Can a vector space $\{0\}$ exist

linear algebra

Sorry if that question sounds similar to another question asked some time ago but the book
that I am using to learn linear algebra defines a vector space to be a set $V$ with addition and scalar multiplication with a field $F$.

The problem comes from the definition of a field in the same book: A field has at least two distinct elements called 0 and 1.
This definition would mean that the set $\{0\}$ would not be a valid field and therefore could have no vector space over it, right?

Best Answer

You are right that the set $\{0\}$ cannot be made into a field, because a field must have distinct $0$ and $1$. So, indeed, there is no such thing as a vector space over $\{0\}$; that doesn't mean anything.

However, that is different from $\{0\}$ being a vector space over some field $F$. That is possible and in fact, for every field $F$, $\{0_F\}$ is a zero-dimensional vector space over $F$. Addition and scalar multiplication are defined in the only way they can: everything always results in $0_F$.