Linear algebra and geometry, a.y.

2022-2023
LAG’s exam simulation, written test:
8 multiple choice quizzes and 1 exercise

DIRECTIONS: this is a simulation of the written test for Linear algebra and geometry. Since
it is a simulation, it shouldn’t be considered as representative of the program of the course, neither
it should be an indication of the subjects that could appear in the examination. If you have any
questions send me an email and ask.

Let me also remind you that:

• You are admitted to the written test only after passing the computer based test on the
numerical analysis part, that is after obtaining at least 3.1 (out of 10) points in the first test.

• The written test concerns topics from the theoretical/geometry part, and it is worth 23
points: 2 points for each quiz + a maximum of 7 points for the exercise. There is no penalty
for wrong quizzes.

• The final grade is the sum of the points obtained in the two tests. The exam is passed if the
grade is at least 18/30; the “lode” is given to whomever obtains a grade strictly bigger than
31/30.

1
 QUIZZES

1. Consider the plane

α : x + 2y + 2z = 0
and the line 
 x = −2t + 1
r: y =t+2
z=1


Which of the following numbers is the distance from α to r?

(a) 4/3.
(b) 7/3.
(c) 0.
(d) 5/3.

2. Let us fix a cartesian system of coordinates Oxy in the plane. Let h be a real parameter,
and let us consider the conic Ch defined by the following equation:

−2hx2 + 2hy 2 + 4xy + 2x − 2y + 1 = 0.

Which of the following statements is true?

(a) There is no h ∈ R such that Ch is degenerate.

√
(b) For h = 2, Ch is degenerate.
(c) Ch is a parabola, for all values of h.
(d) Ch is an ellipse, for all values of h.

3. Let    
1 0 0 6 1 0 6 6
0 1 0 0 0 1 6 6
A=
0
, B= .
0 1 0 0 0 1 1
0 0 0 1 0 0 0 −1

Which of the following statements is true?

(a) det(A + B) = det(A · B).

(b) det(A + B) = det(A).
(c) det(A + B) = det(B).
(d) det(A + B) = det(A) + det(B).

2
 ~ ∈ R3 be a unit vector. Consider the endomorphism f : R3 → R3 defined by:
4. Let w

f (~v ) = ~v − (~v · w)
~ w~.

Which of the following statements is true?

(a) f is surjective.
(b) f is injective.
(c) w
~ does not belong to Ker(f ).
(d) f is neither injective nor surjective.

5. Let R2 [x] be the real vector space of polynomials in the variable x, of degree at most 2. Let
h be a real parameter. Consider the polynomials

p1 (x) = 1 + x + x2 , p2 (x) = 1 + 2x2 , p3 (x) = x + hx2 .

Which of the following statements is true?

(a) p1 (x), p2 (x), p3 (x) form a basis of R2 [x] for all h.

(b) p1 (x), p2 (x), p3 (x) are a system of generators R2 [x] for h = −1.
(c) p1 (x), p2 (x), p3 (x) are linearly dependent for exactly one value of h.
(d) p1 (x), p2 (x), p3 (x) are linearly independent for all values of h.

6. Consider the matrix

 
2 1 1
A =  0 2 3 .
0 0 1
Which of the following statements is true?

(a) A has two distinct eigenspaces of dimension 1.

(b) A has rank 1.
(c) A has all eigenvalues of algebraic multiplicity 1.
(d) A is diagonalizable.

3
7. Given   
−1 0 1 x
q(x, y, z) = (x, y, z)  0 −1 0   y ,
1 0 −1 z

find the correct statement.

(a) The symmetric matrix associated to the quadratic form has only positive eigenvalues.
(b) q(x, y, z) ≥ 0 for all (x, y, z) ∈ R3 .
(c) There exists (a, b, c) ∈ R3 nonzero such that q(a, b, c) = 0.
(d) q(x, x, x) > 0 for all x ∈ R.

8. Let A be a real 4 × 2 matrix and B a 2 × 4 real matrix and let M = AB. Consider the
homogeneous linear system M X = 0.
Which of the following statements is true?

(a) The system has infinitely many solutions.

(b) The system has no solutions.
(c) The system has a unique solution.
(d) None of the other statements is true.

4
 EXERCISE

Consider the endomorphism of R4 defined by:

               
1 0 1 0 1 0 1 1
1 0 1 0 1 0 0  0 
f1 = 0 ,
   f1 = 0 ,
   f
0 = 0 ,
   f
0 = −2 .
  

1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1

(a) True or false? The matrix MCC (f ) associated to f with respect to the canonical basis
C = (e1 , e2 , e3 , e4 ) is  
1 −1 0 0
0 0 0 0
A= −2 2 0
.
0
1 −1 1 −1
Give reasons for your answer.
(b) Compute a basis of Ker(f ).
(c) Compute a basis of Im(f ).
(d) Determine all eigenvalues of f , together with their algebraic and geometric multiplicities.
(e) Compute a basis of the eigenspace EA (−1).
(f) Establish, giving reasons for your answer, whether it is true or false that A is diagonalizable.

5
Solutions.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
QUIZZES:
b a d d c a c a

EXERCISE:

(a) Since we know that

 

MCC (f ) =  [f (e1 )]C [f (e2 )]C [f (e3 )]C [f (e4 )]C  ,

we need to use the information that we are given to compute these coordinates. For the sake
of simplicity, let’s call
       
1 1 1 1
1 1 1 0
v1 
1 ,
 v2 = 1 ,
 v3 = 
0 ,
 v4 = 0 .


1 0 0 0
It’s easy to notice that
e1 = v4 ⇒ f (e1 ) = f (v4 ),
e2 = v3 − v4 ⇒ f (e2 ) = f (v3 − v4 ) = f (v3 ) − f (v4 ),
e3 = v2 − v3 ⇒ f (e3 ) = f (v2 − v3 ) = f (v2 ) − f (v3 ),
e4 = v1 − v2 ⇒ f (e4 ) = f (v1 − v2 ) = f (v1 ) − f (v2 ),
and thus  
1 −1 0 0
0 0 0 0
MCC (f ) = 
−2 2 0 0  = A.


1 −1 1 −1

(b)
  
       

 x  
 x

 
 x=x 
 1 0
y x−y =0 y y=x 1 0
  
   
Ker(f ) =  ∈ R4 =  ∈ R4 = L
0 , 1 .
   


 z  z−t=0    z   z=z 
   
t t t=z 0 1
   

(c) Im(f ) is the space generated by the columns of A, hence

   
1 0
 0  0
Im(f ) = L 
−2 , 0 .
   

1 1

6
(d) We already checked that dim(Ker(f )) = 2, so we expect the eigenvalue λ = 0 to have
geometric multiplicity 2 and hence algebraic multiplicity ≥ 2. We compute
 
1 − t −1 0 0  
1−t 0 0
 0 −t 0 0  
pA (t) = det 
 −2 = −t · det  −2 −t 0  = t2 (1 − t)(−1 − t),
2 −t 0 
1 1 −1 − t
1 −1 1 −1 − t

hence λ1 = 0, ma (0) = mg (0) = 2, λ2 = 1, ma (1) = mg (1) = 1, λ3 = −1, ma (−1) =

mg (−1) = 1.

(e)

EA (−1) = Ker(A + I4 )
     
2 −1 0 0 1 −1 1 0 1 −1 1 0
0 1 0 0
  0 1 0 0   0 1 0 0
= Ker 
−2 2 = Ker  = Ker  
1 0  0 1 −2 0   0 0 1 0
1 −1 1 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0
        
x  x x=0 0
x−y+z =0 

    
   
y y y=0 0
      
4 4
=  z  ∈ R y=0 = z  ∈ R = L
0 .

z=0
z=0

  
   
   
t t t=t 1
   

(f) Already from the computations of multiplicities in part (d) we knew that the endomorphism
was diagonalizable.