Linearly Independent Vectors and Their Span: The Truth Behind <u,v,w> and <u,v>

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of linear independence in vector spaces, specifically examining the relationship between the spans of sets of vectors, and .

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the implications of linear independence and the definitions of vector spans. The original poster attempts to reason through the problem by defining linear independence and questioning the validity of the statement regarding the spans. Others suggest a proof by contradiction to analyze the relationship between the vectors.

Discussion Status

The discussion is progressing with participants engaging in reasoning about the implications of their assumptions. Some guidance has been offered through the exploration of contradictions related to linear independence, but no consensus has been reached on a formal proof.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the assumption that the vectors u, v, and w are linearly independent, which is central to the discussion. There is a focus on the definitions and properties of spans in relation to linear independence.

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Homework Statement


Suppose u,v,w are linearly independent, is it true that <u,v,w> does not equal <u,v>


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I started by defining what it meant to be linearly independent but am unsure where to go from there. I think the statement is true since the span <u,v> won't include any multiple of w but i can't give a solid proof
 
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Assume by contradiction that <u,v,w>=<u,v>. Then [itex]w\in <u,v>[/itex]. Thus...
 
oh i think i get it, by assuming that we can say by definition

w=λ1u + λ2v
then there is now a non trivial solution to
λ1u + λ2v + λ3w=0 which contradicts the statement that u,v,w are linearly independent, is that right?
 
That's right!
 
Sweet, cheers
 

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