University of Waterloo

MATH 235 Practice Final Examination

Linear Algebra 2 for Honours Mathematics

Date of exam: August 14, 2024

Exam period: 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Duration of exam: 150 minutes
Number of exam pages: 17 (includes cover page)
Exam type: Closed book. No calculator.
Materials allowed: No additional materials are allowed.

Additional instructions

1. Write your answers in the space provided. If you need more room, use the space
available on the last page, and indicate this on the question page where you ran out
of room.

2. Do NOT detach any paper from this exam.

3. Unless the question states otherwise, you must justify all of your answers. You
may write in pen or pencil as long as your writing is legible. Your arguments must
be logical, clear and easy to understand.

4. There are 12 problems (some with multiple parts).

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Q1. Determine whether each statement is true or false. No justification required. Record
your final answer in the table at the bottom of the page.

(a) If A and B are similar n × n matrices and A is diagonalizable, then B is diago-

nalizable.

(b) If σ1 , . . . , σn are the singular values of an n×n matrix A, then det(A) = σ1 · · · σn .

 
2 2 2
(c) All of the eigenvalues of 2 2 2 are real.
2 2 2

(d) Let A ∈ M3×3 (C). If A∗ = A2 then A is diagonalizable over C.

(e) A 7-dimensional vector space must contain a 5-dimensional subspace.

(f) A subset of P2 (R) consisting of 3 orthogonal vectors is a basis for P2 (R).

(g) Let W be a subspace of a finite-dimensional inner product space. If W ⊆ W ⊥

#»
then W = { 0 }.

(h) There exists a linear operator L : C5 → C5 such that Ker(L) = Range(L).

Part (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h)

T/F

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Q2. Each of the following is worth 1 mark. No justification is required, and no part marks
will be awarded.
    
 1 0 
(a) Let V = A ∈ M3×3 (R) : A 0 = 0 . What is dim V ?
0 0
 

(b) Write down two linearly independent vectors in

V = {p ∈ P3 (R) : p(x) = p(−x)}.

(c) Write down the rank of the linear map L : P2 (F) → M2×2 (F) defined by
 
2 a b
L(a + bx + cx ) = .
b a

 
1 √2 3
(d) Give a value of x that guarantees that the matrix 2 2 4  is diagonalizable.
3 x π

 
i
(e) Let U ∈ M3×3 (C) be unitary. What is U 1 ? (∥ ∥ = standard norm on C3 )
0

[Turn over for rest of Q2.]

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 [Q2 continued.]
 
1 0
(f) Give an example of a matrix similar to A = but not equal to A.
0 2

(g) Let W = Span({1, x, x2 }) ⊆ PR2 (R). Write down projW (1 + x + x2 ) with respect
1
to the inner product ⟨p, q⟩ = 0 p(x)q(x) dx on P2 (R).

(h) Let W = {A ∈ M2×2 (R) : tr(A) = 0} and let ⟨ , ⟩ be an inner product on

M2×2 (R). Write down an example of a vector space that is isomorphic to W ⊥
but not equal to W ⊥ .

 
1 0
(i) Write down a unit vector in M2×2 (R) that is orthogonal to with respect
0 −1
to the Frobenius inner product.

(j) If L : R2 → R3 and T : R3 → R4 are linear maps and T ◦ L is injective, what is

dim(Range(L))?

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Q3. Find an orthonormal basisfor 3
 R with respect
  to the standard inner product that
1 1
contains the vectors #»
v 1 = 1 and #»
v 2 = −1.
1 0

5
  
2 4
Q4. Let A = . Find an orthogonal matrix Q and a diagonal matrix D in M2×2 (R)
4 2
such that A = QDQT .

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 #» ∈ W for all
Q5. Let A ∈ Mn×n (F). A subspace W of Fn is said to be A-invariant if A w
#» ∈ W .
w

(a) Let λ be an eigenvalue of A. Prove that the eigenspace Eλ is A-invariant.

(b) Suppose A is normal. Prove that W = Eλ⊥ is A-invariant. (The orthogonal

complement is taken with respect to the standard inner product on Fn .)

7
  
1 1 1
Q6. Find a singular value decomposition of A = .
−1 −1 −1

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[Extra space for Q6.]

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Q7. Let V be a finite-dimensional inner product space, let W be a subspace of V , and let
P : V → V be the linear operator defined by P ( #»
v ) = projW ( #»
v ). Prove:

(a) ∥P ( #»
v )∥ ≤ ∥ #»
v ∥ for all #»
v ∈ V . [Hint: Draw a picture.]

(b) P ◦ (I − P ) = 0, where I is the identity map and 0 is the zero map.

(c) P is an isomorphism if and only if W = V .

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Q8. Let V and W be finite-dimensional vector spaces.

(a) Let L : V → W be an injective linear map. Prove that there is a subspace of W

that is isomorphic to V .

(b) Let L : V → W be a surjective linear map. Prove that there is a subspace of V

that is isomorphic to W .

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Q9. Let L : V → W and T : V → W be linear maps between finite-dimensional vector
spaces, and let B and C be ordered bases for V and W , respectively. Prove that

C [L]B = C [T ]B if and only if L = T.

[Recall that L = T means that L( #»

v ) = T ( #»
v ) for all #»
v ∈ V .]

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Q10. Let V be a 5-dimensional vector space over C with basis B. Let L : V → V be a
diagonalizable operator on V . Suppose [L]B has characteristic polynomial

−(λ − 1)2 (λ − i)3 .

Let Ei be the eigenspace of L corresponding to the eigenvalue i. Prove that Ei is

isomorphic to P2 (C).

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Q11. Suppose A = U S, where U ∈ Mn×n (F) is unitary and S ∈ Mn×n (F) is self-adjoint.
Prove that if U S = SU then A is unitarily diagonalizable.

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Q12. Let L : V → W be a linear map between finite-dimensional inner product spaces. Let
B = { #»
v 1 , . . . , #» #» , . . . , w
v n } and C = { w 1
#» } be ordered orthonormal bases for V and
m
W , respectively. Prove that the (i, j)th entry of C [L]B is ⟨L( #» #» ⟩.
v j ), w i

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You may use this space if you run out of room for a particular question.
If you do, be sure to indicate this clearly here on this page and also on the question page.

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You may use this space if you run out of room for a particular question.
If you do, be sure to indicate this clearly here on this page and also on the question page.

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