Math 114: Linear Algebra

Dimension of a Vector Space

Dimension
Let B be a basis of V and S V . If #S #B then S is linearly dependent.

If B is a basis of V and #B = n, then any other basis of V must have n elements.

The dimension of a vector space V is the number of elements of any basis of V (if it has a basis), denoted by
dim V .
1. The trivial space {0} has dimension 0.
2. V is finite-dimensional if it has a finite basis.
3. If V infinite-dimensional if it cannot be spanned by a finite set.
4. Rn is an ndimensional vector space.
5. Pn has dimension n + 1.
6. Rmn has dimension mn.
7. Theorem: If H is a subspace of a finite-dimensional space V , then

dim H dim V

Theorem: Suppose V is ndimensional, (n > 0) and S = {u1 , . . . , un } V .

1. If S is linearly independent, then S is a basis for V .
2. If S spans V , then S is a basis for V .

Examples:

1 3 2 5
1. Find the dimension of the subspace spanned by 0 , 1 , 1 and 2.
2 1 1 2

2. Show that {1, 2t, 2 + 4t2 , 6 18t + 9t2 t3 } is a basis for P3 .

Rank and Nullity
Given an m n matrix A, define

The null space of A is N ul(A) = {x Rn | Ax = 0}. This is a subspace of Rn .

The column space of A is Col(A) = {b Rm | Ax = b for some x Rn }. This is a subspace of Rn .
The row space of is Row(A) = {cT R1n | xT A = b for some x Rm }. That is, cT Row(A) if and only if
c Col(AT ). Row(A) is a subspace of R1n .

Properties: Suppose A and B are row equivalent. Then

1. There is an invertible C such that A = CB.
2. N ul(A) = N ul(B) = no. of columns of rref (A) without pivot.
3. If the columns of A is linearly independent, then so are the columns of B.

Theorem: dim(Col(A)) = dim(Row(A)) = no. of pivot columns in rref (A).

The dimension of N ul(A) is called the nullity of A and the dimension of Col(A)/Row(A) is called the rank of
A.
Rank Nullity Theorem: If A is an m n matrix, then dim(N ul(A)) + dim(Rank(A)) = n.

Examples: Find a basis for N ul(A), Row(A) and Col(A) for each given matrix.
 
1 1
1. A =
1 1
 
1 1 2
2. A =
1 1 3

1
  
1 1
3.
2 2

1 5 2 0
4. A = 3 1 9 5
4 8 1 7

3 5 4
5. A = 3 2 4
6 1 8

1 4 0 2 0
6. Let A = 0 0 1 5 0.
0 0 0 0 2

Basis for N ul(A)

To obtain a basis for N ul(A), row reduce A to its RREF and express an element of N ul(A) in terms of its free
variables. Suppose there are k free variables (# of columns without a pivot) c1 , . . . , ck , a typical element of
N ul(A) = c1 v1 + + ck vk , then {v1 , . . . , vk } is a basis for N ul(A).
Basis for Col(A)    
To obtain a basis for Col(A), row reduce A = a1 a2 . . . an to a matrix B b1 b2 ... bn . If
{bi1 , . . . , bik } are the pivot columns of B, then {ai1 , . . . , aik } is a basis for Col(A).
Examples: Find a basis for N ul(A) and Col(A)

1 4 0 2 1 2 4 0 2 0
3 12 1 5 5B=
0 0 1 1 0
1. A =
2 8 1 3

2 0 0 0 0 1
5 20 2 8 8 0 0 0 0 0

2 4 2 4 1 0 6 5
2. A = 2 6 3 1 B = 0 2 5 3
3 8 2 3 0 0 0 0