WTW221 : GENERAL INFORMATION

ORGANISATION

Admittance
For admittance to this course, you must have a pass in WTW 211.
You must be able to attend both lectures and a tutorial class.

Textbook
Linear Algebra, A modern introduction.
David Poole, third edition.

Module Lecturers
Name Office Phone No e-mail address
Ms A Verwey Math 2-29 012-420-2331 [Link]@[Link]
Prof J Swart Math 1-30 012-420-2988 [Link]@[Link]
Dr SA Mutangadura(Coordinator) Math 2-34 012-420-2606 [Link]@[Link]

Lecture classes
Language Day Time Venue
English I Tuesday 08:30 - 09:20 Math 2-1
Friday 11:30 - 12:20 Math 2-1
English II Tuesday 09:30 - 10:20 EMB 4-150
Thursday 09:30 - 10:20 HSB 4-1
Afrikaans Wednesday 07:30 - 08:20 Math 2-1
Friday 10:30 - 11:20 Math 2-1

Tutorial classes
Day Time Venue Language
Wednesday 12:30 - 14:20 HSB 4-3 English
Wednesday 12:30 - 14:20 Theology 2-1 Afrikaans
Thursday 13:30 - 15:20 IT 2-25 Bilingual

Consulting hours
Hours of consultation of the lecturers will be displayed on their office doors. Students may consult lecturers
only during the consulting hours as indicated, or by appointment. This policy also holds before tests and
examinations. This policy aims at encouraging students to plan their work and to work continuously.

Announcements
Important announcements will be posted on ClickUP. This will be the primary mode of communicating
module matters to students. The announcements may be repeated in lectures and tutorial classes. It is
the student’s responsibility to be aware of these announcements.

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 ASSESSMENT AND RELATED MATTERS

The examination and test instructions in the yearbook must be followed meticulously.

Material for tests and the exam

Material for tests and the exam will be posted on ClickUp. Announcements may also be made in class.
In the tests and exam, there will be a mixture of questions designed to test

• your understanding of basic ideas, definitions and theory.

• your ability to perform routine calculations and procedures, and to prove designated theorems.
• the depth of your understanding of the module material by proving new results and/or solving new
problems.

Absence from tests

1. You must notify the lecturer within three days of the class or semester test if you were absent due
to illness or some other valid reason. You must present convincing proof of the reason for your
absence, for example a medical certificate.
2. In the case of the exam, the relevant faculty office should be informed of the absence.
3. There will be no “sick tests” for class tests and semester tests. If you miss one or two class tests for
valid reasons, then the test(s) will be excluded when your total class test mark is calculated. But
for any further tests that you miss, for whatever reason, a mark of zero will be entered.
4. If you miss one or both of the semester tests (and you have an acceptable excuse) then you may
write the Special Test towards the end of the semester. The scope of this Special Test will consist
of the combined scopes of the first and second semester tests.

Semester tests dates

First Semester Test: 27 August 2012.
Second Semester Test: 27 September 2012.

Tutorial classes and class tests

1. Attendance of the tutorial classes is compulsory.

2. You must attend the same tutorial class each week. A test written in any other class will not be
accepted, unless permission to do so has been granted beforehand.
3. The material for the tutorials will be announced weekly.
4. The problems for the tutorial classes are listed in your study guide. These problems must be done
during the week preceding the tutorial class.
5. Because tutorial attendance is compulsory, no advance information will be given as to whether or not
there will be a class test in any tutorial. Please do not ask for such information. Repeated absence
from tutorials may affect your eligibility to write the exam or the supplementary exam.
6. We will include theory in the tutorial class tests. It means you must be able to write
down the definitions and wording of the theorems in the unit and be able to prove the
designated theorems as per Study Guide.

Arrangements for all tests and worksheets

1. Keep all class tests and semester tests as this is the only proof that you have written the tests. All
queries concerning the marking of the tests must be done within three days of the graded test being
handed back. Thereafter, it will be assumed that all marks are correct, and no further
changes will be made.

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Marks & Re-exams
After each semester test, we will publish a list with all your class test marks and semester test marks on
ClickUp. All queries concerning the marks must be done within five days of the marks being published.
Thereafter, it will be assumed that all marks are correct, and no further changes will be
made.
The semester mark is calculated as follows:
Semester tests 70%
Class tests 30%
The final mark is calculated as follows:
Semester mark 60%
Exam mark 40%
A final mark of 50% and a subminimum of 40% in the exam will be required to pass this module.
In order to qualify for the supplementary examination, a student must satisfy both the following:

• The final mark is between 40% and 49%;

• either the examination mark or the semester mark is at least 50%.

To pass the supplementary examination, a student must obtain at least a 50% in the supplementary
examination, but the final supplementary examination mark may not be more than 50%. Please note
that the semester mark is not used in the supplementary examination.

Disciplinary issues
The policy of the department is to refer all incidents in which there is a suspicion of dishonesty or other
irregularity to the Disciplinary Committee of the University. In the recent past, some students have
had to leave the University on account of dishonest behaviour in some modules of the Department of
Mathematics and Apply Mathematics.

LEARNING AND STUDY ACTIVITIES

Contact time and learning hours

This module carries a weight of 12 credits, indicating that, on average, a student should spend some 120
hours to master the required skills (including time for preparation for tests and the examination). This
means that, on average, you should devote some 8.5 hours of study time per week to this module. The
scheduled contact time is approximately 3.5 hours per week, which means that another 5 hours per week
of own study time should be devoted to the module.

Use of the Study Guide

In the study guide, the module is divided into a number of THEMES and each theme is further
subdivided into UNITS. This should provide you with a good overview of the structure of the module.
For each lecture unit, a textbook reference for the lecture unit is given under Source.
In every lecture unit, there are Learning objectives. These spell out exactly what you should be able
to do in that unit. In addition, you should be able to combine knowledge from different units to solve
particular problems.

General objective
The objective of this module is to introduce to the student linear algebra on general vector spaces.

Good luck with your studies!

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 THEME 1: VECTOR SPACES
Unit 1.1 Vector spaces and subspaces
Source Poole, Section 6.1, pp 447- 459

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to define and make use of the following
concepts:

1. a vector space.

2. a subspace of a vector space.

3. a spanning set for a vector space.

4. the span of a set of vectors in a vector space.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

1. determine whether a given set with two given operations is a vector space or not.

2. determine whether a given subset of a vector space is a subspace of the vector space or not.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to prove and apply the following theo-
rems:

1. Theorem 6.1, page 459: On properties of the zero vector and of additive inverses in a vector space.

2. Theorem 6.2, page 452: A characterization of a subspace.

3. Theorem 6.3, page 459: The span of vectors in a vector space is the smallest subspace containing
the vectors in the span.

Remarks.
You must be familiar with the notations that we use for the following vector spaces:
Rn , the set of real n−tuples
Cn , the set of complex n−tuples, where the scalars are COMPLEX numbers!
Pn , the set of polynomials of degree at most n.
F the set of all real functions on R.
Mmn , the set of all real m × n matrices.

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 6.1 p 459
Applications: Numbers 5, 11, 30, 33, 35, 40, 45, 51, 53, 59 and 61.
Proofs: Numbers 46, 47, 48, 63 and 64.

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 Unit 1.2 Linear independence, basis and dimension
Source Poole, Section 6.2, pp 461 - 474

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to define and make use of the following
concepts:

1. a finite set of linearly independent vectors in a vector space.

2. a finite set of linearly dependent vectors in a vector space.

3. a basis for a vector space.

4. the coordinate vector [v]B of a vector v̄ with respect to a basis B of a vector space.

5. the dimension of a vector space with a finite basis.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

1. determine whether a finite set of vectors in a vector space is linearly independent or not.

2. determine whether a finite set of vectors in a vector space is a basis for the vector space/subspace
or not.

3. determine the dimension of a finite dimensional vector space/subspace.

4. calculate coordinate vectors.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to prove and apply the following theo-
rems:

1. Theorem 6.4, page 462: A characterization of linear dependence of a set of vectors.

2. Theorem 6.5, page 466: Each vector in a vector space can be written as a linear combination of
basis vectors in exactly one way.

3. Theorem 6.6, page 469: Coordinate vectors preserve linear combinations.

4. Theorem 6.7, page 470: Coordinate vectors preserve linear independence.

5. Theorems 6.8, 6.9, 6.10, & 6.11, pages 470, 471,472 & 474: Theorems on independence/basis/dimension
that you should already know for the vector space Rn .

Remark
You must know the standard basis for each of the vector spaces Rn , Cn , Pn and Mmn .

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 6.2 p 474
Applications: Numbers 1, 3, 5, 11, 12, 18, 21, 22, 27, 29, 36, 39, 45 and 49.
Proofs: Numbers 15, 17, 31 (using induction), 42, 54 and 57.

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 Unit 1.3 Change of basis
Source Poole, Section 6.3, pp 481 - 488

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to define and make use of the following
concept:

a change-of-basis matrix

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

1. determine a change-of-basis matrix.

2. use a change-of-basis matrix.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to prove and apply the following theorem:

Theorem 6.12, p 483: Some properties of a change-of-basis matrix.

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 6.3 p 489
Applications: Numbers 2, 6, 9, 11, 13 and 15.
Proofs: Numbers 21, 22 as well as the following: Prove that any invertible n×n matrix is a change-of-basis
matrix.

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 THEME 2: LINEAR TRANSFORMATIONS
Unit 2.1 Linear transformations
Source Poole, Section 6.4, p 490 - 497

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to define and use the following concepts:

1. a linear transformation.

2. an invertible linear transformation.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

determine whether a given function is a linear transformation or not.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to prove and apply the following theo-
rems:

1. Theorem 6.14, page 493: Some properties of linear transformations.

2. Theorem 6.15, page 494: On a spanning set for the range of a linear transformation.

3. Theorem 6.16, page 495: On the composition of two linear transformations.

4. Theorem 6.17, page 497: On the uniqueness of the inverse of a linear transformation.

Remark
Later we will have better methods to test whether a linear transformation is invertible, and to find the
inverse.

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 6.4 p 498
Applications: Numbers 1, 3, 6, 11, 12, 15, 27 and 29.
Proofs: Numbers 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 32, 33, 34 and 35.

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 Unit 2.2 The kernel and range of a linear transformation.
Source Poole, Section 6.5, pp 499 - 513

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to define and use the following concepts:

1. the kernel of a linear transformation.

2. the range of a linear transformation.
3. the rank of a linear transformation.
4. the nullity of a linear transformation.
5. a one-to-one linear transformation.
6. an onto linear transformation.
7. an isomorphism.
8. isomorphic vector spaces.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

1. determine the kernel of a linear transformation.

2. determine the range of a linear transformation.
3. determine the rank of a linear transformation.
4. determine the nullity of a linear transformation.
5. determine whether a linear transformation is one-to-one or not.
6. determine whether a linear transformation is onto or not.
7. determine whether a linear transformation is an isomorphism of not.
8. determine whether two vector spaces are isomorphic or not.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to prove and apply the following theo-
rems:

1. Theorem 6.18, page 502: The kernel and range of a linear transformation are subspaces.

2. Theorem 6.19, page 504: The Rank Theorem.

3. Theorems 6.20 & 621, pages 507 & 508: Characterizations of one-to-one linear transformations.

4. Theorem 6.22, page 509: A one-to-one linear transformation preserves linear independence.

5. Theorem 6.24, page 509: A characterization of invertible linear transformations.

6. Theorem 6.25, page 512: A characterization of isomorphic vector spaces.

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 6.5 p 513
Applications: Numbers 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 13, 18, 19, 21 and 26.
Proofs: Numbers 33, 34, 35, 37 and 38.

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 Unit 2.3 The matrix of a linear transformation
Source Poole, Section 6.6, pp 515 - 530

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to define and use the following concepts:

1. the matrix of a linear transformation with respect to given bases.

2. a diagonalizable linear transformation.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

1. determine the matrix of a linear transformation with respect to given bases.

2. determine whether a linear transformation is diagonalizable or not.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to prove and apply the following theo-
rems:

1. Theorem 6.26, page 516: A property of the matrix of a linear transformation with respect to given
bases.

2. Theorem 6.27, page 522: On the matrix of a composite linear transformation.

3. Theorem 6.28, page 523: A characterization of invertible linear transformations.

4. (Theorem 6.29, page 526: On similarity of the matrix representations of a linear transformation
with respect to two bases.

5. Theorem 6.30, page 530: Several characterizations of an invertible matrix.

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 6.6 p 530.
Applications: Numbers 2, 5, 13, 19, 21, 22, 27, 32, 33 and 38.
Proofs: Numbers 39 and 46.

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 THEME 3: ORTHOGONALITY
Unit 3.1 Orthogonality in Rn
Source Poole, Section 5.1, pp 379 - 387.

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to define and use the following concepts:

1. an orthogonal/orthonormal set in Rn .

2. an orthogonal/orthonormal basis for a subspace of Rn .

3. an orthogonal matrix .

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

1. determine whether a set of vectors in Rn is orthogonal/orthonormal or not.

2. use the dot product to determine the coefficients ci in w̄ = c1 v̄1 + c2 v̄2 + ... + ck v̄k , where
{v̄1 , v̄2 , ... v̄k } is an orthogonal basis for a subspace W , and w̄ is in W .

3. determine whether a given matrix is orthogonal or not.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to prove and apply the following theo-
rems:

1. Theorem 5.1, page 380: A set of nonzero orthogonal vectors in Rn is linearly independent.

2. Theorems 5.2 & 5.3: pages 382 & 384: On the use of the dot product to express a vector as a linear
combination of the vectors of an orthogonal/orthonormal basis.

3. Theorem 5.4, page 385: The columns of an m × n matrix Q form an orthonormal set if and only if
QT Q = In .

4. Theorems 5.5, 5.6 & 5.7, pages 385, 386 & 387: Some characterizations of orthogonality of a matrix.

5. Theorems 5.8, page 387: On certain properties of orthogonal matrices.

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 5.1 p 387
Applications: Numbers 1, 3, 9, 13, 19, 21 and 28.
Proofs: Numbers 22, 23, 24, 27, 33 and 36.

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 Unit 3.2 Orthogonal complements and orthogonal projections
Source Poole, Section 5.2, pp 389 - 398

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to define and use the following concepts:

1. the orthogonal complement W ⊥ of a subspace W of Rn .

2. the orthogonal projection projW (v̄) of a vector v̄ on a subspace W of Rn .

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

1. determine a basis for the orthogonal complement of a subspace of Rn .

2. determine the orthogonal projection projW (v̄) of a vector v̄ on a subspace W of Rn using an

orthogonal basis.

3. determine the component of a vector v̄ that is orthogonal to a given subspace of Rn .

• On completion of this unit you should be able to prove and apply the following theo-
rems:

1. Theorem 5.9, page 390: Some properties of the orthogonal complement of a subspace of Rn .

2. Theorem 5.11, page 395: Each vector in Rn can be decomposed uniquely as the sum of a vector in
a subspace W of Rn and a vector in the orthogonal complement of W .

3. Corollary 5.12, page 396: If W is a subspace of Rn , then (W ⊥ )⊥ = W .

4. Theorem 5.13, page 397: If W is a subspace of Rn , then dim W + dim W ⊥ = n.

5. Theorem: If v̄ is in Rn and W is a subspace of Rn , then projW (v̄) is the unique vector in W which
is nearest to v̄. (A proof to be given in class.)

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 5.2 p 398
Applications: Numbers 3, 5, 13, 17 and 21.
Proofs: Numbers 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 30.

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 Unit 3.3 The Gram-Schmidt process and QR factorization
Source Poole, Section 5.3, pp 399 - 405

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

1. determine an orthogonal/orthonormal basis for a subspace of Rn using the Gram-Schmidt process.

2. determine a QR− factorization of a matrix with linearly independent column vectors.

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 5.3 p 405
Applications: Numbers 5, 7 , 10, 11, 15 and 17.
Proofs: Numbers 19, 20 and 24.

Unit 3.4 The orthogonal diagonalization of symmetric matrices

Source Poole, Section 5.4 pp 411 - 418

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to define and use the following concept:

a matrix that is orthogonally diagonalizable.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

1. orthogonally diagonalize a symmetric matrix.

2. find the spectral decomposition of a symmetric matrix.

• On completion of this unit you should know the following theorem and be able to
apply it:

Theorem 5.20, page 414: A real matrix is orthogonally diagonalizable if and only if the matrix is
symmetric.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to prove and apply the following theo-
rems:

1. Theorem 5.17, page 412: An orthogonally diagonalizable real matrix is symmetric.

2. Theorem 5.18, page 412: The eigenvalues of a real symmetric matrix are real.

3. Theorem 5.19, page 413: Eigenvectors corresponding to distinct eigenvalues of a real symmetric
matrix are mutually orthogonal.

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 5.4 p 418
Applications: Numbers 5, 8, 9, 19, 21 and 24.
Proofs: Numbers 13, 14, 15 and 16.

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 THEME 4: DIAGONALIZATION OF QUADRATIC FORMS
Unit 4.1 Quadratic forms
Source Poole, Section 5.5, pp 425 - 430

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to write down the following and be able
to use it:

1. The definition of a quadratic form.

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

1. find the symmetric matrix associated with a quadratic form.

2. find the orthogonal matrix Q and the diagonal matrix D such that the quadratic form f (x̄) = x̄T Ax̄
can be written as ȳ T Dȳ = λ1 y12 + λ2 y22 + .... + λn yn2 .

Problems for the tutorial class

Poole, Exercises 5.5 p 440
Applications: Numbers 29, 33, 34, 37 and 39.

Unit 4.2 Sketching conic sections

Source Poole, Section 5.5, pp 432 - 437

Learning objectives

• On completion of this unit you should be able to do the following:

identify and sketch conic sections in R2 (ellipse, hyperbola and parabola) in the standard position,
and in particular:

(a) identify and sketch shifted conic sections.

(b) use the diagonalization of quadratic forms to identify and sketch rotated conic sections.

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