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Vector spaces, span and linear independence

The axioms, spanning sets, independence, basis and dimension.

A vector space is a set closed under addition and scaling. Vectors are independent when no combination cancels; a basis is an independent spanning set, and every basis has the same size — the dimension. Picture it: two vectors spanning a plane unless they are parallel — the 3D view of the column vectors. Think it: rank is the dimension of the column space; rank + nullity = number of columns.

ਕੰਮ ਉਦਾਹਰਨ: rank of [[1,2],[2,4]]

Linear-Algebra · Rank

Rank of [[1,2],[2,4]]

\left[\begin{matrix}1 & 2\\2 & 4\end{matrix}\right]

ਕਦਮ ਦਰ ਕਦਮ

  1. \left[\begin{matrix}1 & 2\\2 & 4\end{matrix}\right]

    Row-reduce; the rank is the number of non-zero rows (pivots).

  2. \left[\begin{matrix}1 & 2\\0 & 0\end{matrix}\right]

    R2 ← R2 − (2)·R1 to clear column 1.

  3. \operatorname{rank} A = 1

ਜਵਾਬ ਦਿਓ
\operatorname{rank} A = 1

Symbols used here

A = \begin{pmatrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{pmatrix}
matrix
A rectangular array of numbers; a linear map.
\leq,\ \geq
less/greater than or equal
Inequalities that allow equality; < and > exclude it.
\mathbf{v},\ \vec{v}
vector
A quantity with magnitude and direction; a column of numbers.
\det A,\ |A|
determinant
Scaling factor of area/volume under A; zero means singular.
A^{-1},\ A^{T}
inverse, transpose
The matrix that undoes A; A with rows and columns swapped.
\lambda
lambda (eigenvalue)
The factor by which an eigenvector is stretched: Av = λv.
\mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{v},\ \|\mathbf{v}\|
dot product, norm
Σ u_i v_i; the length of v, √(v·v).

How to: Vector spaces, span and linear independence

  1. Put the vectors as columns of a matrix and row-reduce.
  2. Pivot columns are a basis of the span; the number of pivots is the rank.
  3. Free columns give the null space — the dependencies among the vectors.

Questions people ask

What does a determinant mean geometrically?

It is the factor by which the matrix scales area (2×2) or volume (3×3), with a negative sign if orientation flips. Zero means the matrix flattens space and cannot be undone.

What is an eigenvector?

A direction the matrix does not turn — it only stretches it by the eigenvalue. Along eigenvectors a complicated matrix acts like multiplication by a number.

Why is matrix multiplication not commutative?

Because a matrix is a transformation and AB means "do B, then A". Rotating then reflecting is not the same as reflecting then rotating.

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ਹੋਰ ਵਿੱਚ Linear Algebra

DeterminantsMatrix inverseEigenvalues and eigenvectorsMatrix multiplicationRow reductionOrthogonality, projections and least squaresDiagonalisation and matrix powersLinear transformations and change of basis