Linear Algebra – How to Find the Null Space

linear algebravector-spaces

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What I did:

I put this into reduced row echelon form:

$$\begin{bmatrix} 1 & -2 & 2 & 4 \\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 1 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \end{bmatrix}$$

It is clear that the $r(M)=2$, because there are two independent rows.


Now for the null space, I wrote down the equations from the reduced row echelon form:

$$x-2y+2z+4t=0$$

$$z+t=0$$

I can't seem to write $x$ and $y$ separately in terms of $z$ and $t$. Any hints?

Best Answer

Write the system

$$\left\{\begin{array}{rcl} x-2y+2z+4t& =& 0 \\ z+t & = & 0\end{array}\right.$$

as

$$\left\{\begin{array}{rcl} x+2z& =& 2y-4t \\ z & = & -t\end{array}\right.$$ and solve it. You get,

$$\left\{\begin{array}{rcl} x& =& 2y-2t \\ z & = & -t\end{array}\right.$$ That is, $$(2y-2t,y,-t,t)$$ is an element of the null space for any $y,t.$ Now, look for two linearly independent vectors.

(Note that the kernel has dimension $2.$ So the system has infinitely many solutions that have to depend on two parameters.)