Homework 7 Solutions

4.3 #5. Let L be the linear operator on P3 defined by

Lp (x) = xp0 (x) + p00 (x)

(a) Find the matrix A representing L with respect to the basis B =

1, x, x2 .
0
(b) Find the matrix
B representing L with respect to the basis B =
2
1, x, 1 + x .
(c) Find a matrix S such that B = S 1 AS.

(d) If p (x) = a0 + a1 x + a2 1 + x2 , calculate Ln (p (x)) .

Solution.
(a) Since

L (1) = 0 = (0) 1 + (0) x + (0) x2 ,

L (x) = x = (0) 1 + (1) x + (0) x2 ,

L x2 = 2 + 2x2 = (2) 1 + (0) x + (2) x2

by definition

2 0 0 2
A = [L]B = [L (1)]B [L (x)]B L x B = 0 1 0
0 0 2

(b) Since

L (1) = 0 = (0) 1 + (0) x + (0) 1 + x2 ,

L (x) = x = (0) 1 + (1) x + (0) 1 + x2 ,

L x2 = 2 + 2x2 = (0) 1 + (0) x + (2) 1 + x2

by definition

2 0 0 0
B = [L]B0 = [L (1)]B0 [L (x)]B0 L x B0 = 0 1 0
0 0 2

(c) The change of coordinate matrix from basis B0 to basis B is

1 0 1
S = [1]B [x]B 1 + x B = 0 1 0
2

0 0 1

1
 By Theorem 7 of Part 9 in class

[L]B0 = S 1 [L]B S
B = S 1 AS

(d) Since p (x) = a0 + a1 x + a2 1 + x2 has coordinates

T
[p (x)]B0 = [a0 a1 a2 ]
n
repeated use of [T S] = [T ] [S] yields [Ln ] = [L] and hence
n
0 0 0 a0
n
[Ln (p (x))]B0 = [L]B0 [p (x)]B0 = 0 1 0 a1
0 0 2 a2

0 0 0 a0 0
= 0 1 0 a1 = a1
0 0 2n a2 2n a2

The last vector gives the coordinates of Ln (p (x)) in the basis B 0 . So

Ln (p (x)) = (0) 1 + a1 x + 2n a2 1 + x2 = 2n a2 + a1 x + 2n a2 x2

4.3 # 11. If A is similar to B there is an invertible matrix P such that

A = P 1 BP

Solution. By the product rule for determinants (applied three times)

det (A) = det P 1 BP = det P 1 (BP )

= det P 1 det (BP ) = det P 1 det (B) det (P )

= det (B) det P 1 det (P ) = det (B) det P 1 P
= det (B) det (I) = det (B)

Remark. This gives a direct proof that two dierent matrix representations
of a given linear transformation T have the same eigenvalues. Why? Hint. See
4.3 # 14.

AP 9 #4. Let L : P3 P3 be the linear transformation defined by L (p) = p (x)

0
p
(x) and A be the matrix of L with respect to the standard basis B =
1, x, x2 . (See Problem 1 in Part 9.)

(a) Use results from Problem 3, properties of matrices, and the fact that
L (P3 ) and R33 are isomorphic algebras to show that L is invertible.

2
 (b) Continuing in the same spirit as (a) find a formula for L1 (q) for
any q in P3 . Try to express your final answer in terms of q without
having to write out q in terms of the standard basis. Hint. A correct
expression in terms of integrals and/or derivatives of q will be fine.

Solution.
(a) You showed in HW #6 that

1 1 0
A = [L]B = 0 1 2 .
0 0 1

A is invertible because det A = 1 6= 0. Since T : L (P3 ) R33 given by

h i
T L = L for L L (P3 )
B

is a linear linear algebra isomorphism and

T (L) = [L]B = A

with A invertible, Problem 3 states that L also is invertible.

(b) Continuing with Problem 3, since A = T (L) , the inverse of A, A1 , is
the matrix of the linear transformation L1 : P3 P3 with respect to the basis
B. So
1 1 1 2
L B = A1 = 0 1 2 .
0 0 1
If q = b0 + b1 x + b2 x2 , then

1 1 1 1 2 b0 b0 + b1 + 2b2
L (q) B = L B [q]B = 0 1 2 b1 = b1 + 2b2
0 0 1 B b2 B b2 B

b0 b1 2b2
= b1 + 2b2 + 0
b2 B 0 B
0 B
= [q]B + [q 0 ]B + [q 00 ]B = [q + q 0 + q 00 ]B

Finally since the map v 7 [v]B is a vector space isomorphism and, hence, one-
to-one,
L1 (q) = q + q 0 + q 00
for all q P3 .