5.

2 VECTOR SPACES

Definition: A vector space V is a set of objects (called vectors) on which the operations of addition and
scalar multiplication are defined and satisfying the following ten properties:

1 V is closed under addition:

If u and v are in V, then u + v is in V

2 For all u, v, and w in V

(A) Commutativity holds: u + v = v + u
(B) Associativity holds: u + (v + w) = (u + v) + w
(C) There exists a zero vector 0: v + 0 = v
(D) There exists an additive inverse:
If v is in V, then there exists a vector -v in V such that v + (-v) = 0
(E) 1 ∙ v = v

3 V is closed under scalar multiplication:

If k is any scalar and v is in V, then kv is in V

4 For all u and v in V and scalars r and s:

(A) Associativity holds: (rs)v = r (sv)
(B) Distributivity holds:
(i) r (u + v) = ru + rv
(ii) (r + s) v = rv + sv

Note: 1 Do not think of a vector as something with magnitude and direction as in calculus or physics.
A vector is just the name for an element of a vector space. So for us, the vectors could be
matrices or points from 3-dimensionasl space, for example. Whatever set we happen to be
talking about, its elements are the vectors.

2 The above properties are the same properties of real numbers that you use every day in your
math classes.
For example, for all real numbers:

2 (A) Commutativity: 3 + 8 = 8 + 3

2 (B) Associativity: 2 + (4 + 9) = (2 + 4) + 9

4 (B) Distributivity: 3 (5 + 11) = 3 (5) + 3 (11)

2 (C) The real number 0 is the zero vector for real numbers since 0 + x = x
for any real number x.

All that we will be doing in 5.2 is to check whether the various properties from the list are satisfied for a
given set of vectors with the way that the operations of addition and scalar multiplication are defined.
Examples:

1 Let V = R2, all points in the xy-plane, with scalar multiplication defined in the usual way but vector addition
defined as (x1, y1) + (x2, y2) = (2x1 + x2, 2y1 + y2).

(A) Using the given operations, find 3 [ (2,-1) + (5,4) ].

With addition defined as above, 3 [ (2,-1) + (5,4) } = 3 ( 2 (2) + 5, 2 (-1) + 4 ) = 3 (9, 2) = (27, 6)

(B) Using the given operations, find 3 (2,-1) + 3 (5,4).

3 (2,-1) + 3 (5,4) = (6, -30 + (15, 12) = ( 2(6) + 15, 2(-3) + 12 ) = (27, 6)

(C) On the basis of your answers in parts (A) and (B), determine whether vector space property 4B (i) holds.

Based on the results from (A) and (B), it appears that property 4 (B) (i) holds since both calculations
resulted in the same point of (27, 6)

(D) Using the given operations, find (2,-5) + (3,6).

Using the definition for addition, (2,-5) + (3,6) = ( 2(2) + 3, 2(-5) + 6) = (7, -4)

(E) Using the given operations, find (3,6) + (2,-5).

(3,6) + (2,-5) = ( 2(3) + 2, 2(6) + (-5) ) = (8, 7)

(F) On the basis of your answers in parts (D) and (E), determine whether vector space property 2A holds.

Based on the results from (D) and (E), it appears that property 2 (A) does nothold since both calculations
resulted in different point.

2 Let V = R2 except for all points on the x- and y-axes with scalar multiplication defined as k(x, y) = (xk, yk)
And vector addition defined as (x1, y1) + (x2, y2) = (x1x2, y1y2).

(A) What is the zero vector in V?

By definition in property 2 (C), the zero vector, 0, for any vector space is the vector such that 0 + v = v
for every vector v in the vector space. With addition defined as above,

(1, 1) + (x, y) = (1∙x, 1∙y) = (x, y) Therefore, 0 = (1, 1) for this vector space

(B) What is the additive inverse of any vector in V?

By property 2 (D), the additive inverse of any vector v is the vector -v such that v + (-v) = 0, that is, the
additive inverse of any vector v is the vector which added to v produces the zero vector as the sum.

Using the definition of addition, (x, y) + (1/x, 1/y) = ( x(1/x), y(1/y) = (1, 1) = 0
 Therefore, with addition defined as above in V, the additive inverse of any v is the vector -v = (1/x, 1/y)
2 continued:

(C) Show that Associativity property 4 (A) holds in V.

We must show that the property holds for all vectors in V. This means that we must write a short proof.

Let r and s be any two scalars and let v = (x, y) be any vector in V.

Then (rs) v = (rs) (x, y) = (xrs yrs) by definition of scalar multiplication

r (s v) = r (s (x, y) ) = r (xs ys) = ( (xs) r , (ys) r ) = (xrs yrs)

Therefore, property 4 (A) holds in V.

3 Let V = P3, all polynomials of degree 3. Is V closed under addition?

No V is not closed under addition. For example, u = x3 - 2x2 and v = - x3 + 5x - 8 are in V but
u + v = - 2x2 + 5x - 8 is not in V since it is not a polynomial of degree 3.

4 Let V = R2, all points in the xy-plane, with vector addition defined in the usual way but scalar multiplication
defined as k(x, y) = (ky, kx). Is V a vector space?

If V is a vector space, then it must satisfy all ten properties. But property 2 (E), for example fails:

1 ∙ v = 1 ∙ (x, y) = (y, x) ≠ v

a b c
5 Let V = {all 2x3 matrices of the form
[ 0 1 0 ] } . Show that V is not a vector space by illustrating three
properties of a vector space that fail.

(i) V does not contain the zero vector 0 =

[ 00 0 0
0 0 ]
(ii) V is not closed under addition: For example,
[ 10 2 3
1 0
and
5 −7 8
] [
0 1 0 ]
are two vectors in

but adding them produces the matrix

[ 60 −5 11
2 0 ]
which is not in V.

(iii) Similarly, V is not closed under scalar multiplication: For example, if k = 4 and v =
[ 10 2 3
1 0 ]
 kv =
[ 40 8 12
4 0 ]
which is not in V.

6 Let V consist of all solutions to the first order differential equation y′ - 2y = 5x3. Is V closed under addition?
Note: You need not solve the differential equation to answer this question.

V is not closed under addition. Suppose that y1 (x) and y2 (x) are two solutions to the diff. eq.

Then ( y1 (x) + y2 (x) ) ‘ - 2 ( y1 (x) + y2 (x) ) = y1 ‘ (x) - 2 y1 (x) + y2 ‘(x) - 2y2 (x)

= 5x3. + 5x3. = 10x3 which is not in V.

Note: V is closed under addition only for homogeneous equations:

For example, if V is all solutions to y′ - 2y = 0, then

( y1 (x) + y2 (x) ) ‘ - 2 ( y1 (x) + y2 (x) ) = y1 ‘ (x) - 2 y1 (x) + y2 ‘(x) - 2y2 (x) = 0 + 0 = 0

which is in V.