Math 4310 Homework 5 - Due February 29

Problem 1. Let F be a field and F [x] the vector space of polynomials over F . In each of the following
cases, either prove that the maps in question are always linear, or give an example of one that is not linear.
(a) The function F [x] F given by f 7 f (a) for a fixed a F .
(b) The function F F given by a 7 f (a) for a fixed f F [x]
(c) The function F [x] F [x] given by f (x) 7 f (x + 1).

Problem 2. For a field F , define a linear transformation D : F [x] F [x] called the formal derivative by

D a0 + a1 x + + an xn = a1 + 2a2 x + + nan xn1

(of course, this is just copying how differentiation works for polynomials viewed as functions on R).
(a) If F is a field of characteristic zero, compute the image and kernel of D : F [x] F [x].
(b) For this linear transformation D, the First Isomorphism Theorem tells you that two spaces are isomorphic.
Using part (a), write down explicitly what these two spaces are.
(c) If F is a field of characteristic p, find a polynomial thats in the kernel of D : F [x] F [x] which is not
like the ones you found in part (a).

Problem 3. Let V be a finite-dimensional vector space, and W1 , W2 two subspaces of V . If dim W1 =

dim W2 , prove there exists a linear transformation T : V V with T [W1 ] = W2 .

Problem 4. Let F be a field. Recall that if X is a set, we used the notation F(X, F ) to denote the vector
space of all functions X F .
(a) If : X Y is any function, we can define a function : F(Y, F ) F(X, F ) (note this is going in
the opposite direction!) by (f ) = f . Prove that this is a linear transformation.
(b) Show that if is injective then is surjective.
(c) Show that if is surjective then is injective. In general, show that ker( ) is equal to the set of
functions f : Y F which are zero on the image [X].

Problem 5. Let C 1 (R, R) be the set of all continuously-differentiable functions R R, and let U be the
subset
df
U = {f C 1 (R, R) : f (0) = 0, dx (0) = 0, f (1) = 0}.
Show that U is a subspace and compute the dimension of the quotient space C 1 (R, R)/U. (Hint: Use the
first isomorphism theorem.)

Problem 6. Let F be a field, V a vector space, and T : V V a linear transformation. We say T is

nilpotent if T n = 0 for some n > 0. (Here T n : V V is T iterated with itself n times)
(a) If dim V = 1 and T is nilpotent, prove that actually T = 0 already.
(b) If dim V = 2 and T is nilpotent, prove that T 2 = 0. (This is saying that if T n = 0 for any n, then its
actually true for n = 2).
(c) If dim V = 3 and T is nilpotent, prove that T 3 = 0.
(Its in fact true that dim V = m and T is nilpotent, then T m = 0; your answers to this problem may have
given you an idea how to prove this in general).