LINEAR TRANSFORMATION

1 Topics
Linear transformations- denition, examples, basic properties. Problems: To
check whether the given mapping is a linear transformation or not. Kernel
and image of linear transformation. Proposition: Let T : V → U be a linear
mapping. Then the kernel of T is a subspace of V and the image of T is a
subspace of U. Show that a linear operator on a vector space V is one-one if
and only if it is onto.

Prerequiste: vector space, basis, Functions, One-one and onto

functions, Bijective functions.
Denition 1.1 : Let V and W be vector spaces over a eld F. A linear
transformation from V to W ( input to output) is a function such that
T(cv+dw)=cT(v)+dT(w), for all v, w in V.
Examples 1) Let V be a xy-plane. Rotate the plane by a xed angle . Straight
lines rotate to straight lines and origin stays put.
2) Derivative is a linear transformation
3) Also integral is a linear transformation
4) Reection and Projection are linear transformation whereas translation is
not.
Properties:
ˆ (i)The denition of transformation implies that T(0)=0, i.e., T(0.v)=0.T(v),
which implies T(0)=0, which is called zero transformation
ˆ (ii) Linear Operator is a linear transformation from vector space to itself
for example identity transformation is a mapping such that I(v)=v.
ˆ (iii) Transformation preserves linear combination that is if v1 , v2 , · · · , vn
are some vectors in V and c1 , c2 , · · · , cn are scalars, then T (c1 v1 +c2 v2 +
· · · + cn vn ) = c1 T (v1 ) + c2 T (v2 ) + · · · + cn T (vn )
ˆ (iv) T(-v)=-T(v)

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 ˆ (v)T(v-w)=T(v)-T(w)
ˆ (vi) Composition of linear Transformation is a linear mapping
ˆ (vii) A function is said to be invertible if there exists a function U from
W into V such that UT is identity function on V and TU is identity
function on W. We denote U = T −1 and is also a linear transformation.
Problems:
Example 1 Consider T : R3 → R3 dened by T (x1 , x2 , x3 ) = (x1 , x2 , 0), for
all (x1 , x2 , x3 ) ∈ R3 . Check if T is a linear transformation.
Solution:

T ((x1 , x2 , x3 ) + (y1 , y2 , y3 ) = T (x1 + y1 , x2 + y2 , x3 + y3 )

= (x1 + y1 , x2 + y2 , 0)
= (x1 , x2 , 0) + (y1 , y2 , 0)
= T (x1 , x2 , x3 ) + T (y1 , y2 , y3 ). (1.2)
and
T (α(x1 , x2 , x3 ) = T (αx1 , αx2 , αx3 )
= (αx1 , αx2 , 0)
= α(x1 , x2 , 0)
r = αT (x1 , x2 , x3 ). (1.3)
From (1.4) and (1.3), T is linear transformation..
Similarly,
   
cosθ −sinθ x
Example 2 Let T : R → R dened by T (x, y) =
2 2
sinθ cosθ y
,
where θ ia xed angle.
Example 3 Let T : R2 → R3 dened by T (x, y) = (x + 3, 2y, x + y) is not a
linear transformation.
Solution:
T ((x1 , x2 ) + (y1 , y2 )) = T (x1 + y1 , x2 + y2 )
= (x1 + y1 + 3, 2(x2 + y2 ), x1 + y1 + x2 + y2 )
̸= (x1 + 3, 2y1 , x1 + y1 ) + (x2 + 3, 2y2 , x2 + y2 )
̸= T (x1 , x2 ) + T (y1 , y2 ). (1.4)
Therefore, T is not linear.

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2 Kernel and Image of Linear Transformations
Denition 2.1 If T is a linear transformation from V into W, then range
of T is te set of all vectors w ∈ W such that w = T v for some v ∈ V. The
dimension of image space or range of T is called rank of T.
Denition 2.2 If T is a linear transformation from V into W, then the set
of all vectors v ∈ V such that T v = 0 is called kernel of T or null space of
The dimension of ker T is called nullity.
Proposition 2.1 Let T : V → W be a linear mapping. Then kernel of T is
a subspace of V.
Proof: To show that kerT = {v/T v = 0} is closed wrt addition and scalar
multiplication and also 0 ∈ kerT.

Since T is linear, T(0) =0 which implies 0 ∈ kerT. Let u, v ∈ kerT , then

T (u) = 0 and T (v) = 0. Since u and v are in V, which is a vector space, v+u
also lies in V. Hence consider T(u+v). By linear transformation,
T (u + v) = T (u) + T (v)
= 0
=⇒ u + v ∈ kerT
(2.3)
Similarly, T (αu) ∈ kerT.
Proposition 2.2 Let T : V → W be a linear mapping. Then image of T is
a subspace of W.
Proof: To show that range T is closed wrt addition and scalar multiplication
and also 0 ∈ rangeT.

Since T is linear, T(0) =0 which implies 0 ∈ Img T. Let w1 , w2 ∈ Img T ,

then there exists v1 , v2 ∈ V such T (v1 ) = w1 and T (v2 ) = w2 . Since v1 , v2
are in V, which is a vector space. Hence, consider T (v1 + v2 ). By linear
transformation,
T (v1 + v2 ) = T (v1 ) + T (v2 )
= w1 + w2
=⇒ w1 + w2 ∈ Img T
(2.4)
Similarly, T (αu) ∈ Img T.

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Proposition 2.3 Suppose v1 , v2 , · · · , vn spans a vector space V and T : V →
W is linear. Then T (v1 ), T (v2 ), · · · , T (vn ) spans Img T.

Proof: let v1 , v2 , · · · , vn spans a vector space V and T : V → W be

linear. Let w ∈ ImgT. Then there exists v ∈ V such that T (v) = w. Since,
{vi }'s span V and v ∈ V , there exists scalars a1 , a2 , · · · , an for which

v = a1 v1 + a2 v2 + · · · + an vn
T (v) = T (a1 v1 + a2 v2 + · · · + an vn )
w = a1 T (v1 ) + a2 T (v2 ) + · · · + an T (vn )
=⇒ {T (v1 ), T (v2 ), · · · , T (vn )}spans the image of F.

Note: If T is non singular, nullity of T is zero. This implies that T is

onto.
Lemma 2.1 Let T : V → W be linear map. Then T is injective i null(T ) =
{0}.

Proof Let T is one one that is T v = T w ⇒ v = w. Since null(T) is a

subspace of V, 0 ∈ null(T ). Let v ∈ kerT. This implies that T (v) = 0, by
linearity, T (v) = T (0). Since T is injective, v=0. Therefore 0 ∈ kerT . Hence,
null(T ) = {0}.
Conversely, let null(T ) = {0}. Let u, v ∈ V such that T u = T v, ⇒
T (u − v) = 0, u − v ∈ null(T ) = {0}. Therefore, u=v.

Lemma 2.2 Let T : V → W be linear map. If T is onto then img(T ) = W.

Proof is obvious by Rank Nullity theorem.
Proposition 2.4 A linear operator ona vector space is one one i it is onto.
Proof: Let T : V → W be linear and dim V=dim W=n. Let T be one one
then null(T ) = {0}. Hence, by rank-nullity theorem, dim (Img T)=n, which
is dim V. This implies that T (V ) = W. Therefore, T is onto. Conversely, if
T is onto, T (V ) = W , range of T is W, which implies that rank T is n. Then
by rank nullity theorem, nullity is zero, which implies that null(T ) = {0}
and hence, T is one one.
Example 4 Let T : R2 → R3 be such that T(x,y)=(x+y,x-y,x), then check
if T is one one and T is onto?
Solution: kerT={(0, 0)}. So T is on one. Img T={x(1, 0, 1/2) + y(0, 1, 1/2)}
which implies that dim(Img T)=2 which is not dim R3 . So, T is not onto.