How do you prove that the set of vectors satisfying x₃=x₁+x₂ is a subspace of ℝ³?
Conditions
- The set is defined by the linear equation in .
- The field of scalars is .
Reasoning, step by step
- Verify nonemptiness by checking if the zero vector satisfies the defining equation.
- Verify closure under addition by taking two arbitrary vectors and showing that .
- Verify closure under scalar multiplication by taking an arbitrary vector and scalar and showing that .
- Conclude that since all three criteria are met, is a subspace.
Example
The script states: 'The vector (0,0,0) satisfies x₃=x₁+x₂, so the set is nonempty. This is the first required condition.' It further shows: 'If x₃=x₁+x₂ and y₃=y₁+y₂, then x₃+y₃=(x₁+y₁)+(x₂+y₂)' and 'Multiplying x₃=x₁+x₂ by any real scalar gives cx₃=cx₁+cx₂'.
Common misconceptions
- Forgetting to check for nonemptiness or the zero vector.
- Assuming that satisfying one closure property implies the other.
- Confusing the subspace criteria with the axioms of a vector space itself.
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Related questions
The three standard criteria are: 1) The subset is nonempty (typically verified by showing it contains the zero vector); 2) The subset is closed under vector addition; 3) The subset is closed under scalar multiplication.
Conditions: The subset is part of a larger vector space.; The operations are the inherited vector addition and scalar multiplication.
Scalar multiplication preserves the relation because multiplying the equation by a scalar yields . This shows that the third component of the scaled vector equals the sum of its first and second components.
Conditions: is a vector in the set satisfying .; is a real scalar.; Scalar multiplication is defined componentwise.
Adding two vectors preserves the relation because the sum of the third components equals the sum of the first components plus the sum of the second components. Specifically, if and , then .
Conditions: and are vectors in .; and satisfy the equation and respectively.; Vector addition is defined componentwise.
The zero vector must be in the set to ensure the set is nonempty. A subspace is a vector space in its own right, and every vector space must contain an additive identity, which is the zero vector.
Conditions: The set is a candidate for being a subspace of a vector space.; The definition of a subspace requires it to be a vector space under the inherited operations.
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