Pregunta
- Prove that if the set of
-vectors
is a basis for a vector space
, then the set
is also a basis for
, where the
are arbitrary nonzero scalars. Interpret
this geometrically.
this geometrically.
Ask by Kelly Little. in Iran
Jan 03,2025
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Respuesta verificada por el tutor
Responder
If you scale each vector in a basis by a nonzero scalar, the new set of vectors is also a basis for the same space. This means the vectors remain independent and can still span the entire space. Geometrically, scaling stretches or compresses the space along each basis direction without changing the overall structure.
Solución
To prove that scaling each vector in a basis by a nonzero scalar yields another basis for the vector space
, let’s proceed step by step. We will also provide a geometric interpretation to solidify the understanding.
Proof
Given:
- A set of
-vectors forms a basis for an -dimensional vector space . - Scalars
are nonzero.
To Show:
- The set
also forms a basis for .
Proof Steps:
-
Basis Criteria:
For a set of vectors to be a basis for, two conditions must be satisfied: - Linear Independence: No vector in the set can be written as a linear combination of the others.
- Spanning: Any vector in
can be expressed as a linear combination of the set.
-
Original Basis Properties:
Sinceis a basis: - They are linearly independent.
- They span
.
-
Scaled Vectors:
Consider the set. -
Linear Independence of Scaled Vectors:
Suppose a linear combination equals the zero vector:Factor out the scalars:Sinceis linearly independent, the only solution is: Given that each, it follows that: Thus, the scaled vectors are linearly independent. -
Spanning
:
Any vectorcan be expressed as: We can rewrite this in terms of the scaled vectors:Let. Since , each is well-defined. Therefore: This shows that the scaled vectors span. -
Conclusion:
Since the setis both linearly independent and spans , it is a basis for .
Geometric Interpretation
Geometrically, scaling each basis vector by a nonzero scalar
stretches or shrinks the vector but does not change its direction (unless
is negative, in which case it also reverses the direction). Here’s what this means in different dimensions:
-
In Two Dimensions (
): - Consider the standard basis vectors
and . - Scaling them by nonzero scalars
and yields and . - The new vectors still span the plane and remain independent; essentially, the grid defined by the basis is stretched or compressed along the axes but retains its grid-like structure without collapsing into a line or a point.
- Consider the standard basis vectors
-
In Three Dimensions (
): - Similar to the 2D case, scaling each of the three standard basis vectors along their respective axes stretches or compresses the space along those axes.
- The orthogonality (if present in the original basis) is maintained if scalars are positive; otherwise, some vectors may reverse direction.
-
General
-Dimensions: - Each basis vector is scaled independently, affecting the “unit lengths” along each basis direction.
- The overall structure of the space remains intact because scaling does not introduce linear dependencies or remove the ability to span the entire space.
Key Point: Scaling basis vectors by nonzero scalars changes the “scale” along each basis direction but preserves the fundamental structure of the vector space. The new vectors remain independent and can still reach every point in the space through their linear combinations.
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The Deep Dive
To prove that the set
is a basis for the vector space
, we first note that the
-vectors
span
and are linearly independent. When we scale each vector
by a nonzero scalar
, the linear combinations of
can produce all vectors that were previously achieved with
. This is because any linear combination of the new basis can be expressed as a linear combination of the original vectors by simply dividing by
, thus preserving the span. Hence, the set
retains linear independence and spans
, making it a basis.
Geometrically, scaling vectors does not change their direction (provided the scalar is positive) but alters their length. Imagine your original vectors as arrows in space pointing towards various directions. By multiplying these arrows by nonzero scalars, you’re either stretching or shrinking them but still pointing the same way! Therefore, the new set of arrows still explores the same space, maintaining the original structure and dimensionality of the vector space
.

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