Math 2210 - Linear Algebra

First prelim - 25 September 2012 - 7:30 to 9:00pm

Name and NetID:

Whose discussion section are you enrolled in? Circle one.

David Belanger

INSTRUCTIONS

Teddy Einstein

OFFICIAL USE ONLY

This test has 7 problems on 7 pages, worth a total of

100 points. Check if you have all 7 pages with questions.
If you need more space than you are given under a
question, write on the back side of the preceding sheet,
but be sure to label your work clearly and point out
where your final answer to each question is. You also
have a 2-sided page for scratchwork at the end.
No books or electronic devices allowed. You are allowed a one-sided letter size paper of notes.
Please show all your work and justify your answers.

1.

/ 20

2.

/ 10

3.

/ 15

4.

/ 15

5.

/ 15

6.

/ 10

7.

/ 15

Total:

/ 100

Academic integrity is expected of all Cornell University students at all times, whether in the
presence or absence of members of the faculty.
Understanding this, I declare I shall not give, use, or receive unauthorized aid in this examination.
Please sign below to indicate that you have read and agree to these instructions.

Signature of Student

1. (20 points) Consider the system of linear equations

x + 3y + 2z + w = a
2x + 8y + 5z + 2w = b

x + 5y + 3z + w = c
(a) What are the constraints on the values of a, b, c in order for the system to be
consistent?
(b) Find all the solutions for the homogeneous system, that is, when a = 0, b = 0 and
c = 0.
(c) Is the system consistent when a = 3, b = 8 and c = 5? If it is, find one particular
solution and then the general solution for that system.

2. (10 points) Find the inverse of the matrix

3 1 2
A = 6 1 2 .
6 3 5

3. (15 points) Suppose A is a 5 3 matrix with 3 pivots.

(a) What is the reduced echelon form of A?
(b) What can you say about the number of solutions of the equation Ax = b? Explain
you answer.
(c) What if A has only 2 pivots, what can you say then about the number of solutions
of the equation Ax = b? Explain your answer.

4. (15 points)
(a) Find all linear transformations T : R3 R3 such that


1
7
0
5

0
1
T
= 5
and T
= 0 .
0
9
0
1
(b) Find the matrix of the linear transformation T : R2 R2 satisfying
   
   
2
2
1
5
T
=
and T
=
.
1
3
1
0

5. (15 points)
(a) If T : Rn Rm is onto, then (circle the right answer, no need to explain)
n>m

n=m

n<m

nm

(b) Let T be a linear transformation whose standard matrix is

1 a
A = 2 b .
3 c
When is T one-to-one? When is T onto? Explain your answer.

n m.

6. (10 points) Write down four vectors v1 , v2 , v3 , v4 in R2 such that {v1 , v2 } and {v3 , v4 }
are linearly dependent sets, but all other pairs of vectors are linearly independent.

7. (15+5 points) Is each of the following true or false? If true, explain why, if false, show
a counterexample.
If A and B are two 2 2 matrices such that AB = 0, then. . .
(a) . . . either A = 0 or B = 0 (or both).
(b) . . . B being invertible implies that A = 0.
(c) . . . BA = 0.
(d) Bonus question (5 points): . . . there is a vector x 6= 0 such that BAx = 0.

This page is for scratch work, it will not be graded unless you point us here from the page
where the question was posed.