Vectors, Linear Combinations

and Linear Independence

 Vectors in Rn
 Vectors in Rn:
v1 
v 
An n - vector V   2  is called a vector in R n , where v1 , v2 , , vn  R
 
 
v n 
are called the components of the vector.

 2
e.g. X    is a 2 - vector, vector in R 2 or vector in the plane.
5 
 2
Y   5  is a 3 - vector, vector in R 3 or vector in the space.
 4 
 Vectors in Rn
Vector operations:
 Equality:
 x1   y1 
x  y 
Two vectors X   2  and Y   2  in R n are said to be equal if xi  yi , 1  i  n.
   
   
x
 n  yn 

 Addition:  x1   y1 
x  y 
The sum of two vectors X   2  and Y   2  in R n is a vector in R n defined by
   
   
x
 n  yn 
 x1  y1 
x  y 
X Y   2 2

  
 
x
 n  y n
 Vectors in Rn
 Multiplication by scalar:
 x1  rx1 
x  rx 
The product of a vector X    in R n by a real scalar r is defined by rX   2 .
2

  
   
x
 n rxn 
 2  2
 Example: Let X  3  and Y   1 be vectors in R 3 . Find 2 X  3Y .
1   4

2  2 4  6 10

2 X  3Y  2 3   3 1  6    3    3 
1   4 2  12  14
 Vectors in Rn
 Properties:

Let U , V , W be vectors in R n and c, d  R, then

 U V  V U
 (U  V )  W  U  (V  W )
 U  O  O  U  U ; O is the zero vector in R n
 U  (U )  U  U  O
 c(U  V )  cU  cV
 (c  d )U  cU  dU
 c(dU )  (cd )U
 1U  U
 Linear Combinations

 Definition:
A vector X in R n is a linear combintion of the vectors X 1 , X 2 ,, X k
in R n if there exist scalars c1 , c2 ,, ck  R such that
X  c1 X 1  c2 X 2    ck X k .

 2 1  0  0 
e.g. The vector X   3 is a linear combination of X 1  0, X 2  1 , X 3  0,
 4  0 0 1 
since X  2 X 1  3 X 2  4 X 3 .
 Linear Combinations
 Example 1: 5
Determine whether the vector X    is a linear combination of the
0

1   3
vectors X 1    and X 2    .
2  4
5  1   3  5  c1  3c2 
Assume that X  c1 X 1  c2 X 2     c1    c2        
0 2  4 0 2c1  4c2 

c1  3c2  5 1 3 5 1 3 5  1 1 3 5
   R2  R1    R2  
2c1  4c2  0 2  4 0 0  10  10 10 0 1 1

1 0 2
R1  3R2    c1  2 ,c2  1  X  2 X 1  1X 2 .
0 1 1
 Linear Combinations
 Example 2:  5 
 
Determine whether the vector X   11 is a linear combination of the
 
 7 

 1 0  2
     
vectors X 1   2 , X 2  5 and X 3  0  .
     
 2  5 8 

 5   1 0  2
Assume that X  c1 X 1  c2 X 2  c3 X 3   11  c1  2   c2 5  c3 0  
 7   2 5 8 
 1 0 2  5  1 0 2  5 
   
  2 5 0 11 
  0 1 4 / 5 1 / 5  No solution,
 2 5 8  7  0 0 0 2 
i.e. X is not a linear combination of X 1 , X 2 , X 3 .
Linear Dependence and Independence
 Definition:
The set of vectors S  { X 1 , X 2 , , X k } in R n is linearly dependent
if there exist scalars c1 , c2 ,, ck  R, not all zeros, such that
c1 X 1  c2 X 2    ck X k  O.
Otherwise the vectors X 1 , X 2 , , X k are linearly independent.
That is, X 1 , X 2 , , X k are linearly independent whenever
c1 X 1  c2 X 2    ck X k  O we must have c1  c2    ck  0.
1  0  0 
     
e.g. The vectors X 1  0 , X 2  1  , X 3  0 are linearly independent
     
0 0 1 

1 0 0 0
 
since c1 X 1  c2 X 2  c3 X 3  O  0 1 0 0  c1  c2  c3  0.
 
 0 0 1 0 
Linear Dependence and Independence
 Example :
1   2  3
     
Are the vectors X 1  2 , X 2   1 , X 3   1  linearly independent? Explain.
     
3   0  1

Assume that c1 X 1  c2 X 2  c3 X 3  O
1 2 3 0 1 0 0 0
   
 2  1 1 0  0 1 0 0
3 0  1 0 0 0 1 0
 c1  c2  c3  0  X 1 , X 2 , X 3 are linearly independent.
Linear Dependence and Independence
 Note:
The set of n vectors S  { X 1 , X 2 , , X n }in R n is linearly dependent

if the determinant X 1 X 2  X n  0,

othrerwise S is linearly independent.

1 1  1 
e.g. The vextors X 1  1, X 2  0, X 3  0 are linearly independent,
1 1  0
1 1 1
since 1 0 0  1  0.
1 1 0
Linear Dependence and Independence
 Note:
 Two vectors X 1 and X 2 in R n is linearly dependent if only if X 1  cX 2 .
 The vectors X 1 , X 2 ,, X k are linearly dependent if and only if one of
them is a linear combination of the other vectors.

1 3
e.g. The vextors X 1  1, X 2  3 are linearly dependent,since X 2  3 X 1.
1 3
1 1   2
The vextors X 1  1, X 2  2, X 3  3  are linearly dependent,since X 3  X 1  X 2 .
1 3  4
Linear Dependence and Independence
 Example:
Let S  { X 1 , X 2 , X 3} be linearly independent set. Show that
T  { X 1  X 2 , X 1  X 3 , X 2  2 X 3} is linearly independent set.

Assume that c1 ( X 1  X 2 )  c2 ( X 1  X 3 )  c3 ( X 2  2 X 3 )  O
 (c1  c2 ) X 1  (c1  c3 ) X 2  (c2  2c3 ) X 3  O
c1  c2  0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
    
 c1  c3  0  1 0 1 0  0 1 0 0
  c  2c  0 0  1 2 0 0 0 1 0
 2 3

 c1  c2  c3  0  T is linearly independent set.