Math 415. Exam 1.

September 28, 2017

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Discussion Section:

• There are 18 problems worth 5 points each.

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• This is a 70 minute exam.

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95. D
96. C

1
1. (5 points) Consider the following multiplication of two 3 × 3-matrices, where the
question marks represent unknown coefficients:
    
9 8 6 8 1 4 c11 c12 c13
? 9 ? 2 ? ? = c21 c22 c23  .
? 3 1 3 3 ? c31 c32 c33
With the information given, only one coefficient in the matrix on the right hand side
can be calculated. Which one is it?

(A) F c11
(B) c31
(C) c21
(D) c12
(E) None of the other answers.

Solution. Only the first row of the first matrix and the first column of the second
matrix are fully determined. Thus we can only compute c11 , which is 9 · 8 + 8 · 2 + 6 · 3.

2
2. (5 points) Let a, b be non-zero vectors in R3 , where a is not a scalar multiple of b.
Which of the following is a description of the set span(a, b)?
(A) It is R2 .
(B) It is a line in R3 through the origin.
(C) It is the union of two lines in R3 .
(D) F It is a plane in R3 through the origin.
(E) None of the other answers.

Solution. If the two vectors are not scalar multiples of each other, b is not in the line
spanned by a in R3 . So the two vectors span a subspace
  which is a plane (2-dimensional)
0
and the origin is a point on that plane, because 0 is a scalar multiple of either vector.
0
Note that while span(a, b) is 2-dimensional, it is not R2 . Because vectors in R2 have
just two entries, but vectors in span(a, b) have three entries.

3
3. (5 points) Let a1 , a2 and b be three vectors in R3 and suppose b is in span(a1 , a2 ).
Consider the matrix A = a1 a2 b , that is the matrix whose first column is a1 ,
whose second column is a2 and whose third column is b. Which of the following
statements is true?
 
1 0 0
(A) A is row equivalent to 0 1 0.
0 0 1
(B) None of the other answers.
(C) F A has at most 2 pivots.
(D) A is invertible.

Solution.
 In order for b to be in span(a1 , a2 ), the
 linear system
 with the augmented
matrix a1 a2 b has to be consistent. Thus a1 a2 b can not have 3 pivots.
Thus A can not have three pivots.

4
  
1 b
4. (5 points) For which values of b is the matrix invertible?
2 2b

(A) For any number b different from 1.

(B) F For no number b.
(C) None of the other answers.
(D) For any number b.
(E) For any number b different from 0.

Solution. This matrix is not invertible for any choice of b, as 1 ∗ 2b − b ∗ 2 = 0.

5
5. (5 points) Let A be a 3 × 3 matrix and b ∈ R3 . Consider the following statements:
 
1 0 0
I. The row reduced echelon form of A is 0 1 0.
0 0 1
II. If the linear system Ax = b has a solution, then it has a unique solution.
Which one of these statements is always true?
(A) Statement I only.
(B) Statement II only.
(C) Statement I and Statement II.
(D) F Neither of Statements I or II.

Solution. We do not know how many pivots the matrix A has. Both of these state-
ments are true only when the matrix A has exactly 3 pivots.

6
6. (5 points) Let      
1 1 1
w =  h , v1 =  1  , v2 =  2  .
h 1 3
For which values of h is w a linear combination of v 1 and v 2 ?
(A) Only when h = −1.
(B) F Only when h = 1.
(C) For no value of h.
(D) None of the other answers.

Solution. We have to determine when the following system of equations is consistent:

     
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
R2→R2−R1 R3→R3−R1
 1 2 h  −−−−−−−→  0 1 h − 1  −−−−−−−→  0 1 h − 1 
1 3 h 1 3 h 0 2 h−1
 
1 1 1
R3→R3−2R2
−−−−−−−→ 0 1 h − 1 

0 0 −h + 1

The system is consistent if and only if −h + 1 = 0, i.e., h = 1.

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    
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ 1 0 0 0
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ 0 1 0 0
7. (5 points) The matrix A = 
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ is reduced to the identity matrix 0
  
0 1 0
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ 0 0 0 1
using the following row operations (in the given order):
(1) R2 ↔ R4.
(2) R2 → R2 + 2R1 ,
What is A−1 ?
 
1 0 0 0
0 0 0 1
(A) 
0 0 1 0

2 1 0 0
 
1 0 0 0
 0 0 0 1
(B) 
 0 0 1 0

−2 1 0 0
 
1 0 0 0
2 0 0 1
(C) F 
0 0 1 0

0 1 0 0
(D) None of the other answers.
 
1 0 0 0
−2 0 0 1
(E) 
0

0 1 0
0 1 0 0

 
1 0 0 0
2 1 0 0
0 0 1 0 be the elementary matrix corresponding to R2 →
Solution. Let E2 =  
0 0 0 1
 
1 0 0 0
0 0 0 1
0 0 1 0 be the elementary matrix corresponding to R2 ↔ R4.
R2+2R1, and E1 =  
0 1 0 0

8
Then E2 E1 A = I. Thus E2 E1 is the inverse of A. Thus
 
1 0 0 0
2 0 0 1
A−1 = 


0 0 1 0
0 1 0 0

9
  
1 −1 3 4
0 2 −2 1
8. (5 points) Let A = 
0 0
. Which one of the following statements is true?
0 4
0 0 0 5

(A) F There is b ∈ R4 such that Ax = b is inconsistent.

(B) A is invertible.
(C) None of the other answers.
(D) Ax = 0 has exactly one solution.
(E) A does not have an LU decomposition.

 
1 −1 3 4
0 2 −2 1
Solution. Since an echelon form of A is 0 0
 there are free variables, thus
0 1
0 0 0 0
 
0
0
the system Ax = b cannot have only one solution. The vector b =   1  makes the

−1
system inconsistent. Since the number of pivots is strictly less than 4, A is noninvertible.
Since A is upper triangular A = IA is a valid LU decomposition.

10
9. (5 points) Let A be an m × n matrix. Which one of the following statements is true?
(A) F AT A is an n × n matrix.
(B) AT A is an m × n matrix.
(C) AT A is an m × m matrix.
(D) AT A is an n × m matrix.
(E) None of the other answers.

Solution. Since AT is an n × m matrix and A is an m × n matrix , we know that AT A

is an n × n matrix.

11
10. (5 points) Which of the following vectors does NOT belong to the set
     
1 2 4
2 4  8 
span 
3 , 6 , 12?
     
0 0 0
 
3
6
(A) 9

0
 
0
0
(B) 0

0
 
11
22
(C) 33

0
 
2
4
(D) 6

0
 
5
10
(E) F  20

0

       
1 2 4 1
2 4  8  2
Solution. span  3 , 6 , 12 = span 3, so each vector in the set must
       
0 0 0 0
   
1 5
2 10
be a scalar multiple of 
3. Of the choices, only 20 is not.
  
0 0

12
11. (5 points) Which one of the following statements is FALSE?
(A) If a system of linear equations has two different solutions, it must have infinitely
many solutions.
(B) If A is invertible, the equation Ax = b has exactly one solution.
(C) Every matrix is row equivalent to a unique matrix in reduced row echelon form.
(D) F Every system of n linear equations in n variables has exactly one solution.

Solution. For a matrix A, its reduced echelon form is unique, so this option is true.
There are n × n inconsistent linear systems, so this option is also false. The possibilities
for a system of linear equations are “no solutions”,“exactly one solution” and “infinitely
many solutions”.Thus if a system has at least 2 solutions, then it must in fact have
infinitely many solutions,so this option is true. If A is invertible, the solution is unique
and given by x = A−1 b, so this option is also true.

13
  
12. (5 points) Let A = a1 a2 be a 3 × 2 matrix and suppose that
   
1   1  
1 1
Ax = 0 , for x = , and Ay = 1 , for y =
1 2
1 1

Then the following holds:

(A)    
1 1
= 1a1 + 1a2 , = 1a1 + 2a2
1 2

(B) None of the other answers.

(C) F    
1 1
0 = a1 + a2 , 1 = a1 + 2a2
1 1

(D)    
1 1
0 = a1 + 2a2 , 1 = a1 + a2
1 1

(E)    
1 1
= a1 + 0a2 + 3a3 , = 1a1 + 1a2 + 1a3
1 2

Solution. Matrix Multiplication is linear combination, so Ax = x1 a1 + x2 a2 for a 3 × 2

matrix.

14
13. (5 points) Let P be the 4 × 4-permutation matrix that permutes the second row
and the third row. Which of the following statements is true?
   
1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 1 0 0
 and (P −1 )9 = 0 0 1 0.
 
(A) P 7 = 
0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
   
1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 1 0 0
 and (P −1 )9 = 0 1 0 0.
 
(B) P 7 = 
0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
   
1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 −1 9
0 1 0 0
(C) P 7 = 
0 1 0 0 and (P ) = 0 0 1 0.
  
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
(D) None of the other answers.
   
1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
 0 0 1 0  and (P −1 )9 = 0
 0 1 0
(E) F P 7 = 
0
.
1 0 0 0 1 0 0
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

 
1 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 −1
Solution. From class we know that P = 
0 1 0 0 and P = P . Observe that

0 0 0 1
P = I4 whenever n is even, and P = P whenever n is odd. Thus P 7 = P and
n n

(P −1 )9 = P 9 = P .

15
14. (5 points) Find an explicit description of the null space of
 
1 0 −1 −2
A = 0 1 2 1 .
0 0 0 1

that is, find a minimal set of vectors v1 , . . . , vp such that Nul(A) = span (v1 , . . . , vp ) .
(A) None of the other answers.
 
1
−2
(B) F 1

0
     
1 0 2
(C) 0 , 1 , 0
0 0 1
   
1 0
−2 0
 1  , 0
(D)    
0 1
 
−1
(E) 2 .

0

Solution. Nul(A) is the set of all solutions to the homogeneous equation

 
  x1  
1 0 −1 −2   0
0 1 2 x2   
1 x3  = 0 .
0 0 0 1 0
x4

We identify x1 , x2 and x4 as pivot variables and x3 as the free variable. Thus we can
write the general solution as
     
x1 x3 1
x2  −2x3  −2
 =
x3   x3  = x3  1  .
  
x4 0 0

16
where x3 ∈ R is free. We conclude that

1
−2
 1  .
Nul(A) = span   
0

17
15. (5 points) Consider the following subsets of R2 :
   
a a
W1 = { : a ∈ R}, W2 = { : ab = 1}.
a b
Then:
(A) F Only W1 is a subspace of R2 .
(B) Only W2 is a subspace of R2 .
(C) Neither W1 nor W2 is a subspace of R2 .
(D) Both W1 and W2 are subspaces of R2 .

 
1
Solution. W1 is a subspace, because W1 = span{ }. The second subset W2 is not a
1
 
0
subspace. Simply observe that the is not in W2 .
0

18
16. (5 points) Consider the following matrix
 
1 1 −1 0
 −2 −2 2 0 .
2 2 −2 0

What is the number of pivot positions of this matrix?

(A) 3
(B) 0
(C) None of the other answers.
(D) F 1
(E) 2

Solution.
     
1 1 −1 0 1 1 −1 0 1 1 −1 0
A = −2 −2 2 0 → 0 0 0 0 → 0 0 0 0
R2→R2+2R1 R3→R3−2R1
2 2 −2 0 2 2 −2 0 0 0 0 0

One pivot!

19
17. (5 points) Let  
1 2 3
A = 0 4 1 .
3 2 1
Which of the following is the matrix L in an LU factorization of A?
 
1 0 0
(A) F L = 0 1 0 .
3 −1 1
 
1 0 0
(B) L =  0 1 0 .
−3 1 1
 
1 0 0
(C) L = 0 1 0 .
3 1 1
 
1 0 0
(D) L =  0 1 0 .
−3 −1 1
(E) None of the other answers.

Solution.
     
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
R3 → R3 − 3R1  R → R3 + R2 
A = 0 4 1 −−−−−−−−−−→ 0 4 1  −−3−−−−−−−−→ 0 4 1  ,
3 2 1 0 −4 −8 0 0 −1

where
     
1 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 3
E1 =  0 1 0 , E2 = 0 1 0 , U = 0 4 1  , and E2 E1 A = U
−3 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 −7

So     
1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
L = E1−1 E2−1 = 0 1 0 0 1 0 = 0 1 0
3 0 1 0 −1 1 3 −1 1

20
  
x
18. (5 points) Let D = { : x2 + y 2 ≤ 1} denote the set of vectors in the unit disk
y
of R2 . It can be shown that D is NOT a subspace of R2 . Which of the following tests
does D fail to satisfy? (Select all that apply.)
I. contains the zero vector
II. closed under vector addition
III. closed under scalar multiplication
(A) III. only
(B) I., II., and III.
(C) II. only
(D) F II. and III. only

     
0 1 0
Solution. The zero vector satisfies 02 + 02 ≤ 1. The vectors and each
0 0 1
   
1 1
belong in D, but their sum does not, as 12 + 12 > 1. Finally, if we scale by 2,
1 0
 
2
then does not belong in D since 22 + 02 > 1.
0

21