About 3.F Exercise 21 on p.114 in “Linear Algebra Done Right” by Sheldon Axler.

dual-spaceslinear algebra

I am reading "Linear Algebra Done Right" by Sheldon Axler.

I cannot solve 3.F Exercise 21 on p.114.

Let $V$ be a vector space over $\mathbb{F}$.
Let $V'$ be the set of all linear maps from $V$ to $\mathbb{F}$.
Let $U^0 := \{\phi \in V' | \phi(u) = 0$ for all $u \in U\}$.

Suppose $V$ is finite-dimensional and $U$ and $W$ are subspaces of $V$ with $W^0 \subset U^0$.
Prove that $U \subset W$.

My attempt is here:

$\dim W^0 + \dim W = \dim V$
$\dim U^0 + \dim U = \dim V$

Since $W^0 \subset U^0$, $\dim W^0 \leq \dim U^0$.
So, $\dim U \leq \dim W$.

I cannot prove that $U \subset W$.

Please tell me a proof.

Best Answer

Let $w_1, \cdots, w_m$ be a basis of $W$.
Let $w_1, \cdots, w_m, v_1, \cdots, v_n$ be a basis of $V$.
Let $u$ be an arbitrary element of $U$.

Then, we can write $u$ as $u = \alpha_1 w_1 + \cdots + \alpha_m w_m + \beta_1 v_1 + \cdots + \beta_n v_n$ for some $\alpha_1, \cdots, \alpha_m, \beta_1, \cdots, \beta_n \in \mathbb{F}$.

Let $\phi$ be an arbitrary element of $W^0(\subset U^0)$.

Then, $\phi(\beta_1 v_1 + \cdots + \beta_n v_n) = \phi(u) - \phi(\alpha_1 w_1 + \cdots, \alpha_m w_m) = 0$.

So, $\beta_1 v_1 + \cdots + \beta_n v_n = 0$ because if $\beta_1 v_1 + \cdots + \beta_n v_n \ne 0$, then we can find a $\psi \in W^0$ such that $\psi(\beta_1 v_1 + \cdots + \beta_n v_n) = 1$.

$\therefore$ $u = \alpha_1 w_1 + \cdots + \alpha_m w_m \in W$.