Math 233 Linear Algebra, Practice Final Exam, Fall Semester 2014

Name:

Question 1. Circle True or False and explain. If you get it right, you will get full credit without an
explanation, but if you get it wrong, you have a chance to earn partial credit based on your explanation.
(1) True
False
If two linear systems have different REFs (row echelon forms) for their augmented
matrices then they do not have the same solution set.

(2) True
False
If a linear system has a row of zeros in the RREF of its augmented matrix then
it is an inconsistent system.

(3) True

False

An n n matrix is invertible if and only if its RREF is the n n identity matrix.

(4) True
False An nn matrix A is invertible if and only if the linear transformation T : Rn Rn
defined by T (~x) = A~x is onto.

(5) True

False

An n n matrix has nontrivial nullspace if and only if its columns span Rn .

(6) True
False
Let A be an nn matrix, ~x a vector in Rn , and In the nn identity matrix. Then
the equation A~x = ~x has a nontrivial solution if and only if the nullspace of A In is nontrivial.

(7) True
False
If a 6 6 matrix A has characteristic polynomial p() = 2 ( 4)3 ( + 2) then
the eigenspace associated to = 4 has dimension greater than or equal to 3.

(8) True

False

An n n matrix A is invertible if and only if 0 is not an eigenvalue of A.

(9) True

False

If A is an n n matrix with all nonzero eigenvalues then det(A) is nonzero.

(10) True

False

If A in an n n matrix and A has n distinct eigenvalues then A is diagonalizable.

10 0 10
1 1 0

Question 2. Suppose the standard matrix of a linear transformation T is A =

10 1 11
21 0 21

1 0 1 0 10 2
0 1 1 0 10 2

which has RREF B =

0 0 0 1 11 1 .
0 0 0 0
0
0
(1) Find a basis B for the column space of A (i.e., the image, or range, of T ). What is
Give a geometric description of Col(A).

10
0
10
20

10
0
0
10

30
0
,
32
62

the rank of A?

(2) Write the remaining columns of A in the basis B. That is, find the B-coordinate vectors [a~i ]B for all
columns a~i not in the basis.

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10 0 10 10
1 1 0
0

Recall that A =
10 1 11 10
21 0 21 20
(3) Find a basis C for the null space of
geometric description of N ul(A).

10 30
0 0
0 32
10 62
A (i.e.,

, which has RREF B =

the kernel of T ). What is

1
0
0
0
the

0 1
1 1
0 0
0 0
nullity

0
0
1
0
of

10 2
10 2
.
11 1
0
0
A? Give a

(4) How many vectors would you expect a basis for the row space of A to contain? Why? Give a
geometric description of Row(A).

Question 3. Let T be the linear transformation given by

0
1/2
1/2
T (e~1 ) = 1/2 , T (e~2 ) = 0 , and T (e~3 ) = 1/2 .
1/2
1/2
0
(1) Show that T as above is one-to-one and onto by inverting the standard matrix for T. Explain why
this shows that T is one-to-one and onto.

1
(2) Is it possible to find ~x such that T (~x) = 1 ? Why or why not?
1

1
(3) Is it possible to find two vectors x~1 =
6 x~2 such that T (x~1 ) and T (x~2 ) both equal 1 ? Why or
1
why not?

Question 4. The following augmented matrix represents a linear system:



1 a 3
.
b 5 6
Write down the three possibilities for the solution set of the linear system and pick pairs
 (a, b)
 that realizes
1 a
each of these. In each case, find the nullspace and column space of the matrix A =
and indicate
b 5
 
3
(with a sketch) where the vector ~v =
lies in relation to the column space and nullspace of A.
6
(1) First case:

(2) Second case:

(3) Third case:

Question 5. Recall that P3 is the vector space of polynomials in one variable t of degree less than or equal
to 3 with real coefficients. The standard basis for P3 is {1, t, t2 , t3 }.
(1) Given that both B = {2 + 6t2 , 4t + 8t3 , 3 + 7t2 , 5t + 9t3 } and C = {1, t, t2 , 1 + t + t2 + t3 } are bases
for P3 , find the change of basis matrix PBC .

(2) Find the B-coordinate vector for p(t) = 4t + 8t3 (hint: p(t) is one of the polynomials in B). Then
find the C-coordinate vector for p(t).

(3) Does the set {1, 3t + 5t3 , 4t2 , t + 2t3 } span P3 ? Why or why not?

Question 6. The characteristic polynomial of a certain n n matrix A is p() = ( 3)2 ( 2)3 ( 1).
Answer the following questions to the best of your ability with only the given information.
(1) What are the eigenvalues of A?

(2) Is A invertible?

(3) What would we need to know to guarantee A was diagonalizable?

(4) How many vectors are there such that A~x = 2~x? Zero? One? Three? Infinitely many?

(5) Is it possible that there might be a basis in which A acts like multiplication by M =

Why or why not?

0
0
0
0
0
0
0

0
1
0
0
0
0
0

0
0
2
0
0
0
0

0
0
0
2
0
0
0

0
0
0
0
2
0
0

0
0
0
0
0
3
0

0
0
0
0
0
0
3


3
1
.
5 1
(1) Find the two complex eigenvalues of A.

Question 7. Let A =


(2) The matrix A =

1/2
1/ 2


1/ 2
is rotation by in the counterclockwise direction for what ?
1/ 2

1 3 3
Question 8.
(1) Find all eigenvalues and their multiplicities of the matrix A = 3 5 3 . (Hint:
6 6 4
The characteristic polynomial is p() = 3 12 det(A) and = 4 is an eigenvalue.)

(2) Find as many linearly independent eigenvectors associated to each eigenvalue as you can.

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1 3 3
Recall that A = 3 5 3
6 6 4
(3) Find matrices P , P 1 , and a diagonal matrix D such that A = P DP 1 . (Hint: you can check your
work by making sure P DP 1 multiplies out to A.)

(4) Find the determinant of D. How does it compare with the determinant of A? What does the
determinant tell us about the action of A on R3 in this case?

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Question 9.
(1) Suppose V is a vector space and ~v1 , . . . , ~vn are vectors in V . Define what it means for
the set S = {v~1 , . . . , v~n } to be linearly independent. Define what it means for S to span V .

(2) Suppose A is an m n matrix and that T : Rn Rm is the linear transformation defined by

T (~x) = A~x. Prove that if T has trivial kernel (i.e., the nullspace of A is trivial) then the columns of
A are linearly independent without referencing the Invertible Matrix Theorem.

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Question 10.
(1) Define what it means for to be an eigenvalue of an n n matrix of A. Define what
it means for ~v to be an eigenvector of A associated to .

(2) Suppose T : Rn Rn is a linear transformation with standard matrix A. Prove that if T is onto
then 0 is not an eigenvalue of A.

Thanks for a great semester!

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Question 11. Suppose A is an mn matrix with m n and that T : Rn Rm is the linear transformation
defined by T (~x) = A~x. Prove that if T has trivial kernel then the rows of A are linearly independent.

Question 12. Let T : Rn Rm be a linear transformation, and suppose that S = {v~1 , . . . , v~p } is a set of
vectors in Rn . If {T (v~1 ), . . . , T (v~p )} is a linearly independent set in Rm , prove that S is a linearly independent
set as well.

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