How they found the left nullspace in each of these examples

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around understanding the concept of the left nullspace in the context of linear algebra, specifically related to a 2x3 matrix and its properties. Participants are examining the implications of Gaussian elimination and the relationship between the rows of the matrix and its left nullspace.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the definition of the left nullspace and its relation to the transpose of the matrix. There are questions about the implications of having free variables and the nature of solutions. Some participants inquire about the role of the last rows of the augmented matrix in determining the basis for the left nullspace.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with various interpretations being explored regarding the relationship between the rows of the original matrix and the basis of the left nullspace. Some participants have paraphrased key points from referenced materials, while others express confusion about the implications of certain statements.

Contextual Notes

There are references to specific resources that outline procedures for determining the left nullspace, and participants are questioning the assumptions made in these resources. The nature of the matrix dimensions and the implications for the vector spaces involved are also under consideration.

LongApple
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Homework Statement



Part b)

http://www.math.utah.edu/~zwick/Classes/Fall2012_2270/Lectures/Lecture19_with_Examples.pdf
upload_2015-1-22_11-56-16.png
For B
upload_2015-1-22_11-57-0.png


Left nullspace is solution to A ^ T times Y =0
So we have a free variable for the third row so don't we have infinitely many solutions as x3 could be anything?
upload_2015-1-22_11-51-3.png


In this problem's part b) I don't think that they took the transpose of the matrix A.

http://staff.imsa.edu/~fogel/LinAlg/PDF/29 Fundamental Subspaces.pdf
Go the bottom of page 1 under 4) and you'll see "
Perform Gaussian (or better, Gauss-Jordan) elimination on [A | I] to produce [U | B] (or
[R | C]). Claim: the last m – r rows of B (which equal those of C because once we get zeroes
there’s no more work to do in those rows) form ..."

So why isn't the last three rows of 0's in A just the left nullspace?

I am trying to figure out why

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

 

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LongApple said:
Left nullspace is solution to A ^ T times Y =0
So we have a free variable for the third row so don't we have infinitely many solutions as x3 could be anything?
B is a 2x3 matrix, so it maps vectors from ##\mathbb{R}^3## to ##\mathbb{R}^2##. In which of these two vector spaces does the left nullspace reside?

In this problem's part b) I don't think that they took the transpose of the matrix A.

http://staff.imsa.edu/~fogel/LinAlg/PDF/29 Fundamental Subspaces.pdf
Go the bottom of page 1 under 4) and you'll see "
Perform Gaussian (or better, Gauss-Jordan) elimination on [A | I] to produce [U | B] (or
[R | C]). Claim: the last m – r rows of B (which equal those of C because once we get zeroes
there’s no more work to do in those rows) form ..."

So why isn't the last three rows of 0's in A just the left nullspace?
You start with the (untransposed) A and form the augmented matrix [A | I] and perform row operations to produce [U | B]. The basis vectors are the last m-r rows of B. So why are you thinking the rows of A have anything to do with the basis of the left nullspace? It should be clear the last three rows of A can't form basis because they're all 0s.
 
vela said:
B is a 2x3 matrix, so it maps vectors from ##\mathbb{R}^3## to ##\mathbb{R}^2##. In which of these two vector spaces does the left nullspace reside?You start with the (untransposed) A and form the augmented matrix [A | I] and perform row operations to produce [U | B]. The basis vectors are the last m-r rows of B. So why are you thinking the rows of A have anything to do with the basis of the left nullspace? It should be clear the last three rows of A can't form basis because they're all 0s.

I don't think so.

But then what does this mean?
https://api.viglink.com/api/click?f...fogel/LinAlg/PDF/29 Fundamental Subspaces.pdf
Perform Gaussian (or better, Gauss-Jordan) elimination on [A | I] to produce [U | B] (or
[R | C]). Claim: the last m – r rows of B (which equal those of C because once we get zeroes
there’s no more work to do in those rows) form ..."
 
Sorry for the late reply. I've been kinda busy this week.

I simply paraphrased the passage you quoted from the PDF, so I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. As a result of the row operations, matrix A turns into U, and the identity matrix turns into B. The passage says the last rows of B then form a basis for the left nullspace.
 

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