khan - linear algebra - null & column space

Introduction to the null space of a matrix

$$Ax=0$$

To prove the set of the solutions of $x$ can be a subspace.

1. When $x=0$, it works.
2. Fine two solutions of $x$, $v_1$ and $v_2$, they satisfy
   $A{v}_1=0$
   $A{v}_2=0$
   Then:
   $A(v_1+v_2)=0$ and $A(c{v}_1)=0,A(c{v}_2)=0$

So the null space is a valid subspace.

---

Calculating the null space of a matrix

$$[A|0]\to [rref(A)|0]$$

$$N(A)=N(rref(A))$$

---

Relation to linear independence

The column vectors of matrix $A$ are linearly independent if and only if the null space of matrix $A$ only contains 0.

---

Column space of a matrix

$Ax=b$ has no solution, then $b$ is not in the column space of $A$.
If $Ax=b$ has at least one solution, then $b$ is in the column space of $A$.

Null space and column space basis

---

Visualizing a column space as a plane in R3

---

Proof: Any subspace basis has same number of elements

If set $A$, the basis of $V$ has $n$ entries, then we suppose a set of $m$ vectors $B(m<n)$, we can replace at least one entry in $B$ with an entry in $A$ one time, and do ti $m$ times, $B$ becomes a set of m entries in $A$, and basis in $A$ are independent, so $m>n$.
So, if $C$(m elements) and $D$(n elements) are both basis of a same subspace, then $m>=n$, also $n>=m$.

Dimension of a subspace = # of elements in a basis for the subspace.

---

Dimension of the null space or nullity

nullity: Dimension of a null pace = # of free variables.
rank: Dimension of the column space = linearly independent column vectors.

---

Showing relation between basis cols and pivot cols

If the pivot columns of rref of $A$ are linearly independent, then the null space of rref$A$ only contains 0.
We know that $N(A)=N(rref(A))$ since row elementary operation didn’t change the solutions of matrix equation.
So the null space of $A$ only contains 0.
So the pivot columns of $A$ are linearly independent.

---

Showing that the candidate basis does span C(A)

Since $N(A)=N(rrefA)$
$$A\left[\begin{array}{c}{x}_1\\ x_2\\ x_3\\ x_4\\ x_5\end{array}\right]=0rref(A)\left[\begin{array}{c}{x}_1\\ x_2\\ x_3\\ x_4\\ x_5\end{array}\right]=0$$$$x_1\overrightarrow{a_1}+x_2\overrightarrow{a_2}+x_3\overrightarrow{a_3}+x_4\overrightarrow{a_4}+x_5\overrightarrow{a_5}=0\text{\hspace{1em}(1)}$$

$$x_1\overrightarrow{r_1}+x_2\overrightarrow{r_2}+x_3\overrightarrow{r_3}+x_4\overrightarrow{r{a}_4}+x_5\overrightarrow{r_5}=0\text{\hspace{1em}(2)}$$

Since $x_3$ and $x_5$ are free variables in equation $(2)$, $x_3$ and $x_5$ are also free variables in equation $(1)$, so column 3 and column 5 in $A$ can also be represented by other columns in $A$.
So column 1, column 2 and column 4 in $A$ can span the column space of $A$.
Besides, we have proved that column 1, column 2 and column 4 in $A$ are independent.
So the corresponding columns of the basis columns in $rref(A)$ are the basis columns of $A$.