Inner Product Space, quick questions.

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around inner product spaces, specifically focusing on identities involving complex vectors and the derivation of equations related to orthogonal complements. Participants are exploring properties of inner products and their implications in the context of complex vector spaces.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the derivation of a specific identity involving inner products and complex vectors, questioning the steps taken to arrive at certain equations. There is also exploration of the orthogonal complement of a subspace and the conditions for vectors to be orthogonal to given spanning vectors.

Discussion Status

Several participants are engaging with the mathematical properties of inner products and their implications for vector equations. There is an ongoing examination of the relationships between different forms of inner product equations, with some guidance provided on the equivalence of certain expressions through hermiticity.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating potential discrepancies in their calculations and interpretations of inner product properties, particularly in the context of complex numbers. There is mention of specific equations derived from the inner product that may differ based on the order of the vectors involved.

binbagsss
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1) Using the indentity:||u+v||^2=||u||^2+||v||^2+(u,v)+(v,u) - where (x,y) denotes the inner product .
Now if we let the second term = iv, my book gives the identity as then:
||u+iv||^2=||u||^2+||v||^2-i(u,v)+i(v,u) [1].

And I am struggling to derive this myself, here is my working:
||u+iv||^2=(u,u)+(u,iv)+(iv,u)+(iv,iv)
= ||u||^2+(u,iv)+i(v,u)+||iv||^2
Now the two terms I am struggling with are why ||iv||^2=||v||^2 and trying to get the (u,iv) to -i(u,v) as it is in [1].
My attempt was to use the hermiticity property to give (u,iv)=(iv,u)* - letting * denote the complex conugate - gives (u,iv)=(-iv,u)=-i(v,u), where the last equivalence follws from linearity in the first factor, rather than -i(u,v).

2) Is to find an orthornomal basis for the orthogonal complement of the subspace spanned by (2,1-i,0,1) and (1,0,i,3), under the standard inner product. Now I am ok with the main concepts of the strategy needed here: the orthogonal complement of the subspace is given by the space of solutions to
2a+(1-i)b+d=0 and,
a+ic+3d=0,
obtained by ensuring that any arbitarty vector that lies in this space (a,b,c,d) is orthogonal to the spanning vectors given of the subspace.
HOWEVER, my book gives these equations (1) and (2) as 2a+(1+i)b+d=0 and a-i+3d=0, and I can not see why the 'i's have been multipled by -1 compared to my workng.

Many Thanks for any assistance.
 
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well, effectively, the idea is to find the components of a vector which gives zero inner product with the vectors that you have been given, right? So what is the proper way to do an inner product?
 
Ahh thanks , the complex inner product of x and y = (x,y*), where y* is the complex conjugate . so letting a=(2,1-i,0,1) and b=(1,0,i,3) and z=(a,b,c,d) for a,b,c,d in ℝ, I can see where this comes from taking the inner products: (z,a*) and (z,b*), however not if I take the other order of these, i.e. (a*,z) and (b*,z) as z*=(a,b,c,d).
 
Last edited:
Well, you've got (a*,z)=0 or (z*,a)=0 Do these two statements disagree with each other?
 
Sorry, the post above should read the other order as (a,z*) or (b,z*).
(z,a*) gives me the equation in line witht the equation: 2a+b(1+i)+d=0, and (a,z*) gives 2a+b(1-i)+d=0, which as far as I can see are not equivalent?
 
well, you need to do a proper calculation to see if they are equivalent. The two equations are:
(z,a*) = 0 and (a,z*) = 0
Is there a way to re-write one equation, as the other equation?
 
Ahh I see, thanks, by hermiticity the two are equivalent.
 
yep, no worries, man
 

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