Linear transformation from a standard basis to another basis

abstract-algebralinear algebramatricesreal-analysis

We have a linear transformation $A: R³ \rightarrow R³$ where in a basis

$$ B = \{ \begin{bmatrix}
1\\
2\\
1
\end{bmatrix}
\begin{bmatrix}
2\\
1\\
1
\end{bmatrix}
\begin{bmatrix}
1\\
0\\
0
\end{bmatrix}
\} $$

There is a matrix
$$A_B=\begin{bmatrix}
2 & 0 & 0 \\
0 & 1 & 0\\
0& 0 & -1
\end{bmatrix}$$

We need to find this matrix in the standard basis ( this means vectors that have only one $1$ element and all others 0, so that they are independent)

I tried the following:

I would multiply:

$$A_B*\begin{bmatrix}
1\\
0\\
0
\end{bmatrix}=\begin{bmatrix}
2\\
0\\
0
\end{bmatrix}$$

Then I would try to get this matrix from $x*e_1+y*e_2+z*e_3$.

Where I would put $x,y$ and$ z$ into it's own vector which should be the first column in the new matrix that is based on the standard basis.

The thing is, I get the same matrix ($A_B$). I know that this is how we would calculate if we would have the matrix already in a standard basis and would want to write it in another matrix. Why doesn't this work the other way around. Did I miss something? How to solve this problem then?

Best Answer

Note that $$A_{BC} = \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 2 & 1 \\ 2 & 1 & 0 \\ 1 & 1 & 0 \end{bmatrix}$$ Is the change of basis matrix from $C$ to $B$ where $C=\{(1,0,0),\;(0,1,0),\;(0,0,1)\}$ and $B=\{(1,2,1),\;(2,1,1),\;(1,0,0)\}$. Then the matrix you are looking for is $A_{BC}\times A_B \times (A_{BC})^{-1} $

Please, take a look to this question.