Archetype T Summary: Domain and codomain are polynomials. Domain has dimension 5, while codomain has dimension 6. Is injective, can't be surjective.
\begin{equation*}
\ltdefn{T}{P_4}{P_5},
\lt{T}{p(x)}=(x-2)p(x)
\end{equation*}
◊ A basis for the null space of the linear transformation: (
Definition KLT)
\begin{equation*}
\set{\ }
\end{equation*}
Since the kernel is trivial
Theorem KILT tells us that the linear transformation is injective.
◊ A basis for the range of the linear transformation: (
Definition RLT)
Evaluate the linear transformation on a standard basis to get a spanning set for the range (
Theorem SSRLT):
\begin{equation*}
\set{
x-2,\,
x^2-2x,\,
x^3-2x^2,\,
x^4-2x^3,
x^5-2x^4,
x^6-2x^5
}
\end{equation*}
If the linear transformation is injective, then the set above is guaranteed to be linearly independent (
Theorem ILTLI). This spanning set may be converted to a ``nice'' basis, by making the vectors the rows of a matrix (perhaps after using a vector reperesentation), row-reducing, and retaining the nonzero rows (
Theorem BRS), and perhaps un-coordinatizing. A basis for the range is:
\begin{equation*}
\set{
-\frac{1}{32}x^5+1,\,
-\frac{1}{16}x^5+x,\,
-\frac{1}{8}x^5+x^2,\,
-\frac{1}{4}x^5+x^3,\,
-\frac{1}{2}x^5+x^4
}
\end{equation*}
The dimension of the range is 5, and the codomain ($P_5$) has dimension 6. So the transformation is not surjective. Notice too that since the domain $P_4$ has dimension 5, it is impossible for the range to have a dimension greater than 5, and no matter what the actual definition of the function, it cannot possibly be surjective in this situation.
To be more precise, verify that $1+x+x^2+x^3+x^4\not\in\rng{T}$, by setting the output equal to this vector and seeing that the resulting system of linear equations has no solution, i.e. is inconsistent. So the preimage, $\preimage{T}{1+x+x^2+x^3+x^4}$, is nonempty. This alone is sufficient to see that the linear transformation is not onto.
◊ Subspace dimensions associated with
the linear transformation. Examine parallels with earlier results for matrices. Verify
Theorem RPNDD.
\begin{align*}
\text{Domain dimension: }5&&
\text{Rank: }5&&
\text{Nullity: }0
\end{align*}
◊ Invertible: No.
The relative dimensions of the domain and codomain prohibit any possibility of being surjective, so apply Theorem ILTIS.
◊ Matrix representation (Definition MR):
\begin{align*}
B&=\set{1,\,x,\,x^2,\,x^3,\,x^4}\\
&\\
C&=\set{1,\,x,\,x^2,\,x^3,\,x^4,\,x^5}\\
&\\
\matrixrep{T}{B}{C}&=
\begin{bmatrix}
-2 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\
1 & -2 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\
0 & 1 & -2 & 0 & 0 \\
0 & 0 & 1 & -2 & 0 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 1 & -2 \\
0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 1
\end{bmatrix}
\end{align*}