Bachelor in Statistics and Business

Mathematical Methods II
a
n
Mara Barbero Lin

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

Name

Student number
Solution: Quiz 2 (Units 3 and 4)
November 9, 2011

Instructions
You have 90 minutes to answer the quiz.
Marks per question are given in bold. Total marks: 10 points
The mark of this quiz is part of the 40% corresponding with the continuous evaluation
of this course.
Write your name in all the sheets.
It is not allowed to use lecture notes, scientific calculators or cellphones during the
exam.

0
2
1
1
2
2
2
0




1. Let v1 = , v2 = , v3 = , v4 = be vectors in R4 .
1
1
0
1

(a) Are the vectors v1 , v2 , v3 and v4 linearly independent? Why?

(b) Find a basis for the subspace spanned by v1 , v2 , v3 and v4 .

[1]
[0.5]

Solution: (a) We take the matrix whose columns are the vectors v1 , v2 , v3 and v4 . We
compute the equivalent matrix in row echelon form to identify the dependences among
all the columns.

1 1 2 0
1 1 2 0
1 1 2 0

0 2 2 2
0 2 2 2
0 2 2 2

R1 + R3 R3
2R3 + R2 R3

1 0 1 1
0 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
2R1 + R4 R4
2R4 + R2 R4
2 3 5 1
0 1 1 1
0 0 0 0

The matrix has two pivto columns, less than the number of vectors given. Hence the
vectors are linearly dependent.
(b)A basis for the space spanned by v1 , v2 , v3 and v4 is given by the columns in the
original matrix corresponding with the pivot columns in the matrix in row echelon
form, that is, v1 and v2 . Thus, span{v1 , v2 , v3 , v4 } = span{v1 , v2 }.

2 4
6
1

2. Let A = 1 2
3 and w = 1 .
2 4 6
1
(a) Find a basis for the subspaces Col A and Nul A.
(b) Is w in Nul A? Is w in Col A?

[1]
[0.5]

Solution: (a) Let us compute the row echelon form of the matrix A to find a basis
for both the null space and the column space:

1 2 3
2 4 6

2 4
6

0
3 R1 2R2 R2 0 0 0
0 0
1 2
R1 /(2) R1
0 0
0
0 0 0
R1 + R3 R3
2 4 6
The column space of A is spanned by the columns in the matrix A that correspond
with

the pivots columns in the matrix in row echelon form, that is, Col A = span 1 .

2
The null space of A is given by the solutions to the system Ax = 0. From the augmented
matrix of the system

1 2 3 0
x = 2y + 3z

0 0 we have
y = y
0 0

0 0
0 0
z = z

2

Thus, Nul A = span 1 , 0 .

0
1


1

(b) To check if w = 1 lies in NulA we just have to compute
1

2 4
6
1
2+46
0

Aw = 1 2
3 1 = 1 + 2 3 = 0 .
2 4 6
1
2 4 + 6
0
Thus, w Nul A.
To see if w lies in Col A we must solve the system Ax = w. We use the same elementary
row operations as in the first part, but fot the augmented matrix of the system (A w).

1 2 3 1/2
2 4
6 1

2 4 6 1

0 3
3
1 R1 2R2 R2 0 0 0 3 R1
0 0
1 2
R1
2
0 0
0 2
2 4 6 1
R1 + R3 R3
0 0 0 2
As the last column of the augmented matrix of the systems is a pivot column, the
system Ax = w is inconsistent. Thus w is not in Col A.

(
3. Let B1 =

!
!)
( !
!)
0
1
2
0
,
and B2 =
,
be bases for R2 .
1
0
1
1

(a) Find the change-of-basis matrix from B1 to the standard basis Bc for R2 and from
B2 to the standard basis Bc for R2 .
[0.5]
(b) Find the change-of-basis matrix from B1 to B2 .
!
2
(c) Find the coordinate vectors [x]B2 of [x]B1 =
in the basis B2 .
4

[1]
[0.5]

[b1 ]Bc [b2 ]Bc

z }|!{ z }|!{

0
1
Solution: (a) Note that B1 =
,
. The change-of-basis matrix from B1 to

1
0

the standard basis Bc for R2 is given by

PBc B1 = ([b1 ]Bc [b2 ]Bc ) =

!
0 1
.
1 0

[c1 ]Bc [c2 ]Bc

z
}|
{
z
}|
{

!
!

2
0
Note that B2 =
,
. The change-of-basis matrix from B2 to the standard

1
1

basis Bc for R2 is given by

PBc B2 = ([c1 ]Bc [c2 ]Bc ) =

!
2 0
.
1 1

(b) The change-of-basis matrix from B1 to B2 is given by

PB2 B1 = PB2 Bc PBc B1 = (PBc B2 )1 PBc B1 .
2 0
1 1

Thus, we have to compute the inverse matrix of PBc B2 =

!
that appeared in the

first question.
detPBc B2



2 0 


=
 = 2.
1 1 

Then,
!
1 1 0
,
(PBc B2 ) =
2 1 2
!
d
b
1
= detA
. Thus,
c a
1

because A1 =

!1
a b
c d

PB2 B1 = (PBc B2 )

PB c B 1

1
=
2

1 0
1 2

0 1
1 0

!
=

!
0 1/2
.
1 1/2

(c)
[x]B2 = PB2 B1 [x]B1 =

2
0

4. Let A =
0
0

0
1
0
1

0
0
2
0

! !
0 1/2
2
=
1 1/2
4

!
2
.
0

0
1

.
0
1

(a) Find the characteristic polynomial of A and the eigenvalues of A. Give the algebraic multiplicity of each eigenvalue.
[0.75]

(b) Having in mind that the characteristic polynomial of A is (2)3 , can the matrix
A be diagonalized? Why? Give the geometric multiplicity of each eigenvalue. If
A can be diagonalized, give the matrices P and D.
[1.75]

Solution: (a) To compute the characteristic polynomial of the matrix A we have to

compute the following determinant, we will do it as cofactor expansion across the first
row and then across the second row:


2



0
0
0


1

0
1
 0


1
0
1 



det(A Id) = 
2
0 
 = (2 )  0
 0


0
2
0 

 1

0
1

 0
1
0
1 


1

1


= (2 )2 
 = (2 )2 ((1 )2 1)
 1
1 
= (2 )2 (1 2 + 2 1) = (2 )2 (2 + ) = ( 2)3 .
The eigenvalues are 0 and 2. The algebraic multiplicities are n0 = 1 and n2 = 3.
(b) We first have to compute the eigenvectors of each eigenvalue to decide if the matrix
is diagonalizable or not. For = 0,

2 0 0 0
2 0 0 0
0 1 0 1
0 1 0 1

A 0I = A =

0 0 2 0 R2 2R4 R4 0 0 2 0
0 0 0

The vectors in the null space of the matrix A 0I = A verify that

0 1 0 1

0
a=0
b = d
.
c=0
d=d

Thus V (0) = span . The geometric multiplicity of = 0 is 1 = m0 .

1
For = 2, we have

0 0 0 0
0 1 0 1

A 2I =

0 0 0 0 R2 + R4 R4
0 1 0 1

0 0 0 0
0 1 0 1

.
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0


a=a

b=d
The vectors int he null space of A 2I verify that
.

c
=
c

d=d

1
0
0

0 1 0

Thus V (2) = Gen , , . The geometric multiplicity of = 2 is

0 0 1

0
1
0
3 = m2 .
As the algebraic and geometric multiplicities are the same for both eigenvalues, and
they add 4, the matrix A is diagonalizable.

0
0

D=
0
0

0
2
0
0

0
0
2
0

0
0

0
2

0 1 0 1
1 0 0 0

P =
.
0 1 0 1
0 0 1 0

5. Answer the following questions and always reason your answers.

(a) Is the set W = {(x, y, z) : 2x + y z + 1 = 0} a subspace of R3 ? Why?

[0.5]

Solution: No, it is not a subspace because (0, 0, 0) is not in W . The point (0, 0, 0)
does not fulfill the equation defining W : 2 0 + 0 0 + 1 = 1 6= 0.
(b) Find the matrix associated with the linear transformation T : R3 R2 defined
by T (x, y, z) = (x, y + z).
[0.5]
Solution: As T goes from R3 to R2 , its associated matrix has size 2 3:
!
1 0 0
0 1 1
(c) If the rank of a 3 7 matrix A is 2, what is the dimension of the null space of A?
Why?
[0.5]
Solution: By Rank Theorem, we know that
rank A + dim Nul A = number of columns of A.
In this case we have
2 + dim Nul A = 7,

dim Nul A = 7 2 = 5.

(d) Let A be a 5 5 matrix with two different eigenvalues. If one eigenspace has
dimension 3 and the other one has dimension 2, is A diagonalizable? Why? [0.5]
Solution: The matrix A is diagonalizable because there exists a basis of egeinvectors for R5 , 3 + 2 = 5.
!
!
1
1 1
(e) Is
an eigenvector of
? If so, find the eigenvalue.
[0.5]
1
6 4
!
1
Solution: Let us check if the vector v =
satisfies Av = v for any and
1
!
1 1
A=
:
6 4
! !
!
!
1 1
1
0 ?
1
Av =
=
=
.
6 4
1
2
1
!
!
0
1
From
=
, we have = 0 and = 2. Thus the system is inconsistent
2
1
because there does not exist a value such that it satisfies both equations in the
system. Hence, the vector v is not an eigenvector of the matrix A.