[Math] How to verify this is an orthogonal basis? How to transform it into an orthonormal basis

inner-productslinear algebravector-spaces

Let
$$B = \left\{ \begin{bmatrix} 3\\ -3\\ 0\end{bmatrix},\begin{bmatrix} 2\\ 2\\ -1\end{bmatrix},\begin{bmatrix} 1\\ 1\\ 4\end{bmatrix}\right\},\qquad v =\begin{bmatrix} 5\\ -3\\ 1\end{bmatrix}.$$
a) Verify that $B$ is an orthogonal basis of $\mathbb{R}^3$.
b) Transform $B$ into an orthonormal basis.
c) Write $v$ as linear combination of $B$.

I am really lost in class. I don't even know where to start. Please show steps and answers for the exercise problem so that I can learn. Thank you

Best Answer

Hints:

a) Take the dot product of the vectors and it should be zero for any two different vectors.

b) Divide each vector by its length.

c) $v = \alpha b_1 + \beta b_2 + \gamma b_3 $

To determine the $\alpha,\beta$, and $\gamma$, take the dot product of $v$ with $b_1,b_2$, and $b_3$ and note that $b_i.||b_i||=1,\, \forall i=1..3$. Note that, $\alpha,\beta$, and $\gamma$ are known as the Fourier coefficients.