[Math] How to you find a matrix given you know its kernel/nullspace

linear algebramatrices

Suppose we are given that $\phi : \mathbb{R}^4 \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^3$, and also that $\ker\phi$ is the span of
$\{\begin{pmatrix} 1 \\ 0 \\ 1 \\ 1 \end{pmatrix}, \begin{pmatrix} 2 \\ 1 \\ 0 \\ 1 \end{pmatrix}\}$

How can we find a matrix which corresponds to the linear map $\phi$?

Edit: I'm not looking for the unique matrix corresponding to $\phi$, merely any matrix which satisfies the given conditions.

Best Answer

Call your vectors $v_1,v_2$. Pick two vectors $v_3,v_4$ such that $\{ v_1,\dots,v_4 \}$ is a linearly independent set. Pick linearly independent images $w_1,w_2$ for them. (The linear independence ensures that the kernel contains only your given vectors.) Then you want $A$ such that

$$A \begin{bmatrix} v_1 & v_2 & v_3 & v_4 \end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix} 0 & 0 & w_1 & w_2 \end{bmatrix}$$

which you might write as $AV=W$. So $A=W V^{-1}$.

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