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Denition. The kernel of a linear transformation T : V W is the set ker(T ) = {v V : T (v ) = 0}. The image of T is im(T ) = {T (v ) W : v V }. Example. Consider the map T : F 2 F 3 given by T (x1 , x2 ) = (3x1 +2x2 , 0, 0). If 3 T (x1 , x2 ) = 0, then 3x1 +2x2 = 0, so ker(T ) is the line {(x, 2 x) F 2 : x F }. Also 3 im(T ) is the line {(x, 0, 0) F : x F } since any such (x, 0, 0) can be expressed 2 x, x2 = 0. as (3x1 + 2x2 , 0, 0) with appropriate choice of x1 , x2 , for instance x1 = 3 Proposition. ker(T ) is a subspace of V and im(T ) is a subspace of W . Proof. Remember, we need only exhibit closure under addition and scalar multiplication. But, given v1 , v2 ker(T ) T (v1 + v2 ) = T (v1 ) + T (v2 ) = 0 + 0 = 0 and given v ker(T ), c F T (cv ) = cT (v ) = c0 = 0 Thus, v1 + v2 ker(T ) and cv ker(T ), which proves that ker(T ) is a subspace of V . On the other hand, given T (v1 ), T (v2 ) im(T ), we have that T (v1 ) + T (v2 ) = T (v1 + v2 ) im(T ) and given T (v ) im(T ), c F cT (v ) = T (cv ) im(T ) Thus, im(T ) is a subspace of V . Denition. A linear transformation T : V W is called injective i whenever T (v1 ) = T (v2 ), we have v1 = v2 . On the other hand, T is called surjective i w W, v V : T (v ) = w. Further, T is called bijective i its both injective and surjective. In this case we say T is an isomorphism and V and W are isomorphic. Example. Our example from earlier T (x1 , x2 ) = (3x1 +2x2 , 0, 0) is neither injective nor surjective. Its not injective since T (2, 0) = (6, 0, 0) = T (0, 3) despite that (2, 0) = (0, 3). Its not surjective since there is no (x1 , x2 ) with T (x1 , x2 ) = (0, 0, 1). Thats because the last component of T (x1 , x2 ) must be 0. An example of a linear transformation which is injective is the inclusion of the space of polynomials into the space of continuous functions. This is a map T (an xn + + a0 ) = an xn + + a0 . Its clearly injective since since T (an xn + + a0 ) = T (bn xn + + b0 ) is equivalent to an xn + + a0 = bn xn + + b0 . However, T is not surjective since there is no polynomial equal to, say, the continuous function ex . An example of a linear transformation which is surjective is projection of a vector in F 3 onto its rst component T : F 3 F , T (x1 , x2 , x3 ) = x1 . Its clearly surjective since given any y we can nd (x1 , x2 , x3 ) with T (x1 , x2 , x3 ) = y , for instance use (x1 , x2 , x3 ) = (y, 3, 2).
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An example of a linear transformation which is bijective is the association we found between an n-dimensional vector space V and F n , which is dened with respect to a basis {v1 , . . . , vn } by F (a1 v1 + + an vn ) = (a1 , . . . , an ). Thus, V and F n are isomorphic. Proposition. T : V W is injective if and only if ker(T ) = {0}. Proof. Indeed we must have that 0 ker(T ) since its a subspace of V . Suppose that T is injective and that v ker(T ). Then T (v ) = 0 = T (0) so v = 0, by injectivity. Thus the only element of ker(T ) is 0 so ker(T ) = {0}. Conversely, suppose that ker(T ) = {0}. Given v1 , v2 V with T (v1 ) = T (v2 ), we have that T (v1 v2 ) = T (v1 ) T (v2 ) = 0 and hence v1 v2 ker(T ). Thus v1 v2 = 0, so v1 = v2 . Theorem. (Rank-nullity) If V is nite dimensional and T : V W is a linear transformation then dim(V ) = dim(ker(T )) + dim(im(T )). We wont prove this but it is true. Notice that for our earlier example of T : F 2 F 3 , T (x1 , x2 ) = (2x1 + 3x2 , 0, 0) both the image and kernel were lines and hence 1-dimensional so rank-nullity holds, i.e. 2 = 1 + 1. Proposition. If T : V W is an isomorphism then it has an inverse T 1 : W V. Proof. By injectivity and surjectivity we know that w W, !v V : T (v ) = w. Dene T 1 (w) = v so that T T 1 = idV , T 1 T = idW . We also have that T 1 is linear since if T (v1 ) = w1 , T (v2 ) = w2 then T (v1 + v2 ) = T (v1 ) + T (v2 ) = w1 + w2 so that T 1 (w1 + w2 ) = v1 + v2 = T 1 (w1 ) + T 1 (w2 ) and similarly for scalar products.