Why span(k) Contains More Than k

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The discussion centers on the relationship between a set of vectors k and its span, denoted as span(k). It is established that if W is a subspace and a subset of k, then W must also be a subset of span(k), which contains all linear combinations of the vectors in k. The conversation highlights that if W is a non-zero subspace, it cannot be a subset of a finite collection of vectors, leading to the conclusion that W must be the zero vector to satisfy the subset condition.

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nhrock3
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k is a group of vectors

W is a subspace.

why if W [tex]\subseteq[/tex]k then W [tex]\subseteq[/tex]span(k)

??

span(k) is wider then k



it contains all the combinations of k
 
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You're logic seems fine. Certainly if W is a subset of k, then W is a subset of something 'wider' than k (span{k}).
 
There's something that bothers me about this. If W is a subspace, and W is also a subset of a set of vectors, then it seems to me that W must be the zero vector in whatever space we happen to be working with.

Any other subspaces consist of an infinite number of vectors, so couldn't be a subset of a finite collection of vectors.

If W = 0, then clearly W is a particular linear combination of the vectors in set k, so is in span(k).
 

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