[Math] Show that $\mathbb R^n$ is the direct sum of the subspaces $W_1$ and $W_2$

direct-sumlinear algebra

Show that $\mathbb R^n$ is the direct sum of the subspaces
$W_1$ = {( $a_1$ , · · · , $a_n$) ∈ $\mathbb R^n $ : $a_1$ + $a_2$ + · · · + $a_n$ = $\mathbf 0$}
and
$W_2$ = {($a_1$, · · · , $a_n$) ∈ $\mathbb R^n$ : $a_1$ = $a_2$ = · · · = $a_n$}.

I have no idea as to how I can approach this aside from the Theorem which states that $\mathbb R^n$ is the direct sum of the subspaces $W_1$ and $W_2$ if and only if each $\mathbf v$ ∈ $\mathbb R^n$ can be uniquely written as $\mathbf x_1$ + $\mathbf x_2$ , where $\mathbf x_1$ ∈ $W_1$ and $\mathbf x_2$ ∈ $W_2$. Also, is there a way of solving this by showing that $W_1$ + $W_2$ = V and $W_1$ $\bigcap$ $W_2$ = {$\mathbf 0$}? Some help will be much appreciated.

Best Answer

Hint:

$W_2$ has dimension $1$ and is directed by vector $\vec u=(1,1,\dots,1)$. All you have to check is $W_1=W_2^{\bot}$ for the standard inner product.

Elementary argument:

$W_1$ has codimension $1$, i.e. dimension $n-1$ since it is defined by $1$ (non-trivial) linear equation, $W_2$ has dimension $1$, hence to prove $\mathbf R^n=W_1\oplus W_2$, it is enough to prove $W_1\cap W_2=\{0\}$.

But this is obvious: if $a_1=a_2=\dots=a_n=\lambda$, say, and $a_1+a_2+\dots+a_n=0$, then $a_1+a_2+\dots+a_n=n\lambda=0$, so $\lambda=0$.

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