[Math] Find the basis of the Null space and the column space.

eigenvalues-eigenvectorslinear algebramatrices

Suppose $A$ 3×3 matrix has eigenvectors $u,w,z$ and eigenvalues $0,2,3$ respectively. Find a basis for the nullspace and column space.Solve $Ax=w+z$. Prove that $Ax=u$ does not have any solution.

Sol:

$Au=0 ,Aw=2w, Az=3z $ and $A$ will have 3,2,0 in its diagonal and zero elsewhere. so Nullspace dimension= 1 and column dim=2. Basis for the column space is the (3,0,0) and (0,2,0). And a basis for Nullspace is the vector $u$ But I can't find it. So far so good?? Or I made a mistake somewhere?
For the other 2 questions I can multiply the eq with $A$ and get $$A^2x=2w+3z$$ and for the last one $$A^2x=0$$

Best Answer

Since $Au=0$, $Aw=2w$ and $Az=3z$ by definition, you know that $2w$ and $3z$ belong to the column space of $A$, so $w$ and $z$ do as well. Since $\{w,z\}$ is a linearly independent set, you know that the column space has dimension at least $2$.

Moreover $u$ belongs to the null space, therefore the null space has dimension at least $1$. Since $3=1+2$, the rank-nullity theorem says that

  • the dimension of the null space is $1$;
  • the dimension of the column space is $2$.

A basis for the former is $\{u\}$; a basis for the latter is $\{w,z\}$.

How can we solve $Ax=w+z$? Since $A$ is diagonalizable, having three distinct eigenvalues, we have $x=\alpha u+\beta w+\gamma z$; then $$ Ax=\alpha Au+\beta Aw+\gamma Az=2\beta w+3\gamma z $$ so the equality $$ 2\beta w+3\gamma z=w+z $$ implies $\beta=1/2$ and $\gamma=1/3$. You can choose $\alpha$ without restrictions.

Can you finish the $Ax=u$ part?