4 Fundamental Subspaces - Description (𝐴 is an 𝑚𝗑𝑛 matrix of real-numbers ℝ)

Linear Subspace Types

Syntax

Description

Row Space
Image of 𝐴𝑇
Range of 𝐴𝑇

𝐶(𝐴𝑇)

  • contains all linear combinations of the ROW vectors of 𝐴 (i.e. columns of 𝐴𝑇)
  • dimension = 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘
  • a subspace of ℝ𝑛
  • orthogonal to null-space

Null Space
Kernel Space

𝑁(𝐴)

  • contains all solutions to the system 𝐴𝑥̅=𝑜̅
  • dimension = 𝑛 - 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘 (nullity is the dimension of null space)
  • subspace of ℝ𝑛
  • orthogonal to row-space

Column Space
Image of 𝐴
Range of 𝐴

𝐶(𝐴)

Left Null Space

𝑁(𝐴𝑇)

  • contains all solutions to the system 𝐴𝑇𝑦̅=𝑜̅
  • dimension = 𝑚 - 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘
  • a subspace of ℝ𝑚
  • orthogonal to left column-space

4 Fundamental Subspaces - Diagram (𝐴 is an 𝑚𝗑𝑛 Matrix)

  • 𝐴 transforms vector 𝑥 from ℝ𝑛 to ℝ𝑚

  • 𝐴𝑇 transforms vector 𝑥 from ℝ𝑚to ℝ𝑛

  • row-space and null-space are complements in ℝ𝑛 space

  • column-space and left-null-space are complements in ℝ𝑚space

  • The row-space is orthogonal to the null-space because 𝐴𝑥 = 0 means the dot product of 𝑥 with each row of 𝐴 is 0

  • The column-space is orthogonal to the left-null-space because 𝐴𝑇𝑥 = 0 means the dot product of 𝑥 with each column of 𝐴 is 0