Finding a matrix representation of a linear transformation

linear algebralinear-transformationsmatrices

Exercise:

Consider the vector space of $R^{2×2}$ and the linear operator $L_{A,B} : R^{2×2} → R^{2×2}$ given by

$$L_{A,B}(X) = AX + XB$$

where
$A=$
\begin{bmatrix}
3 & 4 \\\
1 & 2\end{bmatrix}

and $B=$
\begin{bmatrix}
5 & 6 \\\
7 & 8
\end{bmatrix}

Find the matrix representation of $L_{A,B}$ with respect to the basis
$$\left( \begin{bmatrix}
1 & 0\\
0 & 0
\end{bmatrix}, \begin{bmatrix}
0 & 1\\
0 & 0
\end{bmatrix},\begin{bmatrix}
0 & 0\\
1 & 0
\end{bmatrix},\begin{bmatrix}
0 & 0\\
0 & 1
\end{bmatrix} \right)$$

What I did was calculating the matrix after the linear transformation. But I think that is not what I should do. Can someone give me a hint?

Best Answer

Since

  • $L\left(\left[\begin{smallmatrix}1&0\\0&0\end{smallmatrix}\right]\right)=\left[\begin{smallmatrix}8&6\\1&0\end{smallmatrix}\right]$;
  • $L\left(\left[\begin{smallmatrix}0&1\\0&0\end{smallmatrix}\right]\right)=\left[\begin{smallmatrix}7&11\\0&1\end{smallmatrix}\right]$;
  • $L\left(\left[\begin{smallmatrix}0&0\\1&0\end{smallmatrix}\right]\right)=\left[\begin{smallmatrix}4&0\\7&6\end{smallmatrix}\right]$;
  • $L\left(\left[\begin{smallmatrix}0&0\\0&1\end{smallmatrix}\right]\right)=\left[\begin{smallmatrix}0&4\\7&10\end{smallmatrix}\right]$

the matrix that you are after is$$\begin{bmatrix}8&7&4&0\\6&11&0&4\\1&0&7&7\\0&1&6&10\end{bmatrix}.$$