122 CHAPTER 4.

VECTOR SPACES
4.2 Subspaces
4.2.1 Denitions and Examples
Often, we work with vector spaces which consists of an appropriate subset of
vectors from a larger vector space. We might expect that most of the properties
of the larger space would be passed to that subset of vectors. Only two of them,
closure for addition and scalar multiplication, should be veried. This is indeed
the case. We formalize this with a denition and a theorem.
Denition 261 (Subspace) A subset W of a vector space V is called a sub-
space of V if it is itself a vector space under the addition and scalar multipli-
cation dened on V .
So, in theory, to prove W is a subspace of V , we would need to verify the
ten axioms. However, since the elements of W are also in V , we know that most
axioms will hold. The only two which must be checked are closure under both
operations. For example, if we take two elements of W, we are guaranteed their
sum is in V since V is a vector space. But we dont know it is in W. We have
the following theorem.
Theorem 262 If W is a non-empty subset of a vector space V , then W is a
subspace of V if and only if the two conditions below are satised:
1. W is closed under vector addition that is if u W and v W then
u +v W.
2. W is closed under scalar multiplication that is if u W and c is any
scalar, then cu W.
Proof. We prove both directions.
1. Suppose that W is a subspace of V . Then, by denition, it is a vector
space. All ten axioms hold, in particular the two conditions of the theorem.
2. Suppose that W V , W ,= O and the two conditions hold. We must show
the ten axioms hold. Axioms 1 and 6 will hold by our assumption. If
u W then u W by assumption. We know that u + (u) = 0 W.
So, 0 W. The remaining axioms are automatically satised since every
element of W is also an element of V and V is a vector space.
Remark 263 It is easier (fewer axioms to check) to show that a set is a sub-
space of another vector space than proving it is a vector space. We will use this
whenever possible.
Remark 264 Any subset which does not contain the zero vector cannot be a
subspace because it wont be a vector space.
4.2. SUBSPACES 123
Remark 265 Do not forget to prove that the subset you are studying is not
empty.
Example 266 (polynomials) Earlier, we established that P
n
was a vector
space by proving it directly. We can also prove it by showing it is a subspace of
F (; ). Since polynomials are functions with domain (; ), we see that
P
n
F (; ). In addition, it is not empty. As we veried when we proved it
was a vector space, it is closed under addition and scalar multiplication. Hence,
it is a subspace of F (; ).
Example 267 (symmetric matrices) Let V = A M
nn
: A is symmetric.
Then, (V; +; :) with standard matrix addition and scalar multiplication is a vec-
tor space. We prove it by showing it is a subspace of M
nn
. First, V is not
empty, it contains the zero n n matrix. Since the sum of two symmetric ma-
trices is symmetric (why?), it is closed under addition. Also, the product of a
symmetric matrix by a scalar is also a symmetric matrix (why?), so it is closed
under scalar multiplication.
Example 268 R
2
is not a subspace of R
3
. However, the set H = (x; y; 0) : x R and y R
is a subspace of R
3
, it acts like R
2
.
Example 269 We saw earlier that the set of function dened on an interval
[a; b], denoted F [a; b] (a or b can be innite) was a vector space. This space has
many subspaces of interest.
1. C [a; b], the space of continuous functions. This is a subspace of F [a; b].
It contain the zero function. We know from calculus that if f and g are
two continuous functions, so is f + g and cf for any scalar c. Thus, it is
closed under addition and scalar multiplication.
2. C
1
[a; b], the space of functions whose rst derivative is continuous. It is
a subspace of F [a; b] for the same reasons. If f and g are two functions
whose rst derivative is continuous, then (f + g)
0
= f
0
+ g
0
will also be
continuous and (cf)
0
= cf
0
will be continuous as well. In fact, remember-
ing from calculus that if a function is dierentiable it is also continuous,
we see that C
1
[a; b] is a subspace of F [a; b].
3. Similarly, we can dene for every positive integer n, C
n
[a; b] to be the
space of function whose n
th
derivative is continuous. This is a subspace
of F [a; b] as well as a subspace of C
n1
[a; b].
4. P
n
is a subspace of C
m
[a; b] for every positive integer m.
Example 270 (solution space of a homogeneous system) If A is mn,
then the solutions of the homogeneous system Ax = 0 form a vector space. This
is an important result, we give it as a theorem.
124 CHAPTER 4. VECTOR SPACES
Theorem 271 If Ax = 0 is a homogeneous system of m equations and n un-
knowns, then the set of solutions is a subspace of R
n
.
Proof. Let W be the set of solutions. First, it we must establish that W ,= O.
We know from a theorem studied in class that 0 W. Also, W R
n
because
the solutions of Ax = 0 are n1 vectors. Next, we must establish closure under
addition. If x and x
0
are solutions, we must show x + x
0
is also a solution.
A(x +x
0
) = Ax + Ax
0
= 0 +0. Similarly, A(cx) = cAx = c0 = 0 for any
scalar c. Thus we see that W is also closed under scalar multiplication.
4.2.2 Linear Combinations and Spanning Sets
Denition 272 Given n vectors v
1
, v
2
, :::, v
n
from a vector space V , a linear
combination of these vectors is an expression of the form
k
1
v
1
+ k
2
v
2
+ ::: + k
n
v
n
where k
1
, k
2
, :::, k
n
are scalars.
Remark 273 Note that since V is a vector space, k
1
v
1
+ k
2
v
2
+ ::: + k
n
v
n
is
also an element of V . So, a linear combination of vectors in a vector space is a
vector in the same vector space.
Remark 274 A linear combination of one vector is simply a scalar multiple of
that vector.
Example 275 Earlier, we saw that in R
3
, every vector

u = (x; y; z) could
be written as

u = x

i + y

j + z

k thus every vector in R

3
is some linear
combination of

i ,

j and

k .
An important question is given a set of vectors v
1
, v
2
, :::, v
n
in a vector
space V , how do we know if another vector w of V can be written as a linear
combination of v
1
, v
2
, :::, v
n
. This amounts to solving a system. We know
that this will happen if one can nd scalars k
1
, k
2
, :::, k
n
such that k
1
v
1
+
k
2
v
2
+ ::: + k
n
v
n
= w. This is the same as solving the system V k = w where
V = [v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
], k =
2
6
6
6
4
k
1
k
2
.
.
.
k
n
3
7
7
7
5
. We illustrate this with an example.
Example 276 Consider the vectors in R
3
u = (1; 2; 1) and v = (6; 4; 2).
1. Is w = (9; 2; 7) a linear combination of u and v?
We need to solve k
1
u+k
2
v = w that is (9; 2; 7) = k
1
(1; 2; 1)+k
2
(6; 4; 2).
This gives us the system
8
<
:
k
1
+ 6k
2
= 9
2k
1
+ 4k
2
= 2
k
1
+ 2k
2
= 7
Solving using Gauss-Jordan gives k
1
= 3 and k
2
= 2, thus w = 3u+2v.
4.2. SUBSPACES 125
2. Is w
0
= (4; 1; 8) a linear combination of u and v?
We need to solve k
1
u+k
2
v = wthat is (4; 1; 8) = k
1
(1; 2; 1)+k
2
(6; 4; 2).
This gives us the system
8
<
:
k
1
+ 6k
2
= 4
2k
1
+ 4k
2
= 1
k
1
+ 2k
2
= 2
The reader will verify that this system has no solutions.
This examples illustrates the fact that if we take some vectors v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
from a vector space V , some vectors of V maybe a linear combination of
v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
, but others may not. If we construct the set W consisting of
all the possible linear combinations of v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
, then it is a vector space.
We state this as a theorem.
Theorem 277 If v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
are vectors in a vector space V , then
1. The set W of all linear combinations of v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
is a subspace of V .
2. It is the smallest subspace of V which contains v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
.
Proof. We prove each part separately.
1. We must prove three things: 1) W ,= O, 2) W is closed under addition and
3) W is closed under scalar multiplication.
1) W ,= O: 0 W since 0 = 0v
1
+ 0v
2
+ ::: + 0v
n
.
2) W is closed under addition: Let u and v be two vectors in W. This
means that u = k
1
v
1
+k
2
v
2
+:::+k
n
v
n
and v = l
1
v
1
+l
2
v
2
+:::+l
n
v
n
.
So,
u +v = k
1
v
1
+ k
2
v
2
+ ::: + k
n
v
n
+ l
1
v
1
+ l
2
v
2
+ ::: + l
n
v
n
= (k
1
+ l
1
) v
1
+ (k
2
+ l
2
) v
2
+ ::: + (k
n
+ l
n
) v
n
W
and
3) W is closed under scalar multiplication:
cu = c (k
1
v
1
+ k
2
v
2
+ ::: + ck
n
v
n
)
= ck
1
v
1
+ ck
2
v
2
+ ::: + ck
n
v
n
W
2. Each of the vectors v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
is an element of W since v
i
= 0v
1
+
0v
2
+:::1v
i
+::: +k
n
v
n
. Suppose that W
0
is another subspace containing
v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
. Since it is closed under addition and scalar multiplication,
it contains every linear combination of v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
that is vectors of W.
Thus W W
0
.
126 CHAPTER 4. VECTOR SPACES
Denition 278 We dene Span(v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
) to be the subspace of all linear
combinations of v
1
; v
2
; :::; v
n
.
Example 279 Earlier we saw that Span
n

i ;

j ;

k
o
= R
3
.
Example 280 The polynomials 1; x; x
2
; :::; x
n
span P
n
since every polynomial
can be written as a
0
+ a
1
x + a
2
x
2
+ ::: + a
n
x
n
.
4.2.3 Problems
1. Do # 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 11, 22, 23 on pages 238-240.
2. Show that H as dened in example 268 is a subspace of R
3
.
3. Any plane P in space which goes through the origin has equation ax +
by +cz = 0 where a, b, c are constants. Prove that such a plane is a vector
space by proving it is a subspace of R
3
.