Find Orthonormal Basis of R3: u1,u2,u3

In summary, an orthonormal basis in R3 is a set of three vectors that are perpendicular to each other and have a length of 1. It is important because it allows for easy calculations and visualizations in 3-dimensional space. The Gram-Schmidt process can be used to find an orthonormal basis in R3. There can be infinitely many orthonormal bases in R3. An orthonormal basis in R3 is related to the concept of linear independence, as it is a set of linearly independent vectors that span the entire 3-dimensional space.
  • #1
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Homework Statement


Note: the vectors are column vectors, not row vectors. Latex is not working for me right now.

Find an orthonormal basis u1, u2, u3 of R3 such that
span(u1) =
span [1 2 3]

and

span(u1,u2) =
span { [1 2 3], [1 1 -1] }


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


Let v1=[1 2 3] and v2=[1 1 -1]
Then u1=1/(sqrt14)[1 2 3] and u2=1/(sqrt3)[1 1 -1]

But how do I get u3 without v3?

Thanks in advance!
 
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  • #2
Find a vector that's orthogonal to both u1 and u2. A cross product would come in handy.
 

1. What is an orthonormal basis in R3?

An orthonormal basis in R3 is a set of three vectors that are perpendicular to each other and have a length of 1. This means that they form a 3-dimensional coordinate system in which each vector is independent and unit length.

2. Why is it important to find an orthonormal basis in R3?

An orthonormal basis in R3 is important because it allows us to represent any vector in 3-dimensional space using a combination of the three basis vectors. This makes it easier to perform calculations and visualize geometric concepts.

3. How do you find an orthonormal basis in R3?

To find an orthonormal basis in R3, you can use the Gram-Schmidt process. This involves starting with a set of three linearly independent vectors and orthogonalizing them by subtracting their projections onto each other. Then, normalize each vector to have a length of 1.

4. Can there be more than one orthonormal basis in R3?

Yes, there can be infinitely many orthonormal bases in R3. This is because any set of three perpendicular unit vectors can form an orthonormal basis in R3.

5. How is an orthonormal basis in R3 related to the concept of linear independence?

An orthonormal basis in R3 is a set of linearly independent vectors. This means that none of the vectors can be written as a linear combination of the other two. Additionally, the three vectors in an orthonormal basis must span the entire 3-dimensional space, meaning that any vector in R3 can be written as a linear combination of them.

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