Linear Algebra Abridged
Sheldon Axler
This file is generated from Linear Algebra Done Right (third edition) by
excluding all proofs, examples, and exercises, along with most comments.
Learning linear algebra without proofs, examples, and exercises is probably
impossible. Thus this abridged version should not substitute for the full book.
However, this abridged version may be useful to students seeking to review
the statements of the main results of linear algebra.
As a visual aid, definitions are in beige boxes and theorems are in blue
boxes. The numbering of definitions and theorems is the same as in the full
book. Thus 1.1 is followed in this abridged version by 1.3 (the missing 1.2
corresponds to an example in the full version that is not present here).
This file is available without charge. Users have permission to read this file
freely on electronic devices but do not have permission to print it.
The full version of Linear Algebra Done Right is available at springer.com
and amazon.com in both printed and electronic forms. A free sample chapter
of the full version, and other information, is available at the book’s website:
http://linear.axler.net.
13 March 2016
©2015
Contents
1 Vector Spaces
1
1.A Rn and Cn
2
4
Complex Numbers 2
Lists 4
Fn
Digression on Fields 7
1.B Definition of Vector Space
1.C Subspaces
11
8
Sums of Subspaces 12
Direct Sums 13
2 Finite-Dimensional Vector Spaces
14
2.A Span and Linear Independence
15
Linear Combinations and Span 15
Linear Independence 17
19
2.B Bases
2.C Dimension
21
3 Linear Maps
23
3.A The Vector Space of Linear Maps
24
Definition and Examples of Linear Maps 24
Algebraic Operations on L.V; W / 24
Linear Algebra Abridged is generated from Linear Algebra Done Right (by Sheldon Axler, third edition)
by excluding all proofs, examples, and exercises, along with most comments. The full version of Linear
Algebra Done Right is available at springer.com and amazon.com in both printed and electronic forms.
Contents
vii
3.B Null Spaces and Ranges
26
Null Space and Injectivity 26
Range and Surjectivity 27
Fundamental Theorem of Linear Maps 28
3.C Matrices
29
Representing a Linear Map by a Matrix 29
Addition and Scalar Multiplication of Matrices 30
Matrix Multiplication 32
3.D Invertibility and Isomorphic Vector Spaces
35
35
Invertible Linear Maps
Isomorphic Vector Spaces 36
Linear Maps Thought of as Matrix Multiplication 37
Operators 39
3.E Products and Quotients of Vector Spaces
39
Products of Vector Spaces 39
Products and Direct Sums 40
Quotients of Vector Spaces 41
3.F Duality
44
The Dual Space and the Dual Map 44
The Null Space and Range of the Dual of a Linear Map 45
The Matrix of the Dual of a Linear Map 47
The Rank of a Matrix 48
4 Polynomials 49
50
Complex Conjugate and Absolute Value
Uniqueness of Coefficients for Polynomials 51
The Division Algorithm for Polynomials 52
Zeros of Polynomials 52
Factorization of Polynomials over C 53
Factorization of Polynomials over R 55
Linear Algebra Abridged is generated from Linear Algebra Done Right (by Sheldon Axler, third edition)
by excluding all proofs, examples, and exercises, along with most comments. The full version of Linear
Algebra Done Right is available at springer.com and amazon.com in both printed and electronic forms.
viii
Contents
5 Eigenvalues, Eigenvectors, and Invariant Subspaces
57
5.A Invariant Subspaces
58
Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors 59
Restriction and Quotient Operators 60
5.B Eigenvectors and Upper-Triangular Matrices
61
Polynomials Applied to Operators 61
Existence of Eigenvalues
Upper-Triangular Matrices 63
62
5.C Eigenspaces and Diagonal Matrices
66
6 Inner Product Spaces
69
6.A Inner Products and Norms
70
Inner Products 70
Norms 73
6.B Orthonormal Bases
76
Linear Functionals on Inner Product Spaces 79
6.C Orthogonal Complements and Minimization Problems
80
Orthogonal Complements 80
Minimization Problems 82
7 Operators on Inner Product Spaces
84
7.A Self-Adjoint and Normal Operators
85
Adjoints 85
Self-Adjoint Operators 86
Normal Operators 88
7.B The Spectral Theorem 89
The Complex Spectral Theorem 89
The Real Spectral Theorem 90
7.C Positive Operators and Isometries
92
Positive Operators 92
Isometries 93
Linear Algebra Abridged is generated from Linear Algebra Done Right (by Sheldon Axler, third edition)
by excluding all proofs, examples, and exercises, along with most comments. The full version of Linear
Algebra Done Right is available at springer.com and amazon.com in both printed and electronic forms.
Contents
ix
7.D Polar Decomposition and Singular Value Decomposition
94
Polar Decomposition 94
Singular Value Decomposition 95
8 Operators on Complex Vector Spaces
97
8.A Generalized Eigenvectors and Nilpotent Operators
98
Null Spaces of Powers of an Operator 98
Generalized Eigenvectors 99
Nilpotent Operators 100
8.B Decomposition of an Operator
101
Description of Operators on Complex Vector Spaces 101
Multiplicity of an Eigenvalue 102
Block Diagonal Matrices 103
Square Roots 104
8.C Characteristic and Minimal Polynomials
105
The Cayley–Hamilton Theorem 105
The Minimal Polynomial 106
8.D Jordan Form 107
9 Operators on Real Vector Spaces
109
9.A Complexification
110
Complexification of a Vector Space 110
Complexification of an Operator
The Minimal Polynomial of the Complexification 112
Eigenvalues of the Complexification 112
Characteristic Polynomial of the Complexification 114
111
9.B Operators on Real Inner Product Spaces
115
Normal Operators on Real Inner Product Spaces 115
Isometries on Real Inner Product Spaces 117
10 Trace and Determinant
118
10.A Trace
119
Change of Basis 119
Linear Algebra Abridged is generated from Linear Algebra Done Right (by Sheldon Axler, third edition)
by excluding all proofs, examples, and exercises, along with most comments. The full version of Linear
Algebra Done Right is available at springer.com and amazon.com in both printed and electronic forms.
x
Contents
Trace: A Connection Between Operators and Matrices 121
10.B Determinant
123
Determinant of an Operator 123
Determinant of a Matrix 125
The Sign of the Determinant 129
Volume 130
Photo Credits 135
Index
136
Linear Algebra Abridged is generated from Linear Algebra Done Right (by Sheldon Axler, third edition)
by excluding all proofs, examples, and exercises, along with most comments. The full version of Linear
Algebra Done Right is available at springer.com and amazon.com in both printed and electronic forms.
CHAPTER1
René Descartes explaining his
work to Queen Christina of
Sweden. Vector spaces are a
generalization of the
description of a plane using
two coordinates, as published
by Descartes in 1637.
Vector Spaces
Linear algebra is the study of linear maps on finite-dimensional vector spaces.
Eventually we will learn what all these terms mean. In this chapter we will
define vector spaces and discuss their elementary properties.
In linear algebra, better theorems and more insight emerge if complex
numbers are investigated along with real numbers. Thus we will begin by
introducing the complex numbers and their basic properties.
We will generalize the examples of a plane and ordinary space to Rn
and Cn, which we then will generalize to the notion of a vector space. The
elementary properties of a vector space will already seem familiar to you.
Then our next topic will be subspaces, which play a role for vector spaces
analogous to the role played by subsets for sets. Finally, we will look at sums
of subspaces (analogous to unions of subsets) and direct sums of subspaces
(analogous to unions of disjoint sets).
LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR THIS CHAPTER
basic properties of the complex numbers
Rn and Cn
vector spaces
subspaces
sums and direct sums of subspaces
Linear Algebra Abridged is generated from Linear Algebra Done Right (by Sheldon Axler, third edition)
by excluding all proofs, examples, and exercises, along with most comments. The full version of Linear
Algebra Done Right is available at springer.com and amazon.com in both printed and electronic forms.
2
CHAPTER 1 Vector Spaces
1.A Rn and Cn
Complex Numbers
1.1 Definition complex numbers
A complex number is an ordered pair .a; b/, where a; b 2 R, but
we will write this as a C bi.
The set of all complex numbers is denoted by C:
C D fa C bi W a; b 2 Rg:
Addition and multiplication on C are defined by
.a C bi / C .c C d i / D .a C c/ C .b C d /i;
.a C bi /.c C d i / D .ac bd / C .ad C bc/iI
here a; b; c; d 2 R.
If a 2 R, we identify a C 0i with the real number a. Thus we can think
of R as a subset of C. We also usually write 0 C bi as just bi, and we usually
write 0 C 1i as just i.
Using multiplication as defined above, you should verify that i 2 D 1.
Do not memorize the formula for the product of two complex numbers; you
can always rederive it by recalling that i 2 D 1 and then using the usual rules
of arithmetic (as given by 1.3).
1.3 Properties of complex arithmetic
commutativity
associativity
identities
˛ C ˇ D ˇ C ˛ and ˛ˇ D ˇ˛ for all ˛; ˇ 2 C;
.˛Cˇ/C D ˛C.ˇC/ and .˛ˇ/ D ˛.ˇ/ for all ˛; ˇ; 2 C;
C 0 D and 1 D for all 2 C;
for every ˛ 2 C, there exists a unique ˇ 2 C such that ˛ C ˇ D 0;
for every ˛ 2 C with ˛ ¤ 0, there exists a unique ˇ 2 C such that
˛ˇ D 1;
.˛ C ˇ/ D ˛ C ˇ for all ; ˛; ˇ 2 C.
additive inverse
multiplicative inverse
distributive property
Linear Algebra Abridged is generated from Linear Algebra Done Right (by Sheldon Axler, third edition)
by excluding all proofs, examples, and exercises, along with most comments. The full version of Linear
Algebra Done Right is available at springer.com and amazon.com in both printed and electronic forms.