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Subspaces of space R3 . We can identify the geneous linear equations is a vector space. That’s
subspaces of R3 like we did for R2 , but, again, we because 0 = (0, 0, 0) is always a solution, if v is a
won’t show they’re all the subspaces since it will be solution, then any scalar multiple of v is a solution,
easier to do that after we have more theorems. and if both v and w are solutions, then so is v + w.
There is, of course, the trivial subspace 0 con-
sisting of the origin 0 alone. And R3 is a subspace Intersections of subspaces are subspaces.
of itself. Next, to identify the proper, nontrivial We’ll prove that in a moment, but first, for an ex-
subspaces of R3 . ample to illustrate it, take two distinct planes in
Every line through the origin is a subspace of R3 R3 passing through 0. Their intersection is a line
for the same reason that lines through the origin passing through 0, so it’s a subspace, too.
were subspaces of R2 .
The other subspaces of R3 are the planes pass- Theorem 3. The intersection of two subspaces of
ing through the origin. Let W be a plane passing a vector space is a subspace itself.
through 0. We need (1) 0 ∈ W , but we have that
We’ll develop a proof of this theorem in class.
since we’re only considering planes that contain 0.
Note that the union of two subspaces won’t be a
Next, we need (2) W is closed under vector addi-
subspace (except in the special case when one hap-
tion. If w1 and w2 both belong to W , then so does
pens to be contained in the other, in which case the
w1 + w2 because it’s found by constructing a par-
union is the larger one). For an example of that,
allelogram, and the whole parallelogram lies in the
consider the x-axis and the y-axis in R2 . They’re
plane W . Finally, we need (3) W is closed under
both subspaces of R2 , but their union is not a sub-
scalar products, but it is since scalar multiples lie
space of R2 . Why not?
in a straight line through the origin, and that line
lies in W . Thus, each plane W passing through the Math 130 Home Page at
origin is a subspace of R3 . http://math.clarku.edu/~ma130/