All Questions
6,251 questions
368
votes
31
answers
80k
views
Geometric interpretation of trace
This afternoon I was speaking with some graduate students in the department and we came to the following quandary;
Is there a geometric interpretation of the trace of a matrix?
This question ...
128
votes
13
answers
27k
views
Should the formula for the inverse of a 2x2 matrix be obvious?
As every MO user knows, and can easily prove, the inverse of the matrix $\begin{pmatrix} a & b \\\ c & d \end{pmatrix}$ is $\dfrac{1}{ad - bc} \begin{pmatrix} d & -b \\ -c & a \end{...
- 7,337
127
votes
4
answers
32k
views
Slick proof?: A vector space has the same dimension as its dual if and only if it is finite dimensional
A very important theorem in linear algebra that is rarely taught is:
A vector space has the same dimension as its dual if and only if it is finite dimensional.
I have seen a total of one proof of ...
115
votes
3
answers
5k
views
The number $\pi$ and summation by $SL(2,\mathbb Z)$
Let $f(a,b,c,d)=\sqrt{a^2+b^2}+\sqrt{c^2+d^2}-\sqrt{(a+c)^2+(b+d)^2}$. (it is the defect in the triangle inequality)
Then, we discovered by heuristic arguments and then verified by computer that
$$\...
- 5,053
109
votes
15
answers
12k
views
Why are matrices ubiquitous but hypermatrices rare?
I am puzzled by the amazing utility and therefore ubiquity of
two-dimensional matrices in comparison to the relative
paucity of multidimensional arrays of numbers, hypermatrices.
Of course ...
- 151k
109
votes
19
answers
38k
views
Why were matrix determinants once such a big deal?
I have been told that the study of matrix determinants once comprised the bulk of linear algebra. Today, few textbooks spend more than a few pages to define it and use it to compute a matrix inverse. ...
91
votes
19
answers
20k
views
Injectivity implies surjectivity
In some circumstances, an injective (one-to-one) map is automatically surjective (onto). For example,
Set theory
An injective map between two finite sets with the same cardinality is surjective.
...
91
votes
5
answers
124k
views
Eigenvalues of matrix sums
Is there a relationship between the eigenvalues of individual matrices and the eigenvalues of their sum? What about the special case when the matrices are Hermitian and positive definite?
I am ...
- 1,013
86
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Are there non-scalar endomorphisms of the functor $V\mapsto V^{**}/V$?
Let $K$ be a field. Are there non-scalar endomorphisms of the endofunctor
$$
V\mapsto V^{**}/V
$$
of the category of $K$-vector spaces?
I asked a related question on Mathematics Stackexchange, but ...
- 4,416
81
votes
10
answers
9k
views
Existence of a zero-sum subset
Some time ago I heard this question and tried playing around with it. I've never succeeded to making actual progress. Here it goes:
Given a finite (nonempty) set of real numbers, $S=\{a_1,a_2,\dots, ...
- 85.6k
68
votes
4
answers
9k
views
explicit big linearly independent sets
In the following, I use the word "explicit" in the following sense: No choices of bases (of vector spaces or field extensions), non-principal ultrafilters or alike which exist only by Zorn's Lemma (or ...
- 63.1k
66
votes
2
answers
8k
views
Geometric interpretation of characteristic polynomial
The coefficients of lowest and next-highest degree of a linear operator's characteristic polynomial are its determinant and trace. These have well-known geometric interpretations. But what about its ...
- 2,071
66
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Does linearization of categories reflect isomorphism?
Given a category $C$ and a commutative ring $R$, denote by $RC$ the $R$-linearization: this is the category enriched over $R$-modules which has the same objects as $C$, but the morphism module between ...
- 6,162
63
votes
7
answers
9k
views
How to prove this determinant is positive?
Given matrices
$$A_i= \biggl(\begin{matrix}
0 & B_i \\
B_i^T & 0
\end{matrix} \biggr)$$
where $B_i$ are real matrices and $i=1,2,\ldots,N$, how to prove the following?
$$\det \big( I + e^...
- 845
62
votes
25
answers
70k
views
Linear Algebra Texts?
Can anyone suggest a relatively gentle linear algebra text that integrates vector spaces and matrix algebra right from the start? I've found in the past that students react in very negative ways to ...
62
votes
9
answers
23k
views
Can a vector space over an infinite field be a finite union of proper subspaces?
Can a (possibly infinite-dimensional) vector space ever be a finite union of proper subspaces?
If the ground field is finite, then any finite-dimensional vector space is finite as a set, so there are ...
61
votes
11
answers
11k
views
Geometric proof of the Vandermonde determinant?
The Vandermonde matrix is the $n\times n$ matrix whose $(i,j)$-th component is $x_j^{i-1}$, where the $x_j$ are indeterminates. It is well known that the determinant of this matrix is $$\prod_{1\leq ...
- 23k
57
votes
6
answers
6k
views
Is the non-triviality of the algebraic dual of an infinite-dimensional vector space equivalent to the axiom of choice?
If $V$ is given to be a vector space that is not finite-dimensional, it doesn't seem to be possible to exhibit an explicit non-zero linear functional on $V$ without further information about $V$. The ...
- 3,511
56
votes
21
answers
18k
views
Wonderful applications of the Vandermonde determinant
This semester I am assisting my mentor teaching a first-year undergraduate course on linear algebra in Peking University, China. And now we have come to the famous Vandermonde determinant, which has ...
56
votes
21
answers
14k
views
Linear algebra proofs in combinatorics?
Simple linear algebra methods are a surprisingly powerful tool to prove combinatorial results. Some examples of combinatorial theorems with linear algebra proofs are the (weak) perfect graph theorem, ...
55
votes
0
answers
2k
views
What did Gelfand mean by suggesting to study "Heredity Principle" structures instead of categories?
Israel Gelfand wrote in his remarkable talk "Mathematics as an adequate language (a few remarks)", given at "The Unity of Mathematics" Conference in honor of his 90th birthday, the ...
- 1,238
54
votes
5
answers
2k
views
Unusual symmetries of the Cayley-Menger determinant for the volume of tetrahedra
Suppose you have a tetrahedron $T$ in Euclidean space with edge lengths $\ell_{01}$, $\ell_{02}$, $\ell_{03}$, $\ell_{12}$, $\ell_{13}$, and $\ell_{23}$. Now consider the tetrahedron $T'$ with edge ...
- 10.1k
53
votes
7
answers
51k
views
Determinant of sum of positive definite matrices
Say $A$ and $B$ are symmetric, positive definite matrices. I've proved that
$$\det(A+B) \ge \det(A) + \det(B)$$
in the case that $A$ and $B$ are two dimensional. Is this true in general for $n$-...
- 541
53
votes
9
answers
13k
views
Is there a preferable convention for defining the wedge product?
There are different conventions for defininig the wedge product $\wedge$.
In Kobayashi-Nomizu, there is $\alpha\wedge\beta:=Alt(\alpha\otimes\beta)$,
in Spivak, we find $\alpha\wedge\beta:=\frac{(k+l)...
- 4,306
53
votes
5
answers
5k
views
Does this formula have a rigorous meaning, or is it merely formal?
I hope this problem is not considered too "elementary" for MO. It concerns a formula that I have always found fascinating. For, at first glance, it appears completely "obvious", while on closer ...
- 15.3k
52
votes
5
answers
4k
views
When exactly and why did matrix multiplication become a part of the undergraduate curriculum?
The story about Heisenberg inventing matrices and matrix multiplication in 1925 is very well known and well documented. A few weeks later, Born and Jordan read this work and recognized matrix ...
- 91.8k
52
votes
2
answers
3k
views
vector balancing problem
I believe the solution posted to the arXiv on June 17 by Marcus, Spielman, and Srivastava is correct.
This problem may be hard, so I don't expect an off-the-cuff solution. But can anyone suggest ...
- 42.8k
51
votes
22
answers
19k
views
Why linear algebra is fun!(or ?)
Edit: the original poster is Menny, but the question is CW; the first-person pronoun refers to Menny, not to the most recent editor.
I'm doing an introductory talk on linear algebra with the ...
51
votes
2
answers
5k
views
A strengthening of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality
Suppose $\mathbf{v},\mathbf{w} \in \mathbb{R}^n$ (and if it helps, you can assume they each have non-negative entries), and let $\mathbf{v}^2,\mathbf{w}^2$ denote the vectors whose entries are the ...
- 6,351
49
votes
14
answers
21k
views
Applications of the Cayley-Hamilton theorem
The Cayley-Hamilton theorem is usually presented in standard undergraduate courses in linear algebra as an important result. Recall that it says that any square matrix is a "root" of its own ...
49
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Is this proof of Perron's theorem correct, and if so is it original?
A few years ago, I came up with this proof of Perron's theorem for a class presentation:
https://pi.math.cornell.edu/~web6720/Perron-Frobenius_Hannah%20Cairns.pdf
I've written an outline of it below ...
- 493
47
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Why is the Vandermonde determinant harmonic?
It can be checked that the Vandermonde determinant defined as
$$V(\alpha_1, \cdots, \alpha_n) = \prod_{1 \le i < j \le n}(\alpha_i-\alpha_j) $$
is a harmonic function, that is $\Delta V = 0$ where ...
- 763
47
votes
4
answers
7k
views
Using linear algebra to classify vector bundles over ℙ¹
There is a theorem of Grothendieck stating that a vector bundle of rank $r$ over the projective line $\mathbb{P}^1$ can be decomposed into $r$ line bundles uniquely up to isomorphism. If we let $\...
- 533
47
votes
4
answers
8k
views
Does the fact that this vector space is not isomorphic to its double-dual require choice?
Let $V$ denote the vector space of sequences of real numbers that are eventually 0, and let $W$ denote the vector space of sequences of real numbers. Given $w \in W$ and $v \in V$, we can take their "...
- 3,982
46
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Determinant of a determinant
Consider an $mn \times mn$ matrix over a commutative ring $A$, divided into $n \times n$ blocks that commute pairwise. One can pretend that each of the $m^2$ blocks is a number and apply the $m \...
- 23.8k
45
votes
11
answers
23k
views
real symmetric matrix has real eigenvalues - elementary proof
Every real symmetric matrix has at least one real eigenvalue. Does anyone know how to prove this elementary, that is without the notion of complex numbers?
- 579
44
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Fermat's Last Theorem for integer matrices
Some years ago I was asked by a friend if Fermat's Last Theorem was true for matrices. It is pretty easy to convince oneself that it is not the case, and in fact the following statement occurs ...
- 1,889
44
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Is this lemma in elementary linear algebra new?
Is anyone familiar with the following, or anything close to it?
Lemma. Suppose $A$, $B$ are nonzero finite-dimensional vector spaces
over an infinite field $k$, and $V$ a subspace of $A\otimes_k B$
...
- 595
43
votes
18
answers
5k
views
Results in linear algebra that depend on the choice of field
Linear algebra as we learn it as undergraduates usually holds for any field (even though we usually learn it for the complex, or real, numbers).
I am looking for a list of concepts, and results, in ...
43
votes
6
answers
9k
views
"A gentleman never chooses a basis."
Around these parts, the aphorism "A gentleman never chooses a basis," has become popular.
Question. Is there a gentlemanly way to prove that the natural map from $V$ to $V^{**}$ is surjective if $V$...
- 5,275
43
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Do vector spaces without choice satisfy Cantor-Schroeder-Bernstein?
If $V \hookrightarrow W$ and $W \hookrightarrow V$ are injective linear maps, then is there an isomorphism $V \cong W$?
If we assume the axiom of choice, the answer is yes: use the fact that every ...
- 63.9k
42
votes
6
answers
12k
views
A slick proof of the Bruhat Decomposition for GL_n(k)?
On one of my exams last year, we were given a problem (we chose five or six out of eight problems) on an exam, the goal of which was to prove the Bruhat decomposition for $GL_n(k)$. I was one of the ...
- 19.6k
42
votes
4
answers
33k
views
What is the intuition for the trace norm (nuclear norm)?
I will word this question in terms of linear operators acting on $\mathbb{C}^n$ for simplicity. Feel free to provide an answer in terms of more general Hilbert spaces if you think it makes more sense ...
- 539
42
votes
3
answers
5k
views
The probability for a symmetric matrix to be positive definite
Let me give a reasonable model for the question in the title. In ${\rm Sym}_n({\mathbb R})$, the positive definite matrices form a convex cone $S_n^+$. The probability I have in mind is the ratio $p_n=...
- 52.3k
41
votes
4
answers
6k
views
Linear algebra in terms of abstract nonsense?
The categories of vector spaces and finite dimensional vector spaces are pretty much as nice as can be, I think.
I was wondering what portions of basic linear algebra (first couple of courses) fall ...
- 10.5k
40
votes
6
answers
6k
views
Linear transformation that preserves the determinant
It seems "common knowledge" that the following holds:
Let $T$ be a linear transformation on $n\times n$ matrices with complex coefficients that preserves the determinant. Then there exists ...
- 511
38
votes
6
answers
11k
views
Is there a version of inclusion/exclusion for vector spaces?
I am asking for a way to compute the rank of the 'join' of a bunch of subspaces whose pairwise intersections might be non-zero. So in the case n=2 this is just $\dim(A_1+A_2) = \dim(A_1) + \dim(A_2) - ...
- 549
38
votes
10
answers
18k
views
Fast matrix multiplication
Suppose we have two $n$ by $n$ matrices over particular ring. We want to multiply them as fast as possible. According to wikipedia there is an algorithm of Coppersmith and Winograd that can do it in $...
- 1,791
38
votes
2
answers
6k
views
Over which fields are symmetric matrices diagonalizable ?
The question is motivated by this one real symmetric matrix has real eigenvalues - elementary proof:
Are there other fields $F$ than $\mathbb{R}$ (maybe some valued fields or real closed fields) ...
- 567
38
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What are all the natural maps between iterated duals of vector spaces, and equations between these?
Fix a field. Given a vector space $V$ it has a dual $V^\ast$, which has its own dual $V^{\ast \ast}$, which has its own dual $V^{\ast \ast \ast}$, and so on ad infinitum.
There are lots of natural ...
- 22.3k