Cross product of row and column vector

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the mathematical operations involving the cross product and dot product of row and column vectors, particularly in the context of matrix multiplication. Participants explore the geometric significance of these operations and clarify the definitions and properties associated with them.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants discuss the relationship between the dot product of row vectors from matrix A and column vectors from matrix B, suggesting that if the dot product is 0 for all i ≠ j and 1 for i = j, it indicates orthogonality.
  • There is a proposal that the cross product of a 1 x n row vector and an n x 1 column vector should yield a specific product related to the sum of the elements in the row vector and the first element of the column vector.
  • Participants express confusion about whether the operations being discussed are indeed the cross product or the dot product, with some asserting that the cross product is not defined for dimensions greater than 3.
  • One participant clarifies that the row vector is in Rn space and emphasizes that the inner product involves the entire row vector and column vector, not just specific elements.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that there is confusion regarding the terminology and the operations being discussed, particularly distinguishing between the dot product and the cross product. However, no consensus is reached on the implications of these operations or their geometric significance.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the definitions of the operations and the dimensionality of the vectors involved, which may affect the interpretations of orthogonality and the validity of the proposed relationships.

Gear300
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For the two matrices A and B, (AB)i,j = ri . dj ---- . refers to dot product ---- ri is the ith row in A and dj is the jth column in B.

Let us say that A and B are n x n system of column vectors. Then a row vector ri of A would correlate to a component vector of the sum of the column vectors in A specified by the ith space. Wouldn't that imply that ri . dj would only be the product between the element dj,i and the sum of the elements of ri or am I just being too technical?
 
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Is this a question about the common matrix multiplication?
 
Klockan3 said:
Is this a question about the common matrix multiplication?

Yup...the text said that if this dot product is 0 for all i =/= j and 1 for all i = j, then it carries geometric significance in that the rows of i in A and columns of j =/= i in B are orthogonal. I'm just trying to see this geometric significance.

In general, shouldn't the cross product of a 1 x n row vector in R1 and an n x 1 column vector in Rn space be the product between the sum of the elements in the row vector and the first element in the column vector?
 
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Gear300 said:
Yup...the text said that if this cross product is 0 for all i =/= j and 1 for all i = j, then it carries geometric significance in that the rows of i in A and columns of j =/= i in B are orthogonal. I'm just trying to see this geometric significance.

In general, shouldn't the cross product of a 1 x n row vector in R1 and an n x 1 column vector in Rn space be the product between the sum of the elements in the row vector and the first element in the column vector?

I think you (or the book) must mean the dot product instead of the cross product. If the dot product of two vectors is zero then they are orthogonal.

The cross product of two vectors in R^n is not even defined if n > 3.
 
awkward said:
I think you (or the book) must mean the dot product instead of the cross product. If the dot product of two vectors is zero then they are orthogonal.

The cross product of two vectors in R^n is not even defined if n > 3.

Heheh...a little typo there. I meant dot product.

What I'm having trouble understanding is what is being orthogonal to what; I figured that the row vector in A is considered a component of the vector sum of the matrix and has a direction specific to whatever value i is; but this vector is in R1 space, whereas the column vector is in Rn space with n > 1. Wouldn't this mean that the dot product with the row vector only applies to the element in row i for the column vector?
 
Gear300 said:
Heheh...a little typo there. I meant dot product.

What I'm having trouble understanding is what is being orthogonal to what; I figured that the row vector in A is considered a component of the vector sum of the matrix and has a direction specific to whatever value i is; but this vector is in R1 space
The row vector is in Rn space, since there are n indices for each row. You take the inner product between the whole row vector with the whole column vector. Row i of A times column j of B creates the element ij of the new matrix. The first element in row i times the first element in column j plus the second element in row i times the second element in column j etc.
 

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