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Why does tracking the images of the standard basis vectors determine the destination of every other point in the plane under a linear transformation?

Tracking the images of the standard basis vectors determines the destination of every other point because any arbitrary vector can be expressed as a linear combination of these basis vectors. Since a linear transformation preserves vector addition and scalar multiplication, the transformation of the arbitrary vector is exactly the same linear combination applied to the transformed basis vectors.

Conditions

  • The transformation is linear.
  • Working in a 2D plane with standard basis vectors i^=[1,0]T\hat{i} = [1, 0]^T and j^=[0,1]T\hat{j} = [0, 1]^T.

Reasoning, step by step

  1. Express an arbitrary vector v⃗\vec{v} as a linear combination of the standard basis vectors: v⃗=xi^+yj^\vec{v} = x\hat{i} + y\hat{j}.
  2. Apply the linear transformation TT to the vector: T(v⃗)=T(xi^+yj^)T(\vec{v}) = T(x\hat{i} + y\hat{j}).
  3. Use the properties of linearity to distribute the transformation: T(xi^+yj^)=xT(i^)+yT(j^)T(x\hat{i} + y\hat{j}) = xT(\hat{i}) + yT(\hat{j}).
  4. Conclude that knowing the transformed basis vectors T(i^)T(\hat{i}) and T(j^)T(\hat{j}) allows calculating T(v⃗)T(\vec{v}) for any xx and yy.

Example

The script states: 'Because linearity preserves vector addition and scalar multiplication, any arbitrary vector v⃗=xi^+yj^\vec{v} = x\hat{i} + y\hat{j} will transform exactly according to the same coefficients applied to the moved basis vectors. Thus, knowing where i^\hat{i} and j^\hat{j} land determines the destination of every other point in the plane.'

Common misconceptions

  • Believing that every point must be tracked individually to understand the transformation.
  • Thinking that non-linear transformations also preserve this linear combination property.

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