LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

C ONTENTS

1. Vector Space 2
1.1. Assignment-Problems: Vector spaces 2
1.2. Assignment-Problems: Subspaces 3
1.3. Assignment-Problems: Linear span 4
1.4. Assignment-Problems: Linear independence 5
1.5. Assignment-Problems: Basis, Dimension and Quotient space 6
1.6. Assignment-Problems: Additional problems 8
2. Linear Transformations 10
2.1. Assignment-Problems: Linearity 10
2.2. Rank and nullity 11
2.3. Matrix representations 12
2.4. Change of basis 13
2.5. Space of linear transformations 14
2.6. Additional Problems on Linear transformations 14

1
2 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

1. Vector Space

1.1. Assignment-Problems: Vector spaces. In the following a set V, a field F, which is

either R or C, and operations of addition + and scalar multiplication ·, are given. For α ∈ F
and x ∈ V, we write their multiplication α · x as α x. Check whether V is a vector space over
F, with these operations.
(1) V = {(x1 , x2 ) ∈ R2 : x2 = 0}, F = R, with + and · as in R2 .
(2) V = {(x1 , x2 ) ∈ R2 : 2x1 + 3x2 = 0}, F = R, with + and · as in R2 .
(3) V = {x = (x1 , x2 ) ∈ R2 : x1 + x2 = 1}, F = R, with + and · as in R2 .
(4) V = R2 , F = R with + as in R2 and for x = (x1 , x2 ) ∈ V and α ∈ R, αx := (x2 , αx1 ).
(5) V = C2 , F = C. For x = (x1 , x2 ), y = (y1 , y2 ) and α ∈ C,
x + y := (x1 + 2y1 , x2 + 3y2 ), α x := (α x1 , α x2 ).
(6) V = R2 , F = R with + as in R2 and for x = (x1 , x2 ) ∈ V and α ∈ R, α x := (x1 , 0).
(7) V = R2 , F = R with + as in R2 and for x = (x1 , x2 ) ∈ V and α ∈ R, α x := (α x1 , −α x2 ).
(8) V = {(x1 , x2 ) ∈ R2 : x1 x2 = 0}, F = R, with + and · as in R2 .
(9) V = {x ∈ R : x ≥ 0}, the set of non-negative real numbers, and F = R. For x, y ∈
V, α ∈ R,
x + y := xy, α x := |α|x.
(10) V = R ([a, b], R), the set of all real valued Riemann integrable functions on [a, b], and
F = R, with usual addition and scalar multiplication of functions.
(11) V is the set of all polynomials of degree 5 with real coefficients and F = R, with
usual addition and scalar multiplication of polynomials.
(12) Let S be a non-empty set and s0 ∈ S. Let V be the set of all functions f : S → R with
f (s0 ) = 0 and F = R, with usual addition and scalar multiplication of functions.
(13) V is the set of all functions f : R → C satisfying f (−t) = f (t) and F = R, with usual
addition and scalar multiplication of functions.
 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS 3

1.2. Assignment-Problems: Subspaces.

(1) In the following, vector space V over F ∈ {R, C} is given with usual operations on
it. Check whether the given subset U is a subspace of V .
(a) V = P3 and U = {a1t + a2t 2 + a3t 3 : a0 = 0}.
(b) V = P3 and U = {a0 + a1t + a2t 2 + a3t 3 : a2 = 0}.
(c) V = P3 and U = {a0 + a1t + a2t 2 + a3t 3 : a1 + a2 + a3 + a4 = 0}.
(d) V is the plane R2 and U is any straight line passing through the origin.
(e) V = R2 and U = {(x1 , x2 ) : x2 = 2x1 − 1}.
(f) V = R3 and U = {(x1 , x2 , x3 ) : 2x1 − x2 − x3 = 0}.
(g) V = C [−1, 1] and U = { f ∈ V : f is an odd function}.
(h) V = C [0, 1] and U = { f ∈ V : f (t) ≥ 0 for all t ∈ [0, 1]}.
(i) V = C k [a, b] and U = P [a, b] for each k ≥ 1.
(j) V = C [0, 1] and U = { f ∈ V : f is differentiable}.
(k) V = C [−1, 1; and U = { f ∈ V : f is an odd function }.
(l) V = P3 (R) and U = {p ∈ V : p(0) = 0}.
(m) V = P3 (C) and U = {p ∈ V : p(1) = 0}.
(n) V = P3 (C) and U = {a + bt + ct 2 + dt 3 : a, b, c, d integers }.
(2) For α ∈ F, let Vα = {(a, b, c) ∈ F3 : a + b + c = α}. Show that Vα is a subspace of F3
iff α = 0.
(3) Give an example of a nonempty subset of R2 which is closed under scalar multipli-
cation but is not a subspace of R2 .
(4) Suppose U is a subspace of V and V is a subspace of W. Show that U is a subspace
of W.
(5) Give an example of two subspaces of C3 whose union is not a subspace of C3 .
(6) Show by a counter-example that if U +W = U + X for subspaces U,W, X of V, then
W need not be equal to X.
(7) Let m ∈ N. Does the set {0} ∪ {p ∈ P : degree of p is equal to m} form a subspace
of P ?
(8) Let u1 , . . . , un be vectors in a vector space V. Let U := {α1 u1 +. . .+αn un : α1 , . . . , αn ∈
F}. Show that U is a subspace of V.
(9) Prove that the only non-trivial proper subspaces of R2 are straight lines passing
through the origin.
4 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

1.3. Assignment-Problems: Linear span.

(1) Let e1 = (1, 0, 0), e2 = (0, 1, 0) and e3 = (0, 0, 1). Show that
span{e1 + e2 , e2 + e3 , e3 + e1 } = R3
(2) What is span{t n : n = 0, 2, 4, 6, . . .}?
(3) Do the polynomials t 3 − 2t 2 + 1, 4t 2 − t + 3, and 3t − 2 span P3 ?
(4) Let u1 (t) = 1, and for j = 2, 3, . . . , let u j (t) = 1 + t + . . . + t j . Show that span of
{u1 , . . . , un } is Pn , and span of {u1 , u2 , . . .} is P .
3 5
(5) We know that sin x = x − x3! + x5! − · · · . Does sin x ∈ span{1, x, x2 , x3 , . . .}?
(6) Let U = {(a, b, c, d) ∈ R4 : 5a + 2b − c = 3a + 2c − d = 0}. Find a finite subset S of
U such that span(S) = U.
(7) Let x, y, z be vectors in a vector space V. Show that if x + y + z = 0, then span{x, y} =
span{x, z} = span{y, z}.
(8) Let S be a subset of a vector space V . Show that S is a subspace of V iff S = span(S).
(9) Let U be a subspace of a vector space V. Let w ∈ V \ U. Show that for every x ∈
span(U ∪ {w}), a unique pair (α, u) ∈ F ×U exists such that x = u + α w.
(10) Let V be a vector space; x, y ∈ V ; U is a subspace of V ; X = span(U ∪ {x}); Y =
span(U ∪ {y}). Suppose that y ∈ X \U. Show that x ∈ Y.
(11) Let u, v, w1 , . . . , wn be distinct vectors in a vector space V ; B = {u, w1 , . . . , wn }; and
E = {v, w1 , . . . , wn }. Prove that span(B) = span(E) iff u ∈ span(B) iff v ∈ span(E).
(12) Let S be a proper subset of a vector space. Show that if x is a vector such that
x ∈ span(S \ {x}), then span(S \ {x}) = span(S).
(13) Let A and B be subsets of a vector space V. Show that span(A ∩ B) ⊆ span(A) ∩
span(B). Give an example to show that span(A) ∩ span(B) need not be a subset of
span(A ∩ B).
(14) Let Pe = {p(t) ∈ P : p(−t) = p(t)}; Po = {p(t) ∈ P : p(−t) = −p(t)}. Show that
both Pe and Po are subspaces of P and that P = Pe ⊕ Po .
(15) Let U = {0, . . . , 0, an+1 , . . . , a2n ) : ai ∈ R}; V = {(a1 , . . . , a2n ) ∈ R2n : ai = an+i for
i = 1, . . . , n}. Does it follow that R2n = U ⊕V ?
(16) Construct three subspaces U,W, X of a vector space V so that V = U ⊕ W and V =
U ⊕ X but W 6= X.
(17) Suppose U and W are subspaces of a vector space V . Show that U + W = U iff
W ⊆ U.
 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS 5

1.4. Assignment-Problems: Linear independence.

(1) Is {(1, 1, 0, 2), (1, 1, 3, 2), (4, 2, 1, 2)} linearly independent in R4 ?
(2) Is {6, 2, 1), (4, 3, −1), (2, 4, 1)} linearly independent in C3 ?
(3) Let {u, v, w, x} be linearly independent in a vector space V. Does it imply that {u +
v, v + w, w + x, x + u} is linearly independent in V ?
(4) Show that the vectors (1, 0, 0), (0, 2, 0), (0, 0, 3) and (1, 2, 3) are linearly dependent,
but any three of them are linearly independent.
(5) Give three vectors in R2 such that none of the three is a scalar multiple of another.
(6) In each of the following, a vector space V and S ⊆ V are given. Determine whether
S is linearly dependent and if it is, express one of the vectors in S as a linear combi-
nation of some or all of the remaining vectors.
(a) V = R3 , S = {(1, 0, −1), (2, 5, 1), (0, −4, 3)}.
(b) V = R3 , S = {(1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6), (7, 8, 9)}.
(c) V = R3 , S = {(1, −3, −2), (−3, 1, 3), (2, 5, 7)}.
(d) V = P3 , S = {t 2 − 3t + 5, t 3 + 2t 2 − t + 1, t 3 + 3t 2 − 1}.
(e) V = P3 , S = {−2t 3 − 11t 2 + 3t + 2, t 3 − 2t 2 + 3t + 1, 2t 3 + t 2 + 3t − 2}.
(f) V = P3 , S = {6t 3 − 3t 2 + t + 2, t 3 − t 2 + 2t + 3, 2t 3 + t 2 − 3t + 1}.
(g) V is the set of all real valued functions defined on R and S = {2, sin2 t, cos2 t}.
(h) V as above and S = {1, sint, sin 2t}.
(i) V = C([−π, π]), S = {sint, sin 2t, . . . , sin nt} for some n ∈ N.
(7) Let p1 (t) = 1 + t + 3t 2 , p2 (t) = 2 + 4t + t 2 , p3 (t) = 2t + 5t 2 . Are the polynomials
p1 , p2 , p3 linearly independent?
(8) Prove that in the vector space of all real valued functions defined on R, the set
{ex , xex , x3 ex } of functions is linearly independent.
(9) Let V = C2 . Determine conditions on α, β ∈ C such that the vectors (α, 1), (β, 1) in
C2 are linearly dependent.
(10) Let V = C3 . Determine conditions on α, β, γ ∈ C such that the vectors (1, α, α2 ), (1, β, β2 )
and (1, γ, γ2 ) in C3 are linearly dependent.
(11) Let E be any subset of a vector space V. Prove that E is linearly dependent iff there
exist finite number of vectors in E which are linearly dependent.
(12) Let E be any subset of a vector space V. Prove that E is linearly independent iff there
exist finite number of vectors in E which are linearly independent.
(13) Prove that 0 does not belong to any linearly independent set.
(14) Prove that all supersets of a linearly dependent sets are linearly dependent.
(15) Prove that all subsets of a linearly independent set are linearly independent.
(16) Let U be a subspace of V. Let E be a linearly independent set in U. Prove that E is a
linearly independent in V.
(17) Suppose S is a set of vectors and some v ∈ S is not a linear combination of other
vectors in S. Does it follow that S linearly independent?
(18) Show that two vectors (a, b) and (c, d) in R2 are linearly independent if and only if
ad − bc 6= 0.
6 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

1.5. Assignment-Problems: Basis, Dimension and Quotient space.

(1) Is {−1 − t − 2t 2 , 2 + t − 2t 2 , 1 − 2t + 4t 2 } a basis for P2 ?

(2) Is {1 + 2t + t 2 , 3 + t 2 ,t + t 2 } a basis for P2 ?
(3) Is {1 + 2t + 3t 2 , 4 − 5t + 6t 2 , 3t + t 2 } a basis for P2 ?
(4) Let {x, y, z} be a basis for a vector space V. Check whether {x + y, y + z, z + x} is a
basis for V ?
(5) Extend the set {1 + t 2 , 1 − t 2 } to a basis of P3 .
(6) Find a basis for the subspace {(x1 , x2 , x3 ) ∈ R3 : x1 + x2 + x3 = 0} of R3 .
(7) Construct a basis for {(x1 , . . . , x6 ) ∈ R6 : x2 = 2x1 , x4 = 4x3 , x6 = 6x5 }.
(8) Does there exist a basis for P 4 none of the vectors of which is of degree 3?
(9) Under what conditions on α, {(1, α, 0), (α, 0, 1), (1 + α, α, 1)} is a basis of R3 ?
(10) Is {1 + t n ,t + t n , . . . ,t n−1 + t n ,t n } a basis for Pn ?
(11) Let u1 = 1 and let u j = 1+t +t 2 +· · ·+t j−1 for j ≥ 2. Prove or disprove: span{u1 , . . . , un } =
Pn and span{u1 , u2 , . . .} = P .
(12) Let v1 , . . . , vn be linearly independent vectors in a vector space V. Suppose w ∈ V
is such that the vectors w + v1 , . . . , w + vn are linearly dependent. Show that w ∈
span{v1 , . . . , vn }.
(13) Find bases and dimensions of the following subspaces of R5 :
(a) {(x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 , x5 ) ∈ R5 : x1 − x3 − x4 = 0}.
(b) {(x1 , x2 , x3 , x4 , x5 ) ∈ R5 : x2 = x3 = x4 , x1 + x5 = 0}.
(c) span{(1, −1, 0, 2, 1), (2, 1, −2, 0, 0), (0, −3, 2, 4, 2),
(3, 3, −4, −2, −1), (2, 4, 1, 0, 1), (5, 7, −3, −2, 0)}.
(14) Find dim(span{1 + t 2 , −1 + t + t 2 , −6 + 3t, 1 + t 2 + t 3 ,t 3 }).
(15) Find a basis, and hence dimension, for each of the following subspaces of the vector
space V of all twice differentiable functions from R to R:
(a) {x ∈ V : x00 + x = 0}.
(b) {x ∈ V : x00 − 4x0 + 3x = 0}.
(c) {x ∈ V : x000 − 6x00 + 11x0 − 6x = 0}.
(16) Show that if U and W are subspace of R9 such that dimU = 5 = dimW, then U ∩W 6=
/
0.
(17) Let U = {(a, b, c, d) ∈ R4 : b = −a} and W = {(a, b, c, d) : c = −a}. Find the dimen-
sions of the subspaces U,W,U +W, and U ∩W of R4 .
(18) Is span{e1 + e2 , e2 + e3 , e3 + e1 } a proper subspace of R3 ? Why?
(19) Prove that the only nonzero proper subspaces of R2 are the straight lines passing
through the origin.
(20) Show that U := {αt 3 + βt 7 : (α, β) ∈ R2 } is a subspace of P . Find a subspace W of
P such that U ⊕W = P .
(21) In each of the following subspaces U and W of a vector space V, determine the bases
and dimensions of U,W,U ∩W and of U +W.
(a) V = R3 , U = span{(1, 2, 3), (2, 1, 1)}, W = span{(1, 0, 1), (3, 0, −1)}.
(b) V = R4 , U = span{(1, 0, 2, 0), (1, 0, 3, 0), },
W = span{(1, 0, 0, 0), (0, 1, 0, 0), (0, 0, 1, 1)}.
 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS 7

(c) V = C4 , U = span{(1, 0, 3, 2), (10, 4, 14, 8), (1, 1, −1, −1)},

W = {(1, 0, 0, 2), (3, 1, 0, 2), (7, 0, 5, 2)}.
(22) Consider each polynomial in P as a function from the set {0, 1, 2} to R. Is the set of
vectors {t,t 2 ,t 3 ,t 4 ,t 5 } linearly independent?
(23) Given real numbers a0 , a1 , . . . , ak , let V be the set of all solutions x ∈ Ck [a, b] of the
differential equation
dkx d k−1 x
a0 k + a1 k−1 + · · · + ak x = 0.
dt dt
Show that V is a vector space over R. What is dim(V )?
(24) Consider the set S of all vectors in R4 whose components are either 0 or 1. How
many subsets of S are bases for R4 ?
(25) Suppose the vectors v1 , . . . , vn span the space V. Show that the vectors v1 , v2 −v1 , . . . , vn −
v1 also span V. Show also that if v1 , . . . , vn are linearly independent, then v1 , v2 −
v1 , . . . , vn − v1 are linearly independent.
(26) Let V be a vector space. Suppose that v1 , . . . , vn , . . . are in V such that for each m ∈ N,
the vectors v1 , . . . , vm are linearly independent. Show that dim(V ) = ∞.
(27) Show that dim(F∞ ) = ∞.
(28) Show that dim(C [0, 1]) = ∞.
(29) Let U and W be subspaces of F7 with dim(U) = 4 and dim(W ) = 3. Show that
U +W = F7 iff U ∩W = {0} iff F7 = U ⊕W.
(30) Let U be a subspace of a vector space V. Show that dim(U) ≤ dim(V ). Further, if U
is a finite dimensional proper subspace of V, then show that dim(U) < dim(V ).
(31) Let U and W be subspaces of a vector space of dimension 2n + 1. Show that if
dim(U) = dim(W ) ≥ n + 1, then U ∩W contains a nonzero vector.
(32) Determine the quotient space P /U for each of the following cases:
(a) U = Pn .
(b) U is the subspace of all polynomials of even degree.
(c) U is the subspace of all polynomials which are divisible by t n for a fixed n.
(33) Let U and W be subspaces of a finite dimensional vector space V. Prove that any
basis of (U +W )/U is in one-one correspondence with any basis of W /(U ∩W ).
(34) Let U be a subspace of a vector space V. Let u, v, x, y ∈ V. Let α, β ∈ F. Show that if
u ≡U x and v ≡U y, then α u + βv ≡U α x + βy.
8 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

1.6. Assignment-Problems: Additional problems.

(1) Suppose S is a set consisting of n elements and V is the set of all real valued functions
defined on S. Show that V is a vector space of dimension n.
(2) Let U and W be subspaces of a vector space V. Prove the following:
(a) U ∪W = V iff U = V or W = V.
(b) U ∪W is a subspace of V iff U ⊆ W or W ⊆ U.
(c) Let U ∩ W = {0}. If v ∈ U + W, then there are unique u ∈ U, w ∈ W such that
v = u + w.
(3) Let V be a vector
n space. Prove that V is not a finite
o union of proper subspaces.
(4) Let `1 (N) := x ∈ F (N, F) : ∑∞j=1 |x( j)| < ∞ , where F (N, F) is the space of all
scalar sequences. Show that `1 (N) is asubspace of F (N, F).
(5) For a nonempty set Ω, let `∞ (Ω) := x ∈ F (S, F) : sups∈S |x(s)| < ∞ . Note that
`∞ (Ω) is the set of all bounded functions on S. Thus, x ∈ `∞ (Ω) if and only there
exists Mx > 0 such that |x(s)| ≤ Mx for all s ∈ S. In particular, `∞ (N) is the set of all
bounded sequences of scalars.
Show that `∞ (Ω) is a subspace of F (S, F)
(6) Show that
c00 := {x ∈ F (N, F) : ∃ k ∈ N such that x(n) = 0 ∀ n ≥ k},
c0 := {x ∈ F (N, F) : x(n) → 0 as n → ∞},
c := {x ∈ F (N, F) : (x(n)) converges }
are subspaces of `∞ (N). We observe that c00 ⊆ `1 (N) ⊆ c0 ⊆ c ⊆ `∞ (N). Are these
inclusions proper?
(7) Suppose Λ is a set, and for each λ ∈ Λ let Vλ be a subspace of a vector space V . Then
prove that ∩λ∈ΛVλ is a subspace of V.
(8) If one defines U −W = {u − v : u ∈ U, v ∈ V } for subspaces U, W of a vector space
V, then which of the following would hold and which do not?
U −U = {0}, U −W = U +W, (U −W ) +W = U.
(9) Let U,W, X be subspaces of a vector space V. Prove or give a counter-example: if
U ⊕W = U ⊕ X, then W = X.
(10) Show that a subset {u1 , . . . , un } of V is linearly independent iff the function (α1 , . . . , αn ) 7→
α1 u1 + · · · + αn un from Fn into V is injective.
(11) Answer the following questions with justification:
(a) Is every subset of a linearly independent set linearly independent?
(b) Is every subset of a linearly dependent set linearly dependent?
(c) Is every superset of a linearly independent set linearly independent?
(d) Is every superset of a linearly dependent set linearly dependent?
(e) Is union of two linearly independent sets linearly independent?
(f) Is union of two linearly dependent sets linearly dependent?
(g) Is intersection of two linearly independent sets linearly independent?
(h) Is intersection of two linearly dependent sets linearly dependent?
 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS 9

(12) Let U be a finite dimensional subspace of a vector space V. Show that any subspace
W of V that satisfies U +W = V and U ∩W = {0} has dimension dim(V ) − dim(U).
(13) Let U1 , . . . ,Uk be subspaces of a vector space V. Prove that V = U1 ⊕ · · · ⊕Uk iff for
all x1 ∈ U1 , . . . , xk ∈ Uk , x1 + · · · + xk = 0 implies that x1 = · · · = xk = 0.
(14) Let V be an infinite dimensional vector space. Show that there exists a sequence
v1 , v2 , . . . , of vectors in V such that for each n ∈ N, the vectors v1 , . . . , vn are linearly
independent.
(15) For λ ∈ [a, b], let uλ (t) = exp (λt), t ∈ [a, b]. Show that {uλ : λ ∈ [a, b]} is an uncount-
able linearly independent subset of C [a, b].
(16) Given a0 , a1 , . . . , an ∈ R, let
V = { f ∈ Ck [0, 1] : an f (n) (t) + · · · + a1 f (1) (t) + a0 f (t) = 0 ∀t ∈ [0, 1]}.
Show that V is a subspace of Ck [0, 1], and find its dimension.
(17) Show that if {u1 , . . . , un } is a linearly independent subset of a vector space V , and
if W is a subspace of V such that {u1 , . . . , un } ∩ W = 0, / then every x in the span of
{u1 , . . . , un ,W } can be written uniquely as x = α1 u1 +· · ·+αn un +y with (α1 , . . . , αn ) ∈
Fn , y ∈ W .
(18) Show that if E1 and E2 are linearly independent subsets of V such that span(E1 ) ∩
span(E2 ) = {0}, then E1 ∪ E2 is linearly independent.
(19) Let p1 (t), . . . , pn+1 (t) ∈ Pn be such that p1 (1) = · · · = pn+1 (1) = 0. Show that the
polynomials p1 (t), . . . , pn+1 (t) are linearly dependent in Pn .
(20) Let U1 , . . . ,Un be finite dimensional subspaces of a vector space V. Prove that dim(U1 +
· · · +Un ) ≤ dim(U1 ) + · · · + dim(Un ).
(21) Let U,W and X be subspaces of a finite dimensional vector space V. Are the following
true?
(a) If U ⊕W = V, then W ⊕U = V ?
(b) If U ⊕ (W ⊕ X) = V, then (U ⊕W ) ⊕ X = V.
(22) Let U1 , . . . ,Un be subspaces of a finite dimensional vector space V. Prove the follow-
ing.
(a) If dim(U1 ) + · · · + dim(Un ) = V, then V = U1 ⊕ · · · ⊕Un .
(b) dim(U1 ⊕ · · · ⊕Un ) = dim(U1 ) + · · · + dim(Un ).
(c) Each vector in V can be written as a unique sum of vectors from the subspaces
U1 , . . . ,Un iff V = U1 + · · · + Un and for each i ∈ {2, . . . , n}, Ui ∩ (U1 + · · · +
Ui−1 ) = {0}.
(d) V = U1 ⊕ · · · ⊕ Un iff V = U1 + · · · + Un and whenever 0 = u1 + · · · + un for
u1 ∈ U1 , . . . , un ∈ Un , we have u1 = · · · = un = 0.
(23) Let V be a vector space. Show that dim(V ) = n ≥ 1 iff there exist one dimensional
subspaces U1 , . . . ,Un such that V = U1 ⊕ · · · ⊕Un .
10 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

2. Linear Transformations

2.1. Assignment-Problems: Linearity.

(1) In each of the following determine whether T : R2 → R2 is a linear transformation:

(a) T (a, b) = (1, b)
(b) T (a, b) = (a, a2 )
(c) T (a, b) = (|a|, b)
(d) T (a, b) = (a + 1, b)
(2) Consider C as a vector space over R. Which of the following f : C → R are linear
functionals?
(a) f (a + ib) = a,
(b) f (a + ib) = b,
(c) f (a + ib) = a2 ,
(d) f (a + ib) = a√− ib,
(e) f (a + ib) = a2 + b2 .
What happens if you consider C as a vector space over C?
(3) Which of the following f : C3 → C are linear functionals?
(a) f (a, b, c) = a + b,
(b) f (a, b, c) = b − c2 ,
(c) f (a, b, c) = a + 2b − 3c.
(4) Which of the following f : P (R) → R are linear functionals?
R1
(a) f (p) = −1 p(t)dt,
R1
(b) f (p) = 0 (p(t))2 dt,
(c) f (p) = 01 p(t 2 )dt,
R
R1 2
(d) f (p) = −1 t p(t)dt,
(e) f (p) = d p/dt evaluated at t = 0.
(f) f (p) = d 2 p/dt 2 evaluated at t = 1.
(5) Which of the following T is a linear transformation?
(a) T : C1 [0, 1] → R with T (u) = 01 (u(t))2 dt.
R

(b) T : C1 [0, 1] → R2 with T (u) = ( 01 u(t) dt, u0 (0)).

R
onto
(c) T : Pn (R) −→ R with T (p(x)) = p(α), for a fixed α ∈ R.
(6) In each of the following, determine whether a linear transformation T with the given
properties exists:
(a) T : R2 → R3 with T (1, 1) = (1, 0, 2) and T (2, 3) = (1, −1, 4).
(b) T : R3 → R2 with T (1, 0, 3) = (1, 1) and T (−2, 0, −6) = (2, 1).
(c) T : R3 → R2 with T (1, 1, 0) = (0, 0), T (0, 1, 1) = (1, 1) and T (1, 0, 1) = (1, 0).
(d) T : P3 → R with T (a + bt 2 ) = 0 for any a, b ∈ R.
(7) Let S : C1 [0, 1] → C[0, 1] and T : C[0, 1] → R be defined by
Z 1
0
S(u) = u and T (v) = v(t) dt.
0
Find, if possible, ST and T S. Are they linear transformations?
 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS 11

(8) Check whether there exist a linear map T : C3 → C3 satisfying

T (1, i, −i) = (3i, 2i, −i),
T (i, 2i, −i) = (5, i, 1 + i),
T (−1, 2i − 2, 1 − 2i) = (11i, 4i − 1, 1 − 2i)?
(9) Determine all operators on R2 which map the line y = x into the line y = 3x.
(10) Denote by CR the vector space C over the field R. Give an example of an operator
on CR which is not an operator on C.

2.2. Rank and nullity.

(1) Let D be the differentiation operator on Pn (R). What is rankD?

(2) Let T : R4 → R4 be the linear transformation defined by
T (a, b, c, d) = (a − b, b + c, c − d, b + d).
What is nullity of T ? Is it surjective?
(3) Find the rank and nullity of the linear transformation T : C4 → C4 given by
T (a, b, c, d) = (a + b − 3c + d, a − b − c − d, 2a + b + 2c + d, a + 3b + 3d).
Give a basis for R(T ). Also, find dim(R(T ) ∩ span{(1, 1, 2, 2), (2, 0, 0, 5)}).
(4) Find the rank and nullity of the linear transformation T : P6 → P6 given by
T (p(t)) = p0 (t).
(5) Let T : F6 → F3 be a linear transformation such that
N(T ) = {(x1 , . . . , x6 ) ∈ F6 : x2 = 2x1 , x4 = 4x3 , x6 = 6x5 }.
Show that T is surjective.
(6) Show that there does not exist a linear transformation from F5 to F2 whose null space
is equal to {(x1 , . . . , x5 ) ∈ F5 : x2 = 2x1 , x4 = 4x3 , x5 = 6x4 }.
(7) Let U and V be finite dimensional vector spaces. Let T : U → V be a linear transfor-
mation. Give reasons for the following:
(a) rank(T ) ≤ dim(U).
(b) T surjective implies dim(V ) ≤ dim(U).
(c) T injective implies dim(U) ≤ dim(V ).
(d) dim(U) > dim(V ) implies T is not injective.
(e) dim(U) < dim(V ) implies T is not surjective.
(8) Prove that if S : U → V and T : V → W are linear transformations such that T S is
bijective, then T injective and S is surjective.
(9) Let f be a linear functional on an n-dimensional vector space V. What is the nullity
of f ?
(10) Let T be a linear operator on a finite dimensional vector space V. Is it true that
V = R(T ) ⊕ N(T )?
(11) Find operators S and T on R2 such that ST = 0 but T S 6= 0.
12 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

(12) Let S, T : C[a, b] → C[a, b] be defined by

Z t
[S(x)](t) = x(s)ds, [(T (x)](t) = tx(t) for x ∈ C[a, b], t ∈ [a, b].
a
Show that the map x 7→ S(x)T (x) is not a linear transformation.

2.3. Matrix representations.

(1) Let T : R3 → R3 be defined by T (a, b, c) = (b + c, c + a, a + b). Find [T ]B,E in each

of the following cases.
(a) B = {(1, 0, 0), (0, 1, 0), (0, 0, 1)}, E = {(1, 0, 0), (1, 1, 0), (1, 1, 1)}
(b) B = {(1, 0, 0), (1, 1, 0), (1, 1, 1)}, E = {(1, 0, 0), (0, 1, 0), (0, 0, 1)}
(2) Let T : P3 → P2 be defined by T (a0 + a1t + a2t 2 + a3t 3 ) = a1 + 2a2t + 3a3t 2 . Find
[T ]B,E in each of the following cases.
(a) B = {1,t,t 2 ,t 3 }, E = {1 + t, 1 − t,t 2 }
(b) B = {1, 1 + t, 1 + t + t 2 ,t 3 }, E = {1, 1 + t, 1 + t + t 2 }
(3) Let T be the operator on C2 defined by T (a, b) = (a, 0). Let B be the standard ba-
sis of C2 . Let E = {(1, i), (−i, 2)} be another basis of C2 . Determine the matrices
[T ]B , [T ]E , [T ]B,E and [T ]E,B .
(4) Denote by CR the vector space of all complex numbers over the field R, and let
T : CR → CR be defined by T z = z. What is [T ]E with respect to the basis E = {1, i}?
(5) Let S, T : R3 → R3 be given by
S(a, b, c) = (a + 2b + c, a − b − c, b + 3c), T (a, b, c) = (c, b, a).
Consider bases B = {e1 , e2 , e3 } and E = {(1, 2, 3), (1, 0, 1), (1, 1, 0)} for R3 . Deter-
mine the matrices [ST ]B,E , [ST ]E,B , [T S]B,E , and [T S]E,B .
(6) Let θ ∈ (0, π). Let A, B ∈ R2×2 be given by
   
cos θ − sin θ cos θ sin θ
A= , B= .
sin θ cos θ sin θ − cos θ
Explain why A represents rotation and B represents reflection. By using matrix prod-
ucts, show that
(a) rotation following rotation is rotation,
(b) rotation following reflection is reflection,
(c) reflection following rotation is reflection, and
(d) reflection following reflection is rotation.
(7) Let T : R3 → R3 be defined by T (α, β, γ) = (β + γ, γ + α, α + β). Determine [T ]B,E ,
where
(a) B = {(1, 0, 0), (0, 0, 1), (0, 1, 0)}, E = {(0, 0, 1), (1, 0, 0), (0, 1, 0)}.
(b) B = {(1, 1, −1), (−1, 1, 1), (1, −1, 1)},
E ={(−1, 1, 1),
 (1, −1,  −1)}.
 1), (1, 1,  
1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
(8) Let B = , , , , E = {1, t, t 2 } and F = {1}.
0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
(a) Define T : R2×2 → R2×2 by T (A) = AT . Compute [T ]B,B .
 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS 13

f 0 (0) 2 f (1)
 
(b) Define T : P2 (R) → R2×2 by T ( f ) = . Compute [T ]F,E .
0 f 0 (3)
(c) Define T : R2×2 → R by T (A) = tr(A). Compute [T ]B,F .
(9) Let T : R3 → R3 be given by T (a, b, c) = (a + b, 2a − b − c, a + b + c). Consider the
bases B = {(1, 0, 0), (1, 1, 0), (1, 1, 1)} and E = {(1, 2, 1), (2, 1, , 0), (3, 2, 1)} for R3 .
Determine the matrices [T ]B,B , [T ]B,E , [T ]E,B , and [T ]E,E . Also, find the rank(s) of all
these matrices.
(10) Let T : Pn → Pn be given by P(q)(t) = q(t + 1). Determine [T ] with respect to the
standard basis of Pn .
(11) Let B = {u1 , . . . , un } be an ordered basis of a vector space V. Let f be a linear func-
tional on V. Prove that there exists a unique (β1 , . . . , βn ) ∈ Fn such that f (α1 u1 +
. . . + αn un ) = α1 β1 + . . . + αn βn . Conclude that the matrix representation [ f ]B,{1} is
the row vector [β1 · · · βn ].
(12) Let {v1 , . . . , vn } be a basis for a vector space V. Let E be the standard basis of Fn×1 .
Define a map f : V → Fn×1 by f (v) = [v]E . Show that f is an invertible linear trans-
formation.
(13) Let B = {v1 , . . . , vn } be a basis for a vector space V. Let T be an operator on V. Show
that T is invertible iff [T ]B,B is an invertible matrix.
(14) Let B and E be bases for the finite dimensional vector spaces U and V, respectively.
If S, T : U → V are linear transformations and α ∈ F, then show that [S + T ]B,E =
[S]B,E + [T ]B,E and [αT ]B,E = α[T ]B,E .
(15) Let S and T be operators on a vector space of dimension n. Show that
rank(S) + rank(T ) − n ≤ rank(ST ) ≤ min{rank(S), rank(T )}.
Give examples, where strict inequalities hold.

2.4. Change of basis.

(1) Let T be a linear operator on C2 such that all entries of [T ] with respect to the ordered
basis {(1, 0), (0, 1)} are 1. What is [T ]B,B where B = {(1, −1), (1, 1)}?
(2) Let T be an linear operator on C3 such that Te1 = u = (0, 1, −1), T (e2 ) = v =
(1, 0, −1) and T (e3 ) = w = (−1, −1, 0). What is [T ]B,B where B = {u, v, w}?
(3) Consider the standard basis B and E = {(1, 2, 3), (3, 2, 1), (0, 0, 1)} for R3 . Determine
the change of basis matrices [I]B,E and [I]E,B . For the linear transformation T : R3 →
R3 defined by T (a, b, c) = (6a + b, a − b − c, 2a − b + 3c), determine the matrices
[T ]B,B , [T ]B,E , [T ]E,B , and [T ]E,E .
(4) Determine the change of basis matrix in each of the following cases, considering the
vector space as Rn :
(a) Old basis is {e1 , . . . , en } and new basis is {en , . . . , e1 }.
(b) Old basis is {e1 , . . . , en } and new basis is {e1 + e2 , . . . , en−1 + en }.
(c) Old basis is {e1 − e2 , . . . , en−1 − en } and new basis is {e1 , . . . , en }.
(5) Show that each n × n matrix is equivalent to its transpose.
(6) Given any invertible matrix A ∈ Fn×n , show that ordered bases B and E can be chosen
for Fn×1 such that A = [I]B,E .
14 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

(7) Let A, B ∈ Fn×n . Does it follow that if AB = 0, then BA = 0?

(8) Let B := {u1 , . . . , un } and E := {v1 , . . . , vn } be bases for a vector space V. Let T be
an operator on V defined by Tu1 = v1, . . . , Tun = vn . Show that [T ]B,B = [I]E,B .
a 0 a b
(9) Prove that the matrices and are similar iff a 6= d.
0 b 0 d
(10) Let V be a vector space of dimension n. Let S and T be operators on V. Prove that
there exist bases B and E for V such that [S]B = [T ]E iff there exists an invertible
operator P on V such that T = PSP−1 .

2.5. Space of linear transformations.

(1) Let B = {u1 , . . . , un } and E = {v1 , . . . , vm } be bases of the vector spaces U and V,
respectively. Let B0 = { f1 , . . . , fn } and E 0 = {g1 , . . . , gm } be the corresponding dual
bases for V 0 and W 0 . Show the following:
(a) If T ∈ L (V,W ), then [T ]B,E = [(gi (Tu j )].
(b) Let {Ai j : i = 1 . . . , m; j = 1, . . . , n} be any basis of Fm×n . If Ti j ∈ L (V,W ) is such
that [Ti j ]B,E = Ai j , then {Ti j : i = 1 . . . , m, j = 1, . . . , n} is a basis of L (V,W ).
(2) Let B = {u1 , . . . , un } and E = {v1 , . . . , vm } be bases of U and V, respectively. Show
the following:
(a) If T ∈ L (U,V ), then T is one-one iff columns of [T ]B,E are linearly independent.
(b) If T ∈ L (U,V ), then T is not one-one iff det[T ]B,E = 0.
(3) For p(t) = ∑nj=0 α j t j and any sequence of scalars (β0 , β1 , . . . , βn , . . . , ) take f (p) =
∑ j=0 α j β j . Prove that it defines a functional f on P . Conversely, show that each
functional on P can be obtained this way by a suitable choice of the sequence of
scalars.
(4) Let f be a nonzero functional on a vector space V. Let α ∈ F. Does there exist a
vector v ∈ V such that f (v) = α?
(5) Let v be a nonzero vector in a vector space V. Let α ∈ F. Does there exist a functional
f on V such that f (v) = α?
(6) Let V be a finite dimensional vector space. Prove the following:
(a) If v ∈ V is such that f (v) = 0 for all f ∈ V 0 , then v = 0.
(b) For each nonzero v ∈ V, there exists a linear functional f on V such that f (v) 6= 0.
(c) For every pair of distinct vectors u, v ∈ V, there exists a linear functional f on V
such that f (u) 6= f (v).
(7) Consider the basis {(−1, −1, 1), (−1, 1, 1), (1, 1, 1)} of C3 . Let { f1 , f2 , f3 } be the
corresponding dual basis. Compute fi (0, 1, 0) for i = 1, 2, 3.
(8) Let f : C3 → F be defined by f (a, b, c) = a + b + c. Show that f ∈ C0 . Find a basis
for N( f ).

2.6. Additional Problems on Linear transformations.

(1) Let CR be the vector space of all complex
 numbers over
 the field R.
x + 7y 5y
Define T : CR → R2×2 by T (x + iy) = . Answer the following:
−10y x − 7y
 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS 15

(a) Is T injective?
(b) Is it true that T (z1 z2 ) = T (z1 )T (z2 ) for all z1 , z2 ∈ CR ?
(c) How do you describe R(T )?
(2) Let T : V → W be a linear transformation. Show that rankT < ∞ if and only if there
exists n ∈ N, {v1 , . . . , vn } ⊂ V and { f1 , . . . , fn } ⊂ L (V, F) such that
n
Tx = ∑ f j (x)v j for each x ∈ V.
j=1

Such a linear transformation is said to be of finite rank.

(3) Let A ∈ Fn×n . Prove that if for each B ∈ Fn×n , tr(AB) = 0, then A = 0.
(4) For x = (x1 , . . . , xn )T and y = (y1 , . . . , yn )T in Rn×1 , define xy = (x1 y1 , . . . , xn yn )T .
Let A and B be nonzero matrices in Rn×n . Prove that there exists z ∈ Rn×1 such that
(BA)(x) 6= (Bx)(Ax).
(5) Let V and W be vector spaces. Let U be a subspace of V. Let T : U → W be a linear
transformation. Show that there exists a linear transformation S : V → Q such that
S|U = T.
 
sin 2πt sin(π/6)t
(6) Let At = for 0 ≤ t ≤ 12. Determine rank(At ) for each t.
cos 2πt cos(π/6)t
Determine  the values
 of t for which
 rank(At ) = 1.
0 1 0 i i 0
(7) Let Iˆ = , Jˆ = and K̂ = . Show that Iˆ2 = Jˆ2 = K̂ 2 = −I,
−1 0 i 0 0 −i
IˆJˆ = −JˆIˆ = K, JˆK̂ = −K̂ Jˆ = I, and K̂ Iˆ = −IˆK̂ = J.
(8) Let U = {A ∈ Cn×n : AT = A} and let W = {A ∈ Cn×n : AT = −A}. Show that U and
W are subspaces of Cn×n and that Cn×n = U ⊕W. Matrices in U are called symmetric
matrices and matrices in W are called skew-symmetric matrices.
(9) Let T be a linear operator on a finite dimensional vector space V. Show that if the
matrix of T with respect to all bases of V is same, then T = αI for some α ∈ F.
(10) Prove that if B ∈ Fm×m is such that AB = BA for each invertible A ∈ Fm×m , then B is
a scalar matrix.
(11) Let Ei j denote the matrix in Fn×n whose (i, j)th entry s 1 and all other entries are 0.
Show that Ei j Ek` = 0 if j 6= k, and Ei j E j` = Ei` .
(12) Show that, if A = [ai j ] is an m × n matrix with ai j ∈ F and n > m, then there exist
non-zero scalars α1 , . . . , αn such that A[α1 , . . . , αn ]T = 0.
(13) Let A, E ∈ Fm×m , B, F ∈ Fm×n , C, G ∈ Fn×m and D, H ∈ Fn×n . Show that
    
A B E F AE + BG AF + BH
= .
C D G H CE + DG CF + DH
(14) Let T be an operator on a vector space V of dimension n. Let U be a subspace of V.
Prove that dim(T (U) ≥ dim(U) − nul(T ).
(15) Let T : V → F be a linear functional. Let v ∈ V \ N(T ). Show that
V = N(T ) ⊕ {αv : α ∈ F}.
(16) Let T : V → W be a linear transformation where dim(V ) < ∞. Show that there exists
a subspace U of V such that R(T ) = T (U) and U ∩ N(T ) = {0}.
16 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS

(17) Let V and W be finite dimensional vector spaces. Prove the following:
(a) An injective linear map from V to W exists iff dim(V ) ≤ dim(W ).
(b) A surjective linear map from V to W exists iff dim(V ) ≥ dim(W ).
(18) Let T : V → W be a linear transformation. Prove the following:
(a) Let dim(W ) < ∞. Then T is injective iff there exists S : W → V such that ST = IV .
(b) Let dim(V ) < ∞. Then T is surjective iff ∃ S : W → V such that T S = IW .
(19) Let T be an operator on a vector space such that T 2 − T + I = 0. Show that A is
invertible.
(20) Let A ∈ Fm×n . Define T : Fn×1 → Fm×1 by T (X) = AX. Show the following:
(a) If m < n, then T can be surjective but not injective.
(b) If m > n, then T can be injective but not surjective.
(21) Let k, m, n ∈ N. Let A ∈ Fk×m . Define T : Fm×n → Fk×n by T (X) = AX. Prove that T
is invertible iff k = m and A is invertible.
(22) Let p(t) be any polynomial. Let S, T be operators where S is invertible. Show that
S−1 p(T )S = p(S−1 T S).
(23) Let S and T be linear operators on a finite dimensional vector space V. Show that ST
is invertible iff both S and T are invertible.
(24) Let S and T be linear operators on a finite dimensional vector space V. Show that
ST = I iff T S = I.
(25) Let A, B ∈ Fn×n . Prove that if AB = I, then BA = I.
(26) Let T : V → W be a linear transformation, where both rankT and nulT are finite.
Show that V is finite dimensional. (Note: Since dim(V ) < ∞ is not assumed, you
cannot use the formula dim(V ) = rankT + nulT.)
(27) Let U be a subspace of a finite dimensional vector space V over F. Let W be any
vector space over F. Let T : U → W be a linear transformation. Show that there
exists a linear transformation S : V → W such that Tu = Su for each u ∈ U.
(28) Let U and V be vector spaces. Let {u1 , . . . , un } be a basis for U. Let v1 , . . . , vn ∈ V.
Prove or disprove:
(a) There exists a unique linear transformation T : U → V with T (ui ) = vi for i =
1, 2, . . . , n.
(b) This T is one-one iff {v1 , . . . , vn } is linearly independent.
(c) This T is onto iff span{v1 , . . . , vn } = V.
(29) Let U and V be vector spaces. Let E = {u1 , . . . , un } ⊆ U be linearly independent and
let v1 , . . . , vn ∈ V. Prove the following:
(a) A linear transformation T : V → W with Tu1 = v1 , . . . , Tun = vn exists.
(b) T in (a) is unique if and only if E is a basis of V.
(30) Let P be an operator on a finite dimensional vector space V such that P2 = P. Prove
that tr(P) = rank(P).
(31) Let V be a finite dimensional vector space. Let V 00 be the dual of the dual of V.
Define the map T : V → V 00 by (T v)(g) = g(v) for each g ∈ V 0 . Prove that T is an
isomorphism.
(32) In general, a hyperspace in a vector space v is a maximal proper subspace of V. Prove
the following:
 LINEAR ALGEBRA FOR ENGINEERS: ASSIGNMENT PROBLEMS 17

(a) If f is a nonzero functional on V, then N( f ) is a hyperspace in V.

(b) Each hyperspace in V is the null space of some linear functional on V.
(33) Let A, B ∈ Fn×n . Are the following true?
(a) If A is equivalent to B, then A∗ is equivalent to B∗ .
(b) If A is equivalent to αI for some scalar α, then A = αI.
(c) If A is equivalent to B, then A2 is equivalent to B2 .
(d) If A and B are invertible and A is equivalent to B, then A−1 is equivalent to B−1 .
(34) Let B = {v1 , . . . , vn } be a basis for a vector space V. Let T be the operator on V such
that T (v1 ) = v2 , . . . , T (vn−1 = vn and T (vn ) = 0. What is [T ]B ?
(35) Let D be the differentiation operator on Pn . Let T be an operator on Pn satisfy
2 Dn−1
T (p(t)) = p(t + 1). Then show that T = I + D + D2! + · · · + (n−1)! .
(36) Let V be a finite dimensional vector space. Fix a vector u ∈ V and a linear functional
f on V. Define the operator T on V by T x = f (x)u. Find a polynomial p(t) such that
p(T ) = 0.
(37) Let V be a finite dimensional vector space. T : L (V,V ) be defined by T (X) = PX for
a given P ∈ L (V,V ). Under what conditions on P, is T invertible?
(38) Let t1 , . . . ,tn ∈ R be distinct. For any p(t) ∈ Pn−1 (R), let Li (p) = p(ti ) for each
i ∈ {1, . . . , n}. Denote by
(t − t1 ) · · · (t − t j−1 )(t − t j+1 ) · · · (t − tn )
p j (t) = for j ∈ {1, . . . , n},
(t j − t1 ) · · · (t j − t j−1 )(t j − t j+1 ) · · · (t j − tn )
Prove the following:
(a) {p1 , . . . , pn } is a basis of Pn−1 (R).
(b) {L1 , . . . , Ln } is a basis of the dual space of Pn−1 (R).
(c) Given a1 , . . . , an ∈ R, there exists a unique polynomial p ∈ Pn−1 (R) such that
p(t1 ) = a1 , . . . , p(tn ) = an .
The polynomials p j (t) are called the Lagrange polynomials. By doing this exercise
you have solved the interpolation problem which asks for constructing a polynomial
that takes prescribed values at prescribed points.
(39) Let T : U → V be an isomorphism. Define φ : L (U,U) → L (V,V ) by φ(S) = T −1 ST.
Prove that φ is an isomorphism.
(40) Let f and g be linear functionals on a vector space V. If h is a linear functional on V
with h(v) = f (v)g(v) for each v ∈ V, then prove that either f = 0 or g = 0.

D EPARTMENT OF M ATHEMATICS , IIT M ADRAS

E-mail address: mtnair@iitm.ac.in