MATH 54 SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISES

MINSEON SHIN

(Last edited February 3, 2014 at 11:06pm.)

Exercise 1 (Section 1.7 #35). If v1 , . . . , v5 ∈ Rn and v5 = 0, then {v1 , . . . , v5 }
is linearly dependent.

Solution. (I may have written R5 instead of Rn , but it doesn’t matter what n is.)
We have 0v1 + · · · + 0v4 + 1v5 = 0. Hence {v1 , . . . , v5 } is linearly dependent. 

Exercise 2 (Section 1.7 #38). If {v1 , . . . , vn } is linearly independent, then {v1 , . . . , vn−1 }
is linearly independent.

Solution. (I think I did a proof-by-contradiction in class but this way is more di-
rect.) Suppose there exist scalars a1 , . . . , an−1 such that a1 v1 +· · ·+an−1 vn−1 = 0.
This implies, in particular, that a1 v1 + · · · + an−1 vn−1 + 0vn = 0. By linear in-
dependence of {v1 , . . . , vn }, we have a1 = · · · = an−1 = 0. Thus {v1 , . . . , vn−1 } is
linearly independent. 

Exercise 3 (Section 1.9 #10). Find the standard matrix of the linear transforma-
tion T : R2 → R2 which reflects across the x1 -axis and then reflects across the line
x1 = x2 .

Solution 1. We look at where e1 and e2 are mapped to. The reflection of e1

across the x1 -axis is e1 (unchanged), which reflects across the line x1 = x2 to
e2 . Thus T (e1 ) = e2 . The reflection of e2 across the x1 -axis is −e2 , which reflects
across the line x1 = x2 to −e1 . Thus T (e2 ) = −e1 . Thus the desired matrix is
  0 −1
T (e1 ) T (e2 ) = . (This is a rotation by π/2 radians.) 
1 0

Solution 2. We multiply the two standard matrices corresponding to reflection

across the x1 -axis and reflection across the line
 x1 = x2 , respectively. The matrix
1 0
corresponding to reflection across x1 -axis is and the matrix correspond-
0 −1
 
0 1
ing to reflection across the line x1 = x2 is . Thus the desired matrix is
1 0
  
0 1 1 0
. 
1 0 0 −1

Exercise 4 (Section 2.2 #14). Suppoes B, C are m × n matrices and D is an n × n

invertible matrix such that (B − C)D = 0. Show that B = C.

Date: Mon, Feb 3, 2013.

1
2 MINSEON SHIN

Solution. Since D is invertible, there exists an n × n matrix E such that DE =

ED = In . We have 0 = (B − C)DE = (B − C)In = B − C, which implies
B = C. 

Exercise 5 (Section 2.2 #17). Suppose A, B, C are invertible n×n matrices. Show
that ABC is invertible.

Solution 1. Since A, B, C are invertible, there exist n × n matrices A−1 , B −1 , C −1

such that AA−1 = A−1 A = BB −1 = B −1 B = CC −1 = C −1 C = In . We
show that C −1 B −1 A−1 is the inverse of ABC. Indeed, (C −1 B −1 A−1 )(ABC) =
C −1 B −1 A−1 ABC = C −1 B −1 BC = C −1 C = In and (ABC)(C −1 B −1 A−1 ) =
ABCC −1 B −1 A−1 = ABB −1 A−1 = AA−1 = In . 

Solution 2. By Section 2.2 Theorem 6 (b), products of invertible matrices are in-
vertible. Thus AB is invertible. Thus (AB)C is invertible. 

Solution 3. By Section 2.2 Theorem 7, every invertible matrix can be expressed as

the product of elementary matrices. Thus there are elementary matrices E1 , . . . , Ei ,
E10 , . . . , Ej0 , E100 , . . . , Ek00 such that A = E1 · · · Ei , B = E10 · · · Ej0 , and C = E100 · · · Ek00 .
Thus ABC = (E1 · · · Ei )(E10 · · · Ej0 )(E100 · · · Ek00 ) is a product of elementary matrices.
Since elementary matrices are invertible and products of invertible matrices are
invertible (by Section 2.2 Theorem 6(b) again), we have ABC is invertible. 
 
1 1 1
Exercise 6. Find the inverse of A = 1 2 2.
1 2 3

Solution. We compute the REF of [A In ]:

 
1 1 1 1 0 0
1 2 2 0 1 0
1 2 3 0 0 1
 
1 1 1 1 0 0
R20 =R2 −R1 ;R30 =R3 −R1
=⇒ 0 1 1 −1 1 0
0 1 2 −1 0 1
 
1 0 0 2 −1 0
R30 =R3 −R2 ;R10 =R1 −R2
=⇒ 0 1 1 −1 1 0
0 0 1 0 −1 1
 
1 0 0 2 −1 0
R20 =R2 −R3
=⇒ 0 1 0 −1 2 −1
0 0 1 0 −1 1
 
2 −1 0
This implies that A−1 = −1 2 −1. 
0 −1 1

Exercise 7 (Section 2.3 #22). If E, F are n × n matrices such that EF = In , then

F E = In .
 MATH 54 SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISES 3

Solution. By the IMT(j → k) applied to F , there exists matrix n × n matrix C

such that F C = In . Then
E = E(F C) = (EF )C = C
so F E = In . 
Exercise 8 (Section 2.3 #26). Let A be an n × n matrix. Suppose that the columns
of A are linearly independent, then the columns of A2 span Rn .

Solution. By the IMT(e → a), A is invertible. Thus A2 , being the product of two
invertible matrices, is invertible. By IMT(a → h) applied to A2 , we have that the
columns of A2 span Rn . 
Exercise 9 (Section 2.3 #27). Let A, B be two n × n matrices. Suppose that AB
is invertible. Prove that A is invertible.

Solution. By the IMT(a → k) applied to AB, there exists n × n matrix W such

that (AB)W = In . Thus BW is a matrix such that A(BW ) = In . By exercise
#22, (BW )A = In . Thus A is invertible. 
Exercise 10 (Section 2.3 #28). Let A, B be two n × n matrices. Suppose that AB
is invertible. Prove that B is invertible.

Solution. By the IMT(a → k) applied to AB, there exists n × n matrix V such

that V (AB) = In . Thus V A is a matrix such that (V A)B = In . By exercise #22,
B(V A) = In . Thus B is invertible.