = (3/2, –1/6)
= (2, 18) • (3/2, –1/6)
= (2)(3/2) + (18)( –1/6)
=3–3=0
Therefore, orthogonal
b. u = (–1/3, 2/3) and v = (2, –4)
= (–1/3, 2/3) • (3/2, –1/6)
= (–1/3)(3/2) + (2/3)( –1/6)
= –10/3
The answer is not zero, then it not orthogonal but if you notice the vectors are multiple
–6. If the vector have multiple then it parallel.
Technological Institute of the Philippines - Manila Course: MATH 022A
Math & Physics Department ONLINE LECTURE
c. u = (0, 1, 0) and v = (1, –2, 0)
= (0, 1, 0) • (1, –2, 0)
= (0)(1) + (1)( –3) + (0)(0)
= –3
The answer it not zero and its not a multiple vector, then it a neither.
Example
1. Determine all vector v that are orthogonal to u = (1, –3, 4)
Let v = (v1, v2, v3)
u•v=0
(1, –3, 4) • (v1, v2, v3) = 0
(1)( v1) + (–3)( v2) + (4)( v3) = 0
v1 – 3v2 + 4 v3 = 0
v3 = t
v2 = s
v1 = 3s – 4t
Therefore, v = (3s – 4t, s, t)
2. Given u = (–1, 2), v = (3, –2), w = (2, 4). Find
a. 3u(w • v)
= 3(–1, 2)[(3, –2) • (2, 4)]
= 3(–1, 2)[(3)(2) • (–2)(4)]
= (–3, 6)( –2)
= (6,–12)
b. (u + v) • (u + 2v)
= [(–1, 2) + (3, –2)] • [(–1, 2) + 2(3, –2)]
= (2, 0)[( –1, 2) + (6, –4)]
= (2, 0) • (–5, –2)
= 10
Technological Institute of the Philippines - Manila Course: MATH 022A
Math & Physics Department ONLINE LECTURE
Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality
The formula for Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality is Iu • vI ≤ IIuII IIvII
Example
Verify the Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality
for the vectors u = (3, 4) and v = (2, –3)
I(3, 4) • (2, –3)I ≤ √3 + 4 √2 + 3
I(3)(2) + (4)( –3)I ≤ √25√13
6 ≤ 5√13
True 6 ≤ 5√13 then it is a Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality
Triangle Inequality
The formula for triangle inequality is IIu + vII ≤ IIuII IIvII
Example
Verify the triangle inequality for the vectors
u = (3, 4) and v = (2, –3)
II(3, 4) + (2, –3)II ≤ II(3, 4)II II(2, –3)II
II(5, 1)II ≤ II(3, 4)II II(2, –3)II
√5 + 1 ≤√3 + 4 √2 + 3
√26 ≤ √25√13
√26 ≤ 5√13
True √26 ≤ 5√13 then it is a triangle inequality
Practice Exercises
√ √ √ √
1. Find the angle between u = ( , ) and v = ( , )
2. Find all vectors orthogonal to v = (2, –1, 1)
