[Math] Basis for the row space, column space and null space of a matrix

linear algebramatricesvector-spacesvectors

Let $A$ = \begin{pmatrix}11&-2&36&2\\ -2&1&-4&0\\ 3&0&12&1\\ 1&-1&0&0\end{pmatrix}

Determine a basis for the row space, column space and null space."

So I know the dimension of the row and column space is 3 and the dimension of the null space is 1. But I'm not entirely sure how to proceed further to determine the basis. For the row and column space, am I supposed to find a set of row and column vectors respectively that have a non-zero determinant (Linearly independent)? And how exactly am I supposed to find the basis for the null space?

Any help?

Best Answer

This matrix reduces, through row reduction, to $\begin{pmatrix}1 & -1 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & -1 & -4 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 1 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix}$. The row space has the three basis vectors, (1, -1, 0, 0), (0, -1, -4, 0), and (0, 0, 0, 1), so dimension 3. The column space has the three basis vectors (1, 0, 0, 0), (-1, -1, 0, 0), and (0, 0, 1, 0). (0, -4, 0, 0) is not independent because (0, -4, 0, 0)= 4(-1, -1, 0, 0)+ 4(1, 0, 0, 0). The column space has dimension 3. That's always true- the dimension of the row space of a matrix is equal to the dimension of the column space".

(x, y, z, t) is in the "null space" if and only if $\begin{pmatrix}11 & -2 & 36 & 2 \\ -2 & 1 & -4 & 0 \\ 3 & 0 & 12 & 1 \\ 1 & -1 & 0 & 0 \end{pmatrix}\begin{pmatrix} x \\ y \\ z\\ t\end{pmatrix}= \begin{pmatrix}0 \\ 0 \\ 0 \\ 0\end{pmatrix}$. That is equivalent to the four equations 11x- 2y+ 36z+ 2t= 0, -2x+ y- 4z= 0, 3x+ 12z+ t= 0, x- y= 0. From x- y= 0, of course, y= x so the other three equations can be written 9x+ 36z+ 2t= 0, -x- 4z= 0, and 3x+ 12z+ t= 0. From -x- 4z= 0, x= -4z so the other two equations can be written 2t= 0, 0= 0, and t= 0. Clearly t= 0 but we cannot solve for numerical values of x, y, and z. We can say that (x, y, z, t)= (-4z, -4z, z)= z(-4, -4, 1) where z can be any number. That is a basis for the null space is {(-4, -4, 1)} and the dimension of the null space (the "nullity") is 1.

Note that the dimension of the null space, 1, plus the dimension of the row space, 1+ 3= 4, the dimension of the whole space. That is always true. After finding a basis for the row space, by row reduction, so that its dimension was 3, we could have immediately said that the column space had the same dimension, 3, and that the dimension of the null space was 4- 3= 1 without any more computation.