Note - 1-3 - Linear Dependence and Linear Independence
Note - 1-3 - Linear Dependence and Linear Independence
Note - 1-3 - Linear Dependence and Linear Independence
Definition:
Let V be a vector space over F. Let S ⊆ V and S ̸= ∅. The vector v ∈ V is
called a linear combination of vectors of S, if there exist u1 , u2 , . . . , un ∈ S and
α1 , α2 , . . . , αn ∈ F s.t.
v = α1 u1 + α2 u2 + · · · + αn un ,
a1 u1 + a2 u2 + · · · + a5 u5 = v.
Then
2 1 −2 0 2 −3
6 = a1 2 + a2 −4 + a3 2 + a4 0 + a5 8 .
8 1 −2 3 −3 16
So (a1 , a2 , a3 , a4 , a5 ) satisfy
a1 −2a2 +2a4 − 3a5 =2
2a1 −4a2 +2a3 + 8a5 =6
a1 −2a2 +3a3 −3a4 + 16a5 = 8.
This implies
a1 = 2a2 − a5 − 4
a3 = −3a5 + 7
a4 = 2a5 + 3.
We set a2 = 0 and a5 = 0. Then a1 = −4, a3 = 7 and a4 = 3. Therefore
2
6 = (−4) · u1 + 0 · u2 + 7 · u3 + 3 · u4 + 0 · u5 .
8
1
Definition:
Let V be a vector space over F. Let S ⊆ V and S = ̸ ∅. The span of S is the set
consisting of all linear combinations of the vector in S, denoted by span(S).
Remark:
1. We define span(∅) ≡ 0.
2.
{ }
v = α1 u1 + α2 u2 + · · · + αn un , for some
span(S) = v∈V | .
u1 , u2 , . . . , un ∈ S and α1 , α2 , . . . , αn ∈ F
Example:
Let
V = R2 = {(x1 , x2 )t | x1 , x2 ∈ R}
and S = {(1, 0)t , (0, 1)t }. Then span(S) = R2 .
Theorem:
Let V be a vector space over F, then span(S) is a subspace of V .
Definition:
A subset S of a vector space V generate V if span(S) = V .
Example:
Let
1 1 0
S = 1 , 0 , 1 .
0 1 1
Then span(S) = R3 .
Example:
Let
S = {x2 + 3x − 2, 2x2 + 5x − 3, −x2 − 4x + 4}.
Then span(S) = P2 (R).
Example:
Let { [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] }
1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0
S= , , , .
1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1
Then span(S) = M2×2 (R).
Definition:
Let V be a vector space over F and S ⊆ V . S is called linearly dependent, if
there exist u1 , u2 , . . . , un ∈ S and a1 , a2 , . . . , an not all zeros, s.t.
a1 u1 + a2 u2 + · · · + an un = 0.
2
Remark:
u1 = −a−1
1 (a2 u2 + a3 u3 + · · · + an un ).
Definition:
S that is not linearly dependent is linearly independent.
Remark:
1. ∅ is linearly independent, for linearly dependent sets must be nonempty.
Example:
1 0 0 0
1 0 0
0
Prove that S = , , , is linearly indepen-
0 0 1 0
−1 −1 −1 1
dent.
Theorem:
Let V be a vector space over F and S1 ⊆ S2 ⊆ V . If S1 is linearly dependent,
then S2 is linearly dependent.
Corollary:
Let V be a vector space over F and S1 ⊆ S2 ⊆ V . If S2 is linearly independent,
then S1 is linearly independent.
Theorem:
∪ space over F and S ⊆ V is linearly independent. If v ∈ V but
Let V be a vector
v∈/ S. Then S {v} is linearly dependent if and only if v ∈ span(S).