MATH 304

Linear Algebra
Lecture 16:
Basis and dimension.
Basis

Definition. Let V be a vector space. A linearly

independent spanning set for V is called a basis.

Equivalently, a subset S ⊂ V is a basis for V if any

vector v ∈ V is uniquely represented as a linear
combination
v = r1 v1 + r2 v2 + · · · + rk vk ,
where v1 , . . . , vk are distinct vectors from S and
r1 , . . . , rk ∈ R.
Remark on uniqueness. Expansions v = 2v1 + 3v2 − v3 and
v = 2v1 + 3v2 − v3 + 0v4 are considered the same.
Examples. • Standard basis for Rn :
e1 = (1, 0, 0, . . . , 0, 0), e2 = (0, 1, 0, . . . , 0, 0),. . . ,
en = (0, 0, 0, . . . , 0, 1).
       
1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
• Matrices , , ,
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
form a basis for M2,2 (R).

• Polynomials 1, x, x 2 , . . . , x n−1 form a basis for

Pn = {a0 + a1 x + · · · + an−1 x n−1 : ai ∈ R}.

• The infinite set {1, x, x 2 , . . . , x n , . . . } is a basis

for P, the space of all polynomials.
Let v, v1 , v2 , . . . , vk ∈ Rn and r1 , r2 , . . . , rk ∈ R.
The vector equation r1 v1 +r2 v2 + · · · +rk vk = v is
equivalent to the matrix equation Ax = v, where
r1
 

A = (v1 , v2 , . . . , vk ), x =  ... .
rk
That is, A is the n×k matrix such that vectors v1 , v2 , . . . , vk
are consecutive columns of A.
• Vectors v1 , . . . , vk span Rn if the row echelon
form of A has no zero rows.
• Vectors v1 , . . . , vk are linearly independent if
the row echelon form of A has a leading entry in
each column (no free variables).
    
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
 
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
 



 
 ∗ ∗ ∗ 

∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
 
∗ ∗ 
   
  
 
∗ ∗ ∗
 
∗ 
   
  
 

 ∗ ∗ 
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


 
∗
   
   
 

spanning no spanning
linear independence linear independence
 
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
   

 ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ 

∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗  ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ 
   
 
   
∗ ∗ ∗  ∗ ∗ 
   
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 ∗ 

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spanning no spanning
no linear independence no linear independence
Bases for Rn
Let v1 , v2 , . . . , vk be vectors in Rn .
Theorem 1 If k < n then the vectors
v1 , v2 , . . . , vk do not span Rn .

Theorem 2 If k > n then the vectors

v1 , v2 , . . . , vk are linearly dependent.

Theorem 3 If k = n then the following conditions

are equivalent:
(i) {v1 , v2 , . . . , vn } is a basis for Rn ;
(ii) {v1 , v2 , . . . , vn } is a spanning set for Rn ;
(iii) {v1 , v2 , . . . , vn } is a linearly independent set.
 Example. Consider vectors v1 = (1, −1, 1),
v2 = (1, 0, 0), v3 = (1, 1, 1), and v4 = (1, 2, 4) in R3 .

Vectors v1 and v2 are linearly independent (as they

are not parallel), but they do not span R3 .
Vectors v1 , v2 , v3 are linearly independent since
1 1 1
−1 1
−1 0 1 = − = −(−2) = 2 6= 0.
1 1
1 0 1
Therefore {v1 , v2 , v3 } is a basis for R3 .
Vectors v1 , v2 , v3 , v4 span R3 (because v1 , v2 , v3
already span R3 ), but they are linearly dependent.
Dimension

Theorem 1 Any vector space has a basis.

Theorem 2 If a vector space V has a finite basis,
then all bases for V are finite and have the same
number of elements.

Definition. The dimension of a vector space V ,

denoted dim V , is the number of elements in any of
its bases.
Examples. • dim Rn = n
• M2,2 (R): the space of 2×2 matrices
dim M2,2 (R) = 4
• Mm,n (R): the space of m×n matrices
dim Mm,n (R) = mn
• Pn : polynomials of degree less than n
dim Pn = n
• P: the space of all polynomials
dim P = ∞
• {0}: the trivial vector space
dim {0} = 0
 Problem. Find the dimension of the plane
x + 2z = 0 in R3 .
The general solution of the equation x + 2z = 0 is

 x = −2s
y =t (t, s ∈ R)
z =s


That is, (x, y , z) = (−2s, t, s) = t(0, 1, 0) + s(−2, 0, 1).

Hence the plane is the span of vectors v1 = (0, 1, 0)
and v2 = (−2, 0, 1). These vectors are linearly
independent as they are not parallel.
Thus {v1 , v2 } is a basis so that the dimension of
the plane is 2.
How to find a basis?
Theorem Let S be a subset of a vector space V .
Then the following conditions are equivalent:
(i) S is a linearly independent spanning set for V ,
i.e., a basis;
(ii) S is a minimal spanning set for V ;
(iii) S is a maximal linearly independent subset of V .
“Minimal spanning set” means “remove any element from this
set, and it is no longer a spanning set”.
“Maximal linearly independent subset” means “add any
element of V to this set, and it will become linearly
dependent”.
Theorem Let V be a vector space. Then
(i) any spanning set for V can be reduced to a
minimal spanning set;
(ii) any linearly independent subset of V can be
extended to a maximal linearly independent set.
Equivalently, any spanning set contains a basis,
while any linearly independent set is contained in a
basis.

Corollary A vector space is finite-dimensional if

and only if it is spanned by a finite set.
How to find a basis?
Approach 1. Get a spanning set for the vector
space, then reduce this set to a basis.

Proposition Let v0 , v1 , . . . , vk be a spanning set

for a vector space V . If v0 is a linear combination
of vectors v1 , . . . , vk then v1 , . . . , vk is also a
spanning set for V .
Indeed, if v0 = r1 v1 + · · · + rk vk , then
t0 v0 + t1 v1 + · · · + tk vk =
= (t0 r1 + t1 )v1 + · · · + (t0 rk + tk )vk .
How to find a basis?
Approach 2. Build a maximal linearly independent
set adding one vector at a time.

If the vector space V is trivial, it has the empty basis.

If V 6= {0}, pick any vector v1 6= 0.
If v1 spans V , it is a basis. Otherwise pick any
vector v2 ∈ V that is not in the span of v1 .
If v1 and v2 span V , they constitute a basis.
Otherwise pick any vector v3 ∈ V that is not in the
span of v1 and v2 .
And so on. . .
Vectors v1 = (0, 1, 0) and v2 = (−2, 0, 1) are
linearly independent.
Problem. Extend the set {v1 , v2 } to a basis for R3 .
Our task is to find a vector v3 that is not a linear
combination of v1 and v2 .
Then {v1 , v2 , v3 } will be a basis for R3 .
Hint 1. v1 and v2 span the plane x + 2z = 0.
The vector v3 = (1, 1, 1) does not lie in the plane
x + 2z = 0, hence it is not a linear combination of
v1 and v2 . Thus {v1 , v2 , v3 } is a basis for R3 .
Vectors v1 = (0, 1, 0) and v2 = (−2, 0, 1) are
linearly independent.
Problem. Extend the set {v1 , v2 } to a basis for R3 .
Our task is to find a vector v3 that is not a linear combination
of v1 and v2 . Then {v1 , v2 , v3 } will be a basis for R3 .

Hint 2. At least one of vectors e1 = (1, 0, 0),

e2 = (0, 1, 0), and e3 = (0, 0, 1) is a desired one.
Let us check that {v1 , v2 , e1 } and {v1 , v2 , e3 } are
two bases for R3 :
0 −2 1 0 −2 0
1 0 0 = 1 6= 0, 1 0 0 = 2 6= 0.
0 1 0 0 1 1