Department of Mathematics, IIT Madras

Linear Algebra for Engineers (MA2031)

Assignment-2 (Linear Transformations)

Notations
• R(T) = Im(T) denotes the image of a linear transformation T .

• The kernel of a linear transformation T is denoted by N(T) = Ker(T).

• null(T) = n(T) denotes the nullity of a linear map T, and rank(T) = r(T) denotes the rank
of a linear map T.

• Given v ∈ V, let [v]B denote the coordinate vector of v with respect to the basis B, and
[T(v)]E denote the coordinate vector of T(v) with respect to the basis E

• [T]B2,B1 = MB1 B2 (T) denotes the matrix represenation of a linear map T with respect to the
bases B1 and B2 .

1. Why is the function T : R2 → R2 given below not a linear transformation?

(a) T(a, b) = (1, b) (b) T(a, b) = (a, a2 ) (c) T(a, b) = (sin a, 0)
Ans: Look at (a) T(0, 0) (b) T(2, 2), 2T(1, 1) (c) T(π/2, 0), 2T(π/4, 0)
2. What are the linear operators on R? Ans: T(x) = αx for some α.
3. Let T : R2 → R2 be a linear transformation with T(1, 0) = (1, 4) and T(1, 1) = (2, 5). What
is T(2, 3)? Is T one-one? Ans: (5, 11), Yes.
4. Can you construct a linear operator on R2 that maps the square with corners at (−1, −1),
(1, −1), (1, 1) and (−1, 1) onto the square with corners at (0, 0), (1, 0), (1, 1) and (0, 1)?
Ans: No. Look at pre-images of (1, 1), (−1, −1).
5. In each of the following, construct a linear transformation T if it exists.
(a) T : R2 → R2 ; T(1, 1) = (1, −1), T(0, 1) = (−1, 1), T(2, −1) = (1, 0). Ans: No. T(2, −1) =?
(b) T : R3 → R2 ; T(1, 0, 3) = (1, 1), T(−2, 0, −6) = (2, 1).
Ans: No. T(−2, 0, −6) =?
(c) T : R3 [t] → R; T(a + bt 2 ) = 0 for any a, b ∈ R.
Ans: T(a + bt + ct 2 + dt 3 ) = b + c and others.
∫1
(d) T : C 1 [0, 1] → R2 ; T(u) = 0 u(t) dt, u0(0) . Ans: This T.

6. Determine rank(T) and null(T) in each of the following cases:

(a) T : R2 → R2 ; T(a, b) = (a − b, 2b).
(b) T : R2 → R3 ; T(a, b) = (a + b, a − b, 0).
(c) T : R2 [t] → R3 [t]; T(p(t)) = t p(t) + p0(t).
Ans: rank(T), null(T) = (a) 2,0 (b) 2,0 (c) 3,0.
7. Let V be the vector space of all functions from R to R, having derivatives of all orders.
Let T : V → V be the differential operator: T x = x 0. What is N(T)?
Ans: Space of all const. functions.
8. Let V and W be finite dimensional vector spaces. Let T : V → W be a linear transformation.
Give reasons for the following:
(a) rank(T) ≤ min{dim (V), dim (W)}.

1
 (b) T is onto implies dim (W) ≤ dim (V).
(c) T is one-one implies dim (V) ≤ dim (W).
(d) dim (V) > dim (W) implies T is not one-one.
(e) dim (V) < dim (W) implies T is not onto.
9. Give an example for each of the following:
(a) A linear transformation T : R2 → R2 with N(T) = R(T).
(b) Linear transformations S , T with N(S) = N(T) and R(S) = R(T).
Ans: (a) T(a, b) = (a − b, a − b) (b) S(a, b) = (a, b), T(a, b) = (b, a).
10. Is V := {A ∈ Fn×n : tr(A) = 0} a vector space? Ans: Yes.
11. Show that the map T : Fn×n → F defined by T(A) = tr(A) is a linear map. Show that T is
an onto map. Also, find null(T). Ans: null(T) = dim F (V) = n2 − 1.
 
0 1
12. Construct a matrix A ∈ R with tr(A ) < 0. Ans: A =
2×2 2 .
−1 0
13. Let {v1, . . ., vn } be an ordered basis of a vector space V . Prove that the linear transformation
T : V → Fn given by T(α1 v1 + · · · + αn vn ) = (α1, . . ., αn ) is an isomorphism.
14. Define T : R2 → R3 by T(a, b) = (a − b, a, 2a − b). Let B be the standard basis of R2 . Take
C = {(1, 2), (2, 3)} and D = {(1, 1, 0), (0, 1, 1), (2, 2, 3)} as ordered bases for R3 . Compute
[T]D,B and [T]D,C .
−1/3 1/3   1/3 1/3 
Ans: [T]D,B =  0 1  ; [T]D,C =  2 3  .
   
 2/3 −2/3 −2/3 −2/3
   
15. Define T : R → R by T(a, b, c) = (b + c, c + a, a + b). Determine [T]E,B where
3 3

(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 1 1 0 1
Ans: (a) 0 1 1 . (b) 1 1 0 .
   
 1 1 0 0 1 1
   
16. Let T : F2 [t] → F3 [t] be given by T(p(t)) = t p(t). Consider the ordered bases
B = {1 + t, 1 − t, t 2 } for F2 [t] and E = {1, 1 + t, 1 + t + t 2, t 3 } for F3 [t].
Find the matrix [T]E,B .
 −1 −1 0 
 
 0 2 0
Ans:  .
 1 −1 0 

 0 0 1
 
17. Construct matrices A, B ∈ Fn×n so that tr(AB) , tr(A)tr(B). Ans: A = I = B.
18. For R3×1, consider the ordered bases O = {[1, 0, 1]t, [1, 1, 0]t, [0, 1, 1]t } and
N = {[1, −1, 1]t, [1, 1, −1]t, [−1, 1, 1]t }. Let T be the linear operator on R3×1 whose matrix
 1 1 1
representation with respect to the standard basis of R is given by the matrix −1 0 1 .
3×1
 
 0 1 0
 

2
  1  1
Find the matrix [T]N,O and verify that T 2  = [T]N,O 2 .
    
 
 3  3
   N  O
2 3 3
Ans: [T]N,O = 21  2 1 3  .
 
0 0 2
 