Some Important Tips

(1) To prove a statement, it is enough to do it by an example.(This is a myth or

a misconception)
This is possible only when the statement is about a particular example. For
instance how can you prove that determinant of identity matrix is 1 by taking
A = (aij )n×n??
1 0
But here too, if you consider the matrix ( ) and show that its determinant
0 1
is 1 then that is not the proof of the above statement.
Can you write the statement that gets proved by this example??

There are different techniques of proving statements. Some proofs are con-
structive (for example when you find the inverse of a matrix to prove that
it is invertible), some are inductive (for example Theorem 3.1 on page 68 of
text), some are deductive (for example Th 5.1 on page 111 of text), some
are by contradiction while some can be proved by proving some equivalent
statement.
(2) You can disprove a statement using general argument.(This is a myth or a
misconception unless the statement is false in every situation)
As against the first point above, if you want to disprove some statement then
it has to be done with an example which we call as a counter example.
For example you cannot prove that matrix multiplication, when defined, is
not commutative by taking general matrices A and B of compatible orders.
You have to actually exhibit two matrices and its product both ways and show
that both products are not the same.
(3) To prove that any set is a vector space, you just need to check closure with
respect to (w.r.t.) addition and scalar multiplication.(This is a myth or a
misconception)
To prove that a set is a vector space you can use either of the following:
First check that the set is non empty and then identify the set of scalars.
Define addition and scalar multiplication. (This means the definitions should
be unique and also closure property is taken care of). Then check properties
V S1 to V S8 of vector space definition and then conclude.
OR
First check that the set is a non empty subset of some standard vector
space and then just prove the closure properties w.r.t. addition and scalar
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multiplication for this subset and then conclude that the subset is a subspace
and hence a vector space.
Note here that the operations of addition and scalar multiplication are the
same as in the parent set and hence we don’t need to check V 1 to V 8 of vector
spaces.
Clearly, to prove that a set is a subspace of a vector space all you need to
do is the OR part above.
(4) When you say aij = bij where A = (aij ) and B = (bij ) then it means only the
ij th entries of A and B are equal and not necessarily some rsth entries of the
two will be equal. If you want to say that A = B then either say (aij ) = (bij )
or say aij = bij ∀i, j. Pn
Similarly when you say Pn i=1 ai ui = 0 ⇒ ai = 0, hence ui’s are LI then it is
wrong. You must say i=1 ai ui = 0 ⇒ ai = 0 ∀i, hence ui’s are LI.

There are many such seemingly small but important things which you must un-
derstand while writing.
The trick is keep asking yourself the reasons for writing each sentence. (For ex-
ample the reason for my writing this note is that these are some of the observations
that I made while teaching different batches of students!!)

While answering any question, do the analysis as per the following steps:
1. Read the problem carefully and write what is given and what is asked to be done.
2. How to do what is asked?(Thought process)
3. How will the given information be useful in doing what is asked.
4. Logical reasoning for every step.
For example if you are given a square matrix of order 5 and you are asked to check
if A is invertible.
Step 2(Thought Process): To show that a matrix is invertible you can actually try
to construct an inverse. If you can construct then you will not only have proved
that the matrix is invertible but also found out what that inverse matrix is. You
could also use the fact that a matrix is invertible iff it’s determinant is non zero.
For this you will have to compute the value of this determinant. This will only tell
if the matrix is or is not invertible and will not tell what the inverse will be in case
the matrix is invertible. Determinant is non zero is equivalent to saying that the
rank of A is full i.e. same as the number of columns.
Once the thought process is complete then how to go about the task?
Suppose you decide to construct(assuming the inverse to exist) then you could start
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with the equation AA−1 = I and perform same row operations on A and I in such
a way that A reduces to I and that will reduce I to A−1. If you cannot reduce A to
I then conclude that it is not invertible.
For the other thought process where you decided to find the value of the determi-
nant, you should then decide which row or column should I choose for expanding
the determinant and how best can I find it’s value. Should I use properties of de-
terminants to reduce it to a simple form and then evaluate the determinant?
For the third argument, to find if rank is full or not reduce the matrix to the row
echelon form so that all rows are LI or not can be checked easily.

Let’s take another example: Say Q.41 (ii) of tutorial:

Given: ad − bc 6= 0
To Prove: B = {(a, b), (c, d)} forms a basis for R2
Proof: It is enough to prove that B is LI (Can you explain the reason for this?
Unless you do it, you will need to prove that B is LI and generating!!)
(To prove LI what to do?)
Consider x(a, b) + y(c, d) = 0
⇒ (xa + yc, xb + yd) = 0(Try to write the reason for this step)
⇒ xa + yb = 0, xb + yd = 0 (Try to write the reason for this step)
This a homogeneous system of linear equations in the variables x and y which has
a b
the coefficient matrix A = ( )
c d
Given that ad − bc 6= 0. But ad − bc = Det(A) and hence the system has only the
trivial solution.
⇒ x = 0, y = 0
⇒ B is LI
Hence proved.

And last but not the least, to be able to think of all such different arguments, you
have to have lots of practice. And now if you try doing the problems in tutorial
once again with a conscious effort you will have the kind of practice that is required
to do well in the exams.