Example:

Given a matrix defining a linear mapping

Find a basis for the null space and a basis for the range

Pamela Leutwyler

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Note:

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

0
1
2 0

0
1

This vector is in the null space of T

The vectors in the null space are the solutions to

Mx 0

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the null space of T you must solve:

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

w
0
x
y 0
0
z

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the null space of T you must solve:

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

w
0
x
y 0
0
z

0
1 0 1 0

0 reduces to 0 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
0

0
0

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the null space of T you must solve:

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

w
0
x
y 0
0
z

0
1 0 1 0

0 reduces to 0 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
0

0
0

w 1y
x 1y 1z
y 1y
z
1z

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the null space of T you must solve:

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

w
0
x
y 0
0
z

0
1 0 1 0

0 reduces to 0 1 1 1
0 0 0 0
0

0
0

Every vector in the null space looks like:

w 1y
x 1y 1z
y 1y
z
1z
w

x

y y 1 z 0

z
0
1

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the null space of T you must solve:

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

w
0
x
y 0
0
z

A basis for the null space =

Every vector in the null space looks like:

w

x

1
0

,
0

y y 1 z 0

z
0
1

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the range of T, remember that the columns of M span its range .

Every vector in the range

looks like:

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

w
2w 1x 3 y 1z

x
y 1w 1x 2 y 1z
3w 2 x 5 y 2 z
z

2
1
3
1




w 1 x 1 y 2 z 1
3
2
5
2

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the range of T, remember that the columns of M span its range .

Every vector in the range

looks like:

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

w
2w 1x 3 y 1z

x
y 1w 1x 2 y 1z
3w 2 x 5 y 2 z
z

2
1
3
1




w 1 x 1 y 2 z 1
3
2
5
2

a linear combination of the columns of M

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the range of T, remember that the columns of M span its range .

w
2 1 3 1 2w 1x 3 y 1z

1 1 2 1 1w 1x 2 y 1z
3 2 5 2 y 3w 2 x 5 y 2 z
This is not a basis because
z the
vectors are not independent

2
1
3
1




w 1 x 1 y 2 z 1
3
2
5
2

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the range of T, remember that the columns of M span its range .

w
2 1 3 1 2w 1x 3 y 1z

1 1 2 1 1w 1x 2 y 1z
3 2 5 2 y 3w 2 x 5 y 2 z
This is not a basis because
z the
vectors are not independent

2
1
3
1




w 1 x 1 y 2 z 1
3
2
5
2

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the range of T, remember that the columns of M span its range .

w
2 1 3 1 2w 1x 3 y 1z

1 1 2 1 1w 1x 2 y 1z
3 2 5 2 y 3w 2 x 5 y 2 z
This is not a basis because
z the
vectors are not independent

2
1
3
1




w 1 x 1 y 2 z 1
3
2
5
2

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the range of T, remember that the columns of M span its range .
Find the largest INDEPENDENT subset of
w the set of the columns of M .

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

x
y

z

2w 1x 3 y 1z

1w 1x 2 y 1z
3w 2 x 5 y 2 z

2
1
3
1




w 1 x 1 y 2 z 1
3
2
5
2




These 2 vectors still span the range
and they are independent.

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the range of T, remember that the columns of M span its range .
Find the largest INDEPENDENT subset of
w the set of the columns of M .

2 1 3 1

1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

x
y

z

2w 1x 3 y 1z

1w 1x 2 y 1z
3w 2 x 5 y 2 z

2
1
3
1




w 1 x 1 y 2 z 1
3
2
5
2

{ , }
A basis for the range of T

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

To find a basis for the range of T, remember that the columns of M span its range .
Find the largest INDEPENDENT subset of
w the set of the columns of M .

2 1 3 1 2w 1x 3 y 1z
Hint: wherever you see a FNZE

in the reduced
x echelon
form of the matrix,

2 1to include
1x for
2the
y range.
1z
choose the original column of1 the1matrix
your basis
y in1w
3 2 5 2 3w 2 x 5 y 2 z

1 0 1 0 0
2
1
3
1

1
w 1 x 1 y 2 z 1
0 1 1 1 0
3
2
5
2
0 0 0 0 0

{ , }

the reduced echelon form of M

(see slide 7 )

A basis for the range of T

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

A basis for
1

the null space =

,
0

the dimension of
the null space = 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

2

A basis for
1
the range =
3

1

, 1
2

the dimension of
the range = 2

 2 1 3 1

M 1 1 2 1
3 2 5 2

A basis for
1

the null space =

,
0

the dimension of
the null space = 2

Let M be the matrix for the linear mapping T

( ie: Tx Mx
)

2

A basis for
1
the range =
3

1

, 1
2

the dimension of
the null range = 2

The domain = R4

the dimension of
the domain = 4

The dimension of the null space + the dimension of the range

=the dimension of the domain