MATH1030ABC Midterm (Questions and answers)

1. (16 marks)
 
[ ] a 2 [ ]
2 0 2 1  1 b 
Let A = ,B=  and C = 3 c
.
2 8 1 0  b a  4 d
−1 5
Suppose AB = C. Find the values of a, b, c, d.
Answer.
It is assumed that
 
[ ] a 2 [ ]
2 0 2 1  1 b 
 = 3 c
2 8 1 0  b a  4 d
−1 5

Then


 2a + 2b − 1 = 3

2a + 8 + b = 4

 4 + 2a + 5 = c

4 + 8b + a = d

We will get b = 8, a = −6 and then

c = −3 and d = 62.
2. (16 marks)
   
  1 1
1 b12 b13 b14 b15 1 0
 0 0 1 b24 b25     
Let B = 
 0
 be a matrix in reduced row-echelon form, and let z1 = 0 and z2 = −2.
    
0 0 1 b35 0 −1
0 0 0 0 0
0 2
Suppose z1 , z2 ∈ N (B).
(a) What are the values of b12 , b13 , b14 , b15 , b24 , b25 , b35 ?
(There is no need to give any justification to your answers.)
(b) Let A be a (4 × 5)-matrix and c be a vector in R4 .
Suppose A is row-equivalent to B.
 
1
3
 
Also suppose the equality Au = c holds, in which u =  
5.
7
9
Write down the solution set of the system LS(A, 3c).
Answer.
(a) Firstly, b13 = b14 = b24 = 0.
From Bz1 = 04 we get that b12 = −1.
From Bz2 = 04 we get that b15 = − 12 , b25 = 1 and b35 = 12 .
(b) The solution set of LS(A, 3c) is given by {3u + sz1 + tz2 | s, t ∈ R}.

3. (16 marks)
Consider the following system of linear equations


 x1 + x2 + 3x3 = 2

 x2 + 2x3 + x4 = 2
(Sb ) :

 −x1 + 2x2 + 3x3 + x4 = b


2x1 − x2 + 4x4 = 5

in which b is some real number.

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 (a) Write down the augmented matrix Cb representation for the system (Sb ).
(b) Show that Cb is row-equivalent to the matrix
 
1 0 α1 0 β1
 0 1 α2 0 β2 
Cb′ = 
 0


0 0 α3 β3
0 0 0 α4 β4 + b

in which α1 , α2 , α3 , α4 , β1 , β2 , β3 , β4 are some real numbers whose values are independent of b, and for which the
matrix  
1 0 α1 0
 0 1 α2 0 
 
 0 0 0 α3 
0 0 0 α4
is a reduced row-echelon form.
(You are required to give the explicit values of α1 , α2 , α3 , α4 , β1 , β2 , β3 , β4 .)
(c) Suppose the system (Sb ) is consistent.
What is the value of b? How many solution(s) are there for (Sb )?

Answer.
 
1 1 3 0 2
 0 1 2 1 2 
(a) Cb = 
 −1
.
2 3 1 b 
2 −1 0 4 5
(b)
   
1 1 3 0 2 1 1 3 0 2
 0 1 2 1 2   0 1 2 1 2 
Cb =   −−−−−−→  
R 1 +R 3
 −1 2 3 1 b  −2R1 +R4  0 3 6 1 2+b 
2 −1 0 4 5 0 −3 −6 4 1
     
1 1 3 0 2 1 1 3 0 2 1 0 1 0 1
−3R2 +R3  0 1 2 1 2   0 1 2 1 2   0 1 2 0 1 
−−−−−−→  − →→−  − − 
→→ 
3R2 +R4  0 0 0 −2 −4 + b   0 0 0 1 1   0 0 0 1 1 
0 0 0 7 7 0 0 0 0 −2 + b 0 0 0 0 −2 + b

(c) Suppose the system (Sb ) is consistent.

Then b = 2.
There are infinitely many solutions.

4. (16 marks)
A sequence of row operations ρ1 , ρ2 , ρ3 , ρ4 , ρ5 joining two (4 × 6)-matrices A, A′ is given below:
   
2 1 −1 4 3 8 1 3 0 8 −4 −4
 1 3 0 8 −4 −4  ρ1  2 1 −1 4 3 8 
A=  0
−
 → 

1 1 4 −3 −4 0 1 1 4 −3 −4 
−1 −2 3 0 0 −1 −1 −2 3 0 0 −1
   
1 3 0 8 −4 −4 1 3 0 8 −4 −4
ρ2  0 −5 −1 −12 11 16  ρ3  0 −5 −1 −12 11 16 
−→  0
−
 → 

1 1 4 −3 −4 0 1 1 4 −3 −4 
−1 −2 3 0 0 −1 0 1 3 8 −4 −5
   
1 3 0 8 −4 −4 1 3 0 8 −4 −4
ρ4  0 1 1 4 −3 −4  ρ5  0 1 1 4 −3 −4 
−→   
 0 −5 −1 −12 11 16  −→  0 1 1/5 12/5 −11/5 −16/5
 = A′

0 1 3 8 −4 −5 0 1 3 8 −4 −5

(a) Provide appropriate labels for the row operations ρ1 , ρ2 , ρ3 , ρ4 , ρ5 .

(b) Find an appropriate (4 × 4)-square matrix H for which the equality A′ = HA holds.
Answer.

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 (a) ρ1 is R1 ←→ R2 .
ρ2 is −2R1 + R2 .
ρ3 is 1R1 + R4 .
ρ4 is R2 ←→ R3 .
ρ5 is − 15 R3 .
(b) A (4 × 4)-square matrix H for which the equality A′ = HA holds is given by the sequence of row operations
ρ1 ρ2 ρ3 ρ4 ρ5
I4 −→−→−→−→−→ H.
 
0 1 0 0
 0 0 1 0 
It is given by H = 
 −1/5 2/5 0
.
0 
0 1 0 1

5. (16 marks)
     
2 4 1 9 19 9 46 101 21
Let P =  1 2 3 . Take for granted that P 2 =  7 17 −8  and P 3 =  23 38 α .
1 3 −5 0 −5 35 30 β −190

(a) What are the values of α, β?

(b) Take for granted that there are some real numbers a, b, c such that P 3 + aP 2 + bP + cI3 = O3×3 . What are the
values of a, b, c?
(c) Show that P is invertible, and express the matrix inverse of P in the form κI3 + λP + µP 2 for some appropriate
real numbers κ, λ, µ.

Answer.
(a) α = 98, β = 95.
(b) From the (1, 2)-entry (or another off-diagonal entry) of P 3 + aP 2 + bP + cI3 = O3×3 ,
we have 101 + 19a + 4b = 0 (will get another equation).
From the (3, 1)-entry (or another off-diagonal entry) of P 3 + aP 2 + bP + cI3 = O3×3 ,
we have 30 + b = 0 (will get another equation).
From the (1, 1)-entry (or an other diagonal entry) of P 3 + aP 2 + bP + cI3 = O3×3 ,
we have 46 + 9a + 2b + c = 0 (will get another equation).
Then b = −30, a = 1, c = 5.
It can be checked that P 3 + P 2 − 30P + 5I3 = O3×3 .
Remark.
It is not apparent that ‘b = −30, a = 1, c = 5’ will indeed hold a priori, because they have to satisfy
all 9 numerical equalities arising out of the matrix equality. Marks will be deducted for not indicating that
‘P 3 + P 2 − 30P + 5I3 = O3×3 ’ has to be checked.
(c) From part (b) we have P (P 2 + P − 30I3 ) = −5I3 = (P 2 + P − 30I3 )P .
So P [ −1 −1
5 (P + P − 30I3 )] = I3 = [ 5 (P + P − 30I3 )]P .
2 2

Hence, by definition, P is invertible,

and its matrix inverse is given by P −1 = − 15 P 2 − 15 P + 6I3 .

6. (12 marks)
For each of the statements below, determine whether it is true or false.
• If you think it is true, write ‘true’.
• If you think it is false, write ‘false’.
• If you cannot decide, write ‘abstain’.

Each correct answer will be awarded 2 marks. Each incorrect answer will receive a deduction of 1.5 marks. There is
no penalty for writing ‘abstain’.
The minimal overall score for this question is 0 marks.
You are not required to justify your answers.

(a) For any (4 × 4)-square matrices A, B, the equality (A + B)2 = A2 + 2AB + B 2 holds.
(b) Let A be a (4 × 5)-matrix, and B be a (5 × 3)-matrix. Suppose AB = O4×3 . Then A = O4×5 or B = O5×3 .
(c) Let A, B be (6 × 6)-square matrices. Suppose A, B are singular. Then 2A + 3B is singular.

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 [ ]
(d) Let A, B be (6 × 8)-matrices, and C be the (6 × 16)-matrix given by C = A B . Let g, h be vectors in R6 .
Suppose LS(A, g) and LS(B, h) are consistent. Then LS(C, g + h) is consistent.
(e) Let A, B be (5 × 7)-matrices, and P, Q are (5 × 5)-matrices. Suppose A is row-equivalent to B, and P, Q are
non-singular. Then P A is row-equivalent to QB.
(f) Let A, B, C be (5 × 5)-square matrices. Suppose LS(A, 05 ) has no non-trivial solution. Further suppose C is
invertible. Also suppose ABC is row-equivalent to I5 . Then for each d ∈ R5 , the system LS(B, d) is consistent.
7. (8 marks)
Is the statement (♯) true or false? Justify your answer.

(♯) Let A be a (6 × 6)-square matrix. Suppose there exist some (6 × 4)-matrix B and some (4 × 6)-matrix C such
that A = BC. Then A is singular.
Answer.
This statement (♯) is true. We give a proof.
Let A be a (6 × 6)-square matrix. Suppose there exist some (6 × 4)-matrix B and some (4 × 6)-matrix C such that
A = BC.
The matrix C is row-equivalent to some (4 × 6)-matrix C ′ which is a reduced row-echelon form.
There are at most 4 pivot columns in C ′ . Since there are 6 columns in C ′ , there is at least one free column in C ′ .
Therefore the homogeneous system LS(C ′ , 06 ) has a non-trivial solution, say, v. Then v is also a non-trivial solution
of the homogeneous system LS(C, 06 ).
Now we have Av = (BC)v = B(Cv) = B04 = 06 , and v ̸= 06 .
Therefore, by definition, A is singular.
Remark.
The passage below is a WRONG argument for the statement (♯):

Let A be a (6 × 6)-square matrix. Suppose there exist some (6 × 4)-matrix B and some (4 × 6)-matrix C such
that A = BC.
Since C is not a square matrix, C is not invertible. Then C is not non-singular. Therefore C is singular. Since
A = BC and C is singular, A is singular.