Practice Problems

Math 108A Fall 2017

1. True or false: give brief justification for your answers.

(a) Let W = {(x, y, z) ∈ R3 | x + 2y + z = 1}. Then W is a subspace of R3 .

(b) Let V1 and V2 be subspaces of a vector space V . If V1 + V2 is a direct sum, then
V1 ∩ V2 = ∅.
(c) Every line in R3 through the origin is a subspace of R3 .
(d) Let v be a vector in a vector space V and v 6= 0. Then v is linearly independent.
(e) 1, t, t2 − t, t2 + t + 7 is a linearly dependent in the vector space P2 (R).
(f) (1, 2, 3), (1, i, 0), (3, 7, 9), (−i, 1, 8) is linearly independent in the complex vector
space C3 .
(g) Suppose v1 , v2 , v3 is a linearly independent list in a vector space V and dim(V ) =
3. Then v1 , v2 , v3 is a basis of V .
(h) The vector space P (C) is infinite dimensional.
(i) Let T : R3 → R3 be the map defined by T (z1 , z2 , z3 ) = (z2 , z3 , z1 ). Then T is a
linear map.
(j) Let T : P (R) → P (R) be the map defined by T (p(t)) = (p(t))2 . Then T is a
linear map.

2. Suppose V1 and V2 are subspaces of the complex vector space C7 . If dim(V1 ) = 3 and
dim(V2 ) = 5, then V1 ∩ V2 6= {0}.

3. Suppose V1 and V2 are subspaces of a vector space of V . Prove that if V1 ⊂ V2 , then

V1 + V2 = V2 .

4. Suppose a vector space V = span(v1 , v2 , . . . , vn ). If w is any vector in V , then the list

of vectors v1 , v2 , . . . , vn , w is linearly dependent.

5. Show that the subspaces of R2 are precisely {0}, R2 , and all lines in R2 through the
origin.

6. Let W be the subspace of the complex vector space C5 defined by

W = {(z1 , z2 , z3 , z4 , z5 ) ∈ C5 : 6z1 = z2 and z3 + 2z4 + 3z5 = 0}

(a) Find a basis of W .

(b) Extend the basis in part (a) to a basis of C5 .
(c) Find a subspace U of C5 such that C 5 = W ⊕ U .

7. Let V1 = {(x1 , x2 , x3 ) ∈ C3 | x3 = 2x1 } and V2 = {(x1 , x2 , x3 ) ∈ C3 | x2 = x1 + x3 } be

subspaces of the complex vector space C3 .
 (a) Find a basis of V1 .
(b) Find a basis of V2 .
(c) Find a basis of V1 ∩ V2 .
(d) Find a basis of V1 + V2 . Is V1 + V2 a direct sum?

8. Let V be the collection of all 2 × 2 complex matrices.

(a) Show that under the usual matrix addition and scalar multiplication (by R), V
is a vector space over R.
(b) Let H be the collection of all 2 × 2 complex matrices of the form
 
a b
,
−b̄ ā

where a, b ∈ C and ā denotes the complex conjugate of a. Show that H is a

subspace of V .
(c) Find a basis of H.
(d) Extend the basis in part (c) to a basis of V .

9. Let P2 (R) and R2 be real vector spaces.

(a) Prove that 1, t2 − t, 2t is a basis of P2 (R).

(b) Find a linear map T : P2 (R) → R2 such that

T (1) = (1, 0), , T (t2 − t) = (1, 1), T (2t) = (0, 2).

10. Suppose a vector space V has dimension 3, and v1 , v2 , v3 is a basis of V .

(a) Prove that there exist 1-dimensional subspaces W1 , W2 , W3 of V such that V =

W1 ⊕ W2 ⊕ W3 .
(b) Prove that v1 + v2 , v2 , v3 + v2 is also a basis of V .
(c) Find a different basis w1 , w2 , w3 of V such that the list of vectors v1 + w1 , v2 +
w2 , v3 + w3 is linearly dependent.