Finding a basis for a particular subspace with Dot Product restrictions

Then t[-1,-1/2,1,0] + s[-6,-3/2,0,1] = [-3,-3/2,3,0] + [-6,-3/2,0,1] = [-9,-3,3,1] = [-3,0,-3,1] In summary, the basis of the subspace of R4 that consists of all vectors perpendicular to both [1, -2, 0, 3] and [0,2,1,3] is span{[2,1,-2,0],[-3,0,-3,1]}.
  • #1
alingy1
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Find the basis of the subspace of R4 that consists of all vectors perpendicular to both [1, -2, 0, 3] and [0,2,1,3].

My teacher applies dot product: Let [w,x,y,z] be the vectors in the subspace. Then,

w-2x+3z=0 and 2x+y+3z=0

So, she solves the system and get the following:

Subspace= { t[-1,-1/2,1,0] + s[-6,-3/2,0,1]|t,s are in R}.

But, I do the following:

I isolate w and y: w=2x-3z and y=-2x-3z.

I replace them : Supspace= { [2x-3z,x,-2x-3z,z]|x,z are in R} = span{[2,1,-2,0],[-3,0,-3,1]}.

I set up a system of linear equation to see if [-3,0,-3,1] is a linear combination of the vectors in my teacher's answer. However, it is not.

What am I doing wrong?
 
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  • #2
It is a linear combination of the teacher's answer.
You did not do anything wrong with your solution.
Let t=-3, s=1.
 

1. What is a subspace?

A subspace is a subset of a vector space that satisfies the same properties as the vector space. It is closed under addition and scalar multiplication, and contains the zero vector.

2. What is a basis?

A basis is a set of linearly independent vectors that span a vector space. It can be used to represent any vector in the vector space.

3. What are Dot Product restrictions?

Dot Product restrictions refer to specific conditions or restrictions placed on the vectors in a subspace in relation to their dot product. This could include constraints on the magnitude or direction of the vectors.

4. How do you find a basis for a subspace with Dot Product restrictions?

To find a basis for a subspace with Dot Product restrictions, you can use the Gram-Schmidt process. This involves taking a set of vectors that satisfy the restrictions and using orthogonalization to obtain a set of orthogonal vectors, which can then be normalized to form a basis.

5. Can a subspace have more than one basis with Dot Product restrictions?

Yes, a subspace can have more than one basis with Dot Product restrictions. This is because there are often multiple ways to satisfy the restrictions and obtain a set of orthogonal vectors. However, all bases for a given subspace will have the same number of vectors.

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