MAT067 University of California, Davis Winter 2007
Homework Set 2: Exercises on Linear Equations and Vector Spaces
Directions: Submit your solutions to Problems 1, 2 and 4. Separately, please also submit
the Proof-Writing-Problems 3 and 5. This homework is due on Friday January 19, 2007 at
the beginning of lecture.
As usual, we are using F to denote either R or C.
1. Solve the following systems of linear equations and characterize their solution set
(unique solution, no solution, ....). Also write each system of linear equations as an
equation for a single function f : Rn → Rm for appropriate m, n.
(a) System of 3 equations in the unknowns x, y, z, w
x + 2y − 2z + 3w = 2
2x + 4y − 3z + 4w = 5
5x + 10y − 8z + 11w = 12.
(b) System of 4 equations in the unknowns x, y, z
x + 2y − 3z =4
x + 3y + z = 11
2x + 5y − 4z = 13
2x + 6y + 2z = 22.
(c) System of 3 equations in the unknowns x, y, z
x + 2y − 3z = −1
3x − y + 2z = 7
5x + 3y − 4z = 2.
2. Show that the space V = {(x1 , x2 , x3 ) ∈ F3 | x1 + 2x2 + 2x3 = 0} forms a vector space.
3. Let V be a vector space over F. Then, given a ∈ F and v ∈ V such that av = 0, prove
that either a = 0 or v = 0.
4. Give an example of a nonempty subset U ⊂ R2 such that U is closed under scalar
multiplication but is not a subspace of R2 .
2
5. Let V be a vector space over F, and suppose that W1 and W2 are subspaces of V .
Prove that their intersection W1 ∩ W2 is also a subspace of V .
6. Prove or give a counterexample to the following claim:
Claim. Let V be a vector space over F, and suppose that W1 , W2 , and W3 are subspaces
of V such that W1 + W3 = W2 + W3 . Then W1 = W2 .
7. Let F[z] denote the vector space of all polynomials having coefficient over F, and define
U to be the subspace of F[z] given by
U = {az 2 + bz 5 | a, b ∈ F}.
Find a subspace W of F[z] such that F[z] = U ⊕ W .
8. Prove or give a counterexample to the following claim:
Claim. Let V be a vector space over F, and suppose that W1 , W2 , and W3 are subspaces
of V such that W1 ⊕ W3 = W2 ⊕ W3 . Then W1 = W2 .
