MATH 304
Linear Algebra
Lecture 22:
Matrix of a linear transformation.
Linear transformation
Definition. Given vector spaces V1 and V2 , a
mapping L : V1 V2 is linear if
L(x + y) = L(x) + L(y),
L(r x) = rL(x)
for any x, y V1 and r R.
Matrix transformations
Theorem Suppose L : Rn Rm is a linear map. Then
there exists an mn matrix A such that L(x) = Ax for all
x Rn . Columns of A are vectors L(e1 ), L(e2 ), . . . , L(en ),
where e1 , e2 , . . . , en is the standard basis for Rn .
y1
a11 a12 . . . a1n
x1
y2 a21 a22 . . . a2n x2
.
y = Ax
..
..
...
... = ...
.
. ..
ym
am1 am2 . . . amn
xn
y1
a11
a12
a1n
y2
a
a
a
. = x1 21
+ x2 22
+ + xn 2n
.
.
..
..
..
...
ym
am1
am2
amn
Basis and coordinates
If {v1 , v2 , . . . , vn } is a basis for a vector space V ,
then any vector v V has a unique representation
v = x1 v1 + x2 v2 + + xn vn ,
where xi R. The coefficients x1 , x2 , . . . , xn are
called the coordinates of v with respect to the
ordered basis v1 , v2 , . . . , vn .
The mapping
vector v 7 its coordinates (x1 , x2 , . . . , xn )
provides a one-to-one correspondence between V
and Rn . Besides, this mapping is linear.
Change of coordinates
Let V be a vector space.
Let v1 , v2 , . . . , vn be a basis for V and g1 : V Rn be the
coordinate mapping corresponding to this basis.
Let u1 , u2 , . . . , un be another basis for V and g2 : V Rn
be the coordinate mapping corresponding to this basis.
g1
Rn
g2
Rn
The composition g2 g11 is a linear mapping of Rn to itself.
It is represented as x 7 Ux, where U is an nn matrix.
U is called the transition matrix from v1 , v2 . . . , vn to
u1 , u2 . . . , un . Columns of U are coordinates of the vectors
v1 , v2 , . . . , vn with respect to the basis u1 , u2 , . . . , un .
Matrix of a linear transformation
Let V , W be vector spaces and f : V W be a linear map.
Let v1 , v2 , . . . , vn be a basis for V and g1 : V Rn be the
coordinate mapping corresponding to this basis.
Let w1 , w2 , . . . , wm be a basis for W and g2 : W Rm
be the coordinate mapping corresponding to this basis.
g1 y
Rn
yg2
Rm
The composition g2 f g11 is a linear mapping of Rn to Rm .
It is represented as x 7 Ax, where A is an mn matrix.
A is called the matrix of f with respect to bases v1 , . . . , vn
and w1 , . . . , wm . Columns of A are coordinates of vectors
f (v1 ), . . . , f (vn ) with respect to the basis w1 , . . . , wm .
Examples. D : P3 P2 , (Dp)(x) = p (x).
Let AD be the matrix of D with respect to the bases
1, x, x 2 and 1, x. Columns of AD are coordinates
of polynomials D1, Dx, Dx 2 w.r.t. the basis 1, x.
0
1
0
D1 = 0, Dx = 1, Dx 2 = 2x = AD =
0 0 2
L : P3 P3 , (Lp)(x) = p(x + 1).
Let AL be the matrix of L w.r.t. the basis 1, x, x 2 .
L1 = 1, Lx = 1 + x, Lx 2 = (x + 1)2 = 1 + 2x + x 2 .
1 1 1
= AL = 0 1 2
0 0 1
Problem. Consider a linear operator L on the
vector space of 22 matrices given by
x y
1 2
x y
L
=
.
z w
3 4
z w
Find the matrix of L with respect to the basis
1 0
0 1
0 0
0 0
E1 =
, E2 =
, E3 =
, E4 =
.
0 0
0 0
1 0
0 1
Let ML denote the desired matrix.
By definition, ML is a 44 matrix whose columns are
coordinates of the matrices L(E1 ), L(E2 ), L(E3 ), L(E4 )
with respect to the basis E1 , E2 , E3 , E4 .
L(E1 ) =
1 2
3 4
1 0
0 0
L(E2 ) =
1 2
3 4
0 1
0 0
L(E3 ) =
1 2
3 4
0 0
1 0
L(E4 ) =
1 2
3 4
0 0
0 1
It follows that
1 0
3 0
= 1E1 +0E2 +3E3 +0E4 ,
0 1
0 3
= 0E1 +1E2 +0E3 +3E4 ,
2 0
4 0
= 2E1 +0E2 +4E3 +0E4 ,
0 2
0 4
= 0E1 +2E2 +0E3 +4E4 .
1
0
ML =
3
0
0
1
0
3
2
0
4
0
0
2
.
0
4
Thus the relation
x1 y1
1 2
x y
=
3 4
z w
z1 w1
is equivalent to the relation
x1
1 0
y1 0 1
=
z1 3 0
0 3
w1
2
0
4
0
x
0
2
y .
0 z
w
4
Problem. Consider a linear operator L : R2 R2 ,
x
1 1
x
L
=
.
y
0 1
y
Find the matrix of L with respect to the basis
v1 = (3, 1), v2 = (2, 1).
Let N be the desired matrix. Columns of N are coordinates of
the vectors L(v1 ) and L(v2 ) w.r.t. the basis v1 , v2 .
3
2
1 1
4
3
1 1
.
=
, L(v2 ) =
=
L(v1 ) =
1
1
0 1
1
1
0 1
Clearly, L(v2 ) = v1 = 1v1 + 0v2 .
3 + 2 = 4
L(v1 ) = v1 + v2
+ =1
2 1
.
Thus N =
1 0
=2
= 1
Change of basis for a linear operator
Let L : V V be a linear operator on a vector space V .
Let A be the matrix of L relative to a basis a1 , a2 , . . . , an
for V . Let B be the matrix of L relative to another basis
b1 , b2 , . . . , bn for V .
Let U be the transition matrix from the basis a1 , a2 , . . . , an
to b1 , b2 , . . . , bn .
A
a-coordinates of v a-coordinates of L(v)
Uy
yU
B
b-coordinates of v b-coordinates of L(v)
It follows that UA = BU.
Then A = U 1 BU and B = UAU 1 .
Problem. Consider a linear operator L : R2 R2 ,
1 1
x
x
L
=
.
y
0 1
y
Find the matrix of L with respect to the basis
v1 = (3, 1), v2 = (2, 1).
Let S be the matrix of L with respect to the standard basis,
N be the matrix of L with respect to the basis v1 , v2 , and U be
the transition matrix from v1 , v2 to e1 , e2 . Then N = U 1 SU.
3 2
1 1
,
, U=
S=
1 1
0 1
3 2
1 1
1 2
1
N = U SU =
1 1
0 1
1
3
2 1
3 2
1 1
.
=
=
1 0
1 1
1
2
