Brian Streit

Math 2451

Selected Chapter 1 Review Solutions

3. (a) The parameterized equation of a line is l(t) = p + tv where p is a

vector with coordinates equal to p, a point on the line, t is the parameter of the
function l, and v is a vector in the direction of l. Here

p= i + 2j k and v = j:

Thus
l(t) = ( i+2j k) + (tj) = i + (2 + t)j k:
(b) Here we have two choices for our vector p, which are p1 = 2j k and
p2 = 3i + j. Since v = p1 p2 is a vector in the direction of l, we have
v = 3i + j k and so

l(t) = p1 + tv = (3t)i + (2 + t)j (1 t)k:

(c) If n = Ai + Bj + Ck is normal to a plane P and p = (x0 ; y0 ; z0 ) is a

point in P then

P = f(x; y; z) 2 R3 : A(x x0 ) + B(y y0 ) + C(z z0 ) = 0g

Here n = 2i + j + 2k and p = ( 1; 1; 3) so

P = f(x; y; z) 2 R3 : 2(x+1)+(y 1)+2(z 3) = 0g = f(x; y; z) 2 R3 : 2x+y+2z = 9g:

4. We compute as in problem 3 to get:

(a) l(t) = 3ti + j + tk
(b) l(t) = j + tk
(c) P = f(x; y; z) 2 R3 : x + y z = 1g:

5. (a) v w = ( i + j) k = ( 1)(0)+(1)(0) + (0)(1) = 0

(c) v w = ( 2i j + k) (3i + 2j 2k) = 6 2 2 = 10:

6. (a)

i j k
1 0 1 0 1 1
v w= 1 1 0 = i j+ k = i + j;
0 1 0 1 0 0
0 0 1

(c)

1 1 2 1 2 1
v w= i j+ k =(2 2)i (4 3)j+( 4+3)k = j k:
2 2 3 2 3 2

1
 uv
7. (a) cos = kukkvk . From 5(a) we have v w =0 so cos = 0
(c) from 5(c) we have v w = 10: Now we must …nd kvk and kwk : We
compute p p
kvk = ( 2)2 + ( 1)2 + (1)2 = 6
and p p
kwk = (3)2 + (2)2 + ( 2)2 = 17
so
u v 10
cos = =p :
kuk kvk 102

8. The area of the parallelogram spanned by the vectors given in exercise 5

is equal to the norm of the cross
p product of the given p vectors so we compute
(a) kv wk = ki + jk = (1) 2 + (1)2 + (0)2 = 2
p p
(b) kv wk = k j kk = (0)2 + ( 1)2 + ( 1)2 = 2

9. Suppose we have a triangle with vertices at the origin and the tips of a
and b. Denote the region bounded by this triangle as T R2 . Now, we may
parameterize the segment from the tip of a to the tip of b as

l(t) = (1 t)a + tb with 0 t 1:

Observe that for every 0 t 1, we may associate the segment connecting the
origin and l(t). We see that

T = fv 2 R3 : v = s((1 t)a+tb) = stb+s(1 t)a with 0 t 1 and 0 s 1g:

10. If three vectors a; b; and c lie in the same plane through the origin then
without loss of generality, we may assume that

P = spanfa; bg = fv 2 R3 : v = a + b for some ; 2 Rg:

That is,
v 2P ,v = a+ b
with ; 2 R. Now if c 2 P then, from our previous statement, we know
c = a + b for some ; 2 R so

a+ b+ c=0

with = 1: A similar argument holds assuming a di¤erent combination of

vectors span P, hence the "without loss of generality". Conversely, if

a+ b+ c=0

with ; ; and are not all zero then let us …rst assume that 6= 0 so

a= b c

2
and therefore
a 2 spanfb; cg = P;
where P is a plane through the origin. A similar arguments holds if we assume
6= 0 or 6= 0 therefore, in any case, the vectors a; b; and c lie in the same
plane through the origin, as desired.

11. Square both sides of the Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality and apply this new
inequality to the vectors a and b associated with the points (a1 ; a2 ; a3 ) and
(b1 ; b2 ; b3 ); respectively.

12. Since u; v; and w are othogonal unit vectors, we have

u v=v w=u w=0

and
kuk = kvk = kwk = 1:
Thus a = u + v + w implies
2
a u = ( u + v + w) u = kuk + (v u) + (u w) = :

Similarly, a v = and a w = : Geometrically, this means that any vector in

space can be written as a linear combination of three vectors in an orthonormal
basis. Recall, a basis is a linearly independent set that spans the given space or
subspace and orthonormal refers to a set of mutually orthogonal unit vectors.

15. Let v = kak b + kbk a so v bisects the angle between a and b if and
only if
v a v b
= , v a kvk kbk = v b kvk kak :
kvk kak kvk kbk
Now we divide both sides of the equality by kvkand substitute in our de…nition
for v to get
(kak b + kbk a)a kbk = (kak b + kbk a)b kak ;
which is equivalent to
2 2 2 2
kak kbk ba + kbk kak = kak kbk + kbk kak ab;

which is obviously true. Since an obviously true statement is logically equivalent

to our desired statement, we conclude that our desired statement is true.

16. If p = (x1 ; y1 ) is our given point and

l = f(x; y) 2 R2 : ax + by = c with a; b; c 2 Rg

is our given line then the distance between p and l is the length of the segment,
pl, connecting p to l in a direction perpendicular to our line. A vector parallel
to pl is of the form
u = (x xl)i + (y y1 )j

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where (x; y) 2 l: Now, we just need this vector to point in the right direction.
Since the slope-intercept form of our line is y = bax + cb ; we see that v = (b; a)
is a vector in the direction of our line. We notice that w = (a; b) is a vector
perpendicular to v as v w = 0. Now, we need to make u point in the direction
of w and the resulting vector, projw u, will have our desired length and direction.
So, we compute

u w kwk
kprojw uk = 2w = ju wj 2
kwk kwk
ja(x x ) + b(y y1 )j jax ax1 + by by1 j
= p1 = p :
a2 + b2 a2 + b2

Now, using ax + by = c for (x; y) 2 l, we have

jax1 + by1 cj
kprojw uk = p ;
a2 + b2
as desired.

18. (a) If a b = a0 b for all b then let b 6= 0 so that (a a0 ) b = 0

for every b implies a a0 orthogonal to b for every b. But the only vector
orthogonal to every b is 0 so a a0 = 0 and thus a = a0 :
(b) No, because if a b = a0 b for all b then suppose b 6= 0 so that if
a = 0 and a0 = 2b then 0 = a b = a0 b but a 6= a0 :

20. If

P1 = f(x1 ; y2 ; z3 ) 2 R3 : Ax1 + By2 + Cz3 + D1 = 0 with A; B; C; D1 2 Rg

and

P2 = f(x2 ; y2 ; z2 ) 2 R3 : Ax2 + By2 + Cz2 + D2 = 0 with A; B; C; D2 2 Rg

then n = Ai + Bj + Ck is a vector that is normal to both P1 and P2 : The

distance between P1 and P2 is the length of the vector

v = (x1 x2 )i + (y1 y2) j + (z1 z2 )k:

Now, we project v onto n since projn v has the desired length and direction.
We compute

v n knk jA(x1 x2 ) + B(y y1 ) + C(z1 z2 )j

kprojn vk = 2n = jv nj 2 = p :
knk knk A2 + B 2 + C 2

Now, using
Ax1 + By2 + Cz3 = D1

4
and
Ax2 + By2 + Cz2 = D2 ;
we have
jD1 D2 j
kprojn vk = p ;
A2 + B 2 + C 2
as desired.

25. If z = x2 y 2 then, in cylindrical coordinates, x = r cos ; y = r sin ,

and z = z so our equation becomes

z = r2 (cos2 sin2 ) = r2 (cos 2 )

since
1 + cos 2 1 cos 2
cos2 = and sin2 = :
2 2
Now, in spherical coordinates we have

x = sin ' cos ; y = sin ' sin ; and z = cos '

so our equation becomes

cos ' = 2
sin2 '(cos2 sin2 ) = 2
sin2 ' cos 2

or
cos ' = sin2 ' cos 2 :

26. In spherical coordinates, z = cos '. If u = xi + yj + zk then u k = z

and p
kuk = x2 + y 2 + z 2 =
1 z 1 uk
so ' = cos ( ) = cos ( kuk ): The dot product tells us that

u k = kuk kkk cos ';

uk
and kkk = 1 so kuk = cos ' where ' is the angle between the vectors u and k.

30. The volume of the parallelepiped spanned by the the given vectors is
equal to the absolute value of the determinant

1 0 1
1 1 1 = 3:
3 2 0

32. If a plane P contains the points (3; 1; 2) and (2; 1; 0) then the vector
u = (1; 0; 2) is parallel to P. However, since the line

v = (2; 1; 0) + t(2; 3; 0)

5
is contained in the plane then the vector w = (2; 3; 0) is also parallel to P.
Since we know u and w are two vectors in P, we may …nd a normal vector to
P, n = u w. We compute

0 2 1 2 1 0
n= i j+ k =( 6; 4; 3):
3 0 2 0 2 3

So

P = f(x; y; z) 2 R3 : 6(x 2)+4(y+1)+3z = 0g = f(x; y; z) 2 R3 : 6x+4y+3z+16 = 0g:

36. Solution 1: This is a brute-force direct computation solution with a

little analysis. We compute

1 x x2
y y2 x x2 x x2
1 y y2 = i j+ k =yz(z y)i+xz(x z)j+xy(y x)k:
z z2 z z2 y y2
1 z z2

Since x; y; and z are all di¤erent, if we assume x = 0 then y 6= 0 and z 6= 0.

Thus
yz(z y) = 0 , z = y;
which cannot happen without violating our assumption. If x 6= 0 then at least
one of y or z must be nonzero. Without loss of generality assume y 6= 0 so that

xy(y x) = 0 , x = y:

Thus, for any x; the given determinant is nonzero. Since our previous argument
for x could be applied to y or z, we conclude that the given determinant is zero
if x; y; and z are all di¤erent .
Solution 2: This solution requires less computation but a better under-
standing of logic, proof and the basic properties of the determinant. To prove a
logical statement p ) q it is logically equivalent to prove ~q ) ~p; that is not q
(the negation, or opposite, of the logical statement q) implies not p. The logical
statement ~q ) ~p is called the contrapositive of the logical statment p ) q.
This method of proof should not be confused with proof by contradiction. Here
p is "x; y; and z are all di¤erent" so ~p is "at least one pair of x; y; and z are
1 x x2 1 x x2
2
equal" and q is " 1 y y 6= 0" so ~q is " 1 y y 2 = 0". If we assume
2
1 z z 1 z z2
1 x x2
~q then 1 y y 2 = 0, so at least two of the rows or colums are linearly
1 z z2
dependent. In either case, this implies that at least one pair of x; y, and z are
equal (veri…cation is left to the reader), which is ~p, as desired.

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 38. Observe that row3 = 2(row2) row1. Since the row vectors are a
linearly dependent set, the value of the determinant is zero.

p 42. The given line is in the direction v = (3; 16; v

1). We compute kvk =
1
266 so a unit vector parallel to the given line is kvk = p266 (3; 16; 1).

44. A vector, v, parallel to two planes P1 and P2 with associated normal

vectors n1 and n2 is given by v = n1 n2 : Here n1 = (8; 1; 1) and n2 =
(1; 1; 1) so
i j k
v= 8 1 1 = (0; 9; 9)
1 1 1
p v
Now, we compute kvk = 3 2 and if we normalize v then we get kvk =
3 3
(0; p2 ; p2 ); our desired unit vector.

46. Our line l is parallel to a vector v = (2; 1; 1) then a vector w;orthogonal

to l and i j, is

i j k
w=v (i j) = 2 1 1 =i j k:
1 1 0
p
Now, kwk = 3 so our desired unit vector is p1 (1; 1; 1):
3