Math 4310 Homework 4 - Due February 22

Problem 1. Construct (with proof) bases for the following vector spaces.
(a) The subspace of R3 defined as the set of vectors (x, y, z) R3 satisfying the conditions x + y + z =
x y 2z = 0.
(b) The subspace of P4 (R) consisting of polynomials f (x) satisfying x4 f (1/x) = f (x).
(c) The quotient vector space V /W over R, where V = R2 and W is the 1-dimensional subspace determined
by the equation x = y.

Problem 2. Let V be a finite-dimensional vector space over a field F and W a subspace. Use the basis
extension theorem to prove that there exists a subspace W 0 such that W + W 0 = V and W W 0 = 0.

Problem 3. If F is a field, we know that the space Pn (F ) of polynomials of degree n has dimension
n + 1, by taking the standard basis 1, x, . . . , xn . This problem discusses how to construct a different basis
of Lagrange interpolation polynomials.
(a) Let a0 , . . . , an be n + 1 distinct elements of F . Define polynomials 0 , . . . , n by
Y (x aj )
i (x) = ,
(ai aj )
j6=i

where this notation means the product over all indices 0 j n, excluding the index j = i. Prove that
these n + 1 polynomials are linearly independent and thus are a basis for Pn (F ). (Hint: Look at what
happens when you evaluate the polynomials at the n + 1 points a0 , . . . , an ).
(b) Write out the basis explicitly for P3 (R) with {a0 , . . . , a3 } = {0, 1, 2, 3}.
(c) Rephrasing part (a) we can say that if we choose n + 1 distinct points, we can construct a basis of Pn (F )
by specifying the values of polynomials at those n + 1 points. For F = R, say, we can use this idea to produce
many bases for Pn (R) for any n (by choosing any list of n + 1 points). But if we consider the finite field
F = Fp = Z/pZ, we can only get bases of Pn (Fp ) this way for n < p. It turns out that over finite fields we
have the strange phenomenon that a nonzero polynomial can take the value zero everywhere! Demonstrate
this by showing that if we consider the polynomial f (x) = xp x Pp (Fp ), then all of the values f (a) for
a Fp are zero. (You can use the result called Fermats Little Theorem without needing to prove it.)

Problem 4. Let V be a finite-dimensional vector space over a field F , and let S, T, U be subspaces.
(a) If S T = 0, prove that dim(S + T ) = dim S + dim T .
(b) In general, prove dim(S + T ) = dim S + dim T dim(S T ).
(c) If youre familiar with the inclusion-exclusion principle, you might guess that part (b) generalizes to
the equality

dim(S + T + U ) = dim(S) + dim(T ) + dim(U ) dim(S T ) dim(S U ) dim(T U ) + dim(S T U ).

Provide a counterexample to show this equality is false in general! (Hint: You can take the field F to be
R and the vector space V to be R2 ).

Extended Glossary. Give a definition of an internal direct sum decomposition of a vector space.
Give an example and a non-example of such a decomposition. Then state and prove a theorem about internal
direct sums.