1.

Introduction to Linear Transformations

Another way to view Ax = b:

Matrix A is an object acting on x by multiplication to produce a new vector Ax or b.
EXAMPLE:
2 4
3 6
1 2

2
3

2 4

12

3 6

1 2

2
1

0
=

0
0

Suppose A is m n. Solving Ax = b amounts to finding all ____ in R n which are transformed into
vector b in R m through multiplication by A.

transformation
multiply by A

machine

Matrix Transformations
A transformation T from R n to R m is a rule that assigns to each vector x in R n a vector Tx in
Rm.

T : Rn Rm

Terminology:
R n : domain of T

R m : codomain of T

Tx in R m is the image of x under the transformation T

Set of all images Tx is the range of T

1 0
EXAMPLE: Let A =

. Define a transformation T : R 2 R 3 by Tx = Ax.

2 1
0 1

Then if x =

,
1 0
Tx = Ax =

2 1
0 1

2
1

2
=

5
1

x
0 1 1
2

3
2

x2
2
1 x3

1
0

x1

4
x2

1 2

EXAMPLE: Let A =

,u =

5 10 15

,b =

and c =

10

3
0

. Then define

a transformation T : R R by Tx = Ax.
3

a. Find an x in R 3 whose image under T is b.

b. Is there more than one x under T whose image is b. (uniqueness problem)
c. Determine if c is in the range of the transformation T. (existence problem)
Solution: (a)

Solve _______=_____ for x. I.e., solve _______=_____ or

1 2

x1

x2

5 10 15

x3

2
10

Augmented matrix:
1

5 10 15 10

x 1 = 2x 2 3x 3 + 2

1 2 3 2
0

x 2 is free

0 0

x 3 is free

Let x 2 = _____ and x 3 = _____. Then x 1 = _____.

So x =

(b) Is there an x for which Tx = b?

Free variables exist

There is more than one x for which Tx = b

(c) Is there an x for which Tx = c? This is another way of asking if Ax = c

is _______________.

Augmented matrix:

5 10 15 0

1 2 3 0
0

0 1

c is not in the _______________ of T.

Matrix transformations have many applications - including computer graphics.

.5

EXAMPLE: Let A =

. The transformation T : R 2 R 2 defined by Tx = Ax is an

0 .5
example of a contraction transformation. The transformation Tx = Ax can be used to move a
point x.

u =

Tu =

.5

0 .5

2
2

10

12

2
2

10

12

4
3

10

12

10

12

Linear Transformations
If A is m n, then the transformation Tx = Ax has the following properties:
Tu + v = Au + v = _______ + _______
= ______ + ______
and
Tcu = Acu = _____Au =_____Tu
for all u,v in R n and all scalars c.

DEFINITION
A transformation T is linear if:
i. Tu + v = Tu +Tv for all u, v in the domain of T.
ii. Tcu =cTu for all u in the domain of T and all scalars c.
Every matrix transformation is a linear transformation.
RESULT

If T is a linear transformation, then

T0 = 0

and

Tcu + dv =cTu +dTv .

Proof:
T0 = T0u = ____Tu = _____.
Tcu + dv = T

+T

= _____T

+ _____T

EXAMPLE: Let e 1 =

, e2 =

1
, y1 =

0
and y 2 =

Suppose

2
1
T : R R is a linear transformation which maps e 1 into y 1 and e 2 into y 2 . Find the images of
3
x1
and
.
x2
2
2

Solution: First, note that

Te 1 = ______

Te 2 = ______.

and

Also
___e 1 + ___e 2 =

3
2

Then
3

= T___e 1 + ___e 2 = ___Te 1 + ___Te 2

2
=

x2
2

x2
1
0
8
6

4x
3
2
3

x1
0

1 x
1

T3e 1 + 2e 2 = 3Te 1 + 2Te 2

Also
T

x1
x2

= T_____e 1 + _____e 2 = ____Te 1 + ____Te 2 =

EXAMPLE: Define T : R 3 R 2 such that Tx 1 , x 2 , x 3 = |x 1 + x 3 |, 2 + 5x 2 . Show that T is a not a

linear transformation.
Solution:

Another way to write the transformation:

x1
T

|x 1 + x 3 |

x2

2 + 5x 2

x3

Provide a counterexample - example where T0 = 0, Tcu =cTu or Tu + v = Tu + Tv is

violated.
A counterexample:
0
T0 = T

_____

0
which means that T is not linear.

1
Another counterexample: Let c = 1 and u =

. Then

1
1
Tcu = T

1
1

|1 + 1|

2 + 51

2
3

and
1
cTu = 1T

= 1

Therefore Tcu ___Tu and therefore T is not _________________.