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Introduction

In this chapter, we deepen our exploration of vector spaces through a widespread technique in mathematics: in order to understand the structure of mathematical objects, we study functions between those objects. In this case, we introduce linear transformations as structure-preserving functions between spaces of vectors. We begin here by taking a mostly algebraic approach, deferring geometric explorations for later chapters.

Readiness Assurance.

Before beginning this chapter, you should be able to...
  1. State the definition of a spanning set and determine if a set of Euclidean vectors spans \(\IR^n\text{.}\)
  2. State the definition of linear independence and determine if a set of Euclidean vectors is linearly dependent or independent.
  3. State the definition of a basis and determine if a set of Euclidean vectors is a basis.
  4. Find a basis of the solution space to a homogeneous system of linear equations.