Mathematics for Economics and Finance, 2023/2024 Home Assignment #1 (due September 16th, 2023)

Problem 1. Assess whether the following functions are linear maps or not [4 points each]
(a) f : R → R2 given by f (x1 ) = (3x1 , 2 + x1 )

(b) f : R3 → R given by f (x1 , x2 , x3 ) = x3 − 2x2 + 3x1

(c) f : R2 → R2 given by f (x1 , x2 ) = (x1 − 4x2 , −3x1 x2 )

(d) f : R2 → R3 given by f (x1 , x2 ) = (x1 + x2 , x2 , x1 + x2 )

Problem 2. Find, if possible, the inverse of the following three matrices [4 points each]
 
    0 0 1 0
−1 3 1 −1 3 1  
 0 2 10 
A= 3 2 −1  , B= 3 1 −1  and C=
    
 0 1 1 2 
1 −1 0 1 −1 0
 
1 −1 −2 3

Using the inverse (if it exists), solve the system of linear equations
 
3
 
 −1 
Cx = 
 ,
 6 

−2

and check whether the solution satisfies the system.[4 points]

Problem 3. Consider the following symmetric matrices:

   
2 1 0 −2 1 0
A= 1 2 1  and B= 1 −1 0 
   

0 1 1 0 0 −1

Complete the following tasks [4 points each]

(a) Find qA and qB —the quadratic forms that correspond to matrices A and B, respectively

(b) Find all the principal minors of matrix B

(c) Find the definiteness of matrices A and B

Discuss whether there following statements are true or false [4 points each]
(e) There exists some x ∈ R3 such that qA (x)qB (x) > 0

(f ) qB (x) is a linear function

(g) There exists some x ∈ R3 with norm 2 such that qA (x) > 5

Problem 4. Study whether the following two matrices are diagonalizable and, in case they are, find their
diagonal form and modal matrix [6 points each]

   
1 3 1 0 0 2
A= 0 2 −1  and B= 0 1 0 
   

0 1 0 1 0 −1
Mathematics for Economics and Finance, 2023/2024 Home Assignment #1 (due September 16th, 2023)

Problem 5. Discuss briefly whether the statements about matrix A below are true or false [4 points each]
 
0 3 −2
A= 1 0 1 
 

0 1 2

(a) Matrix A is invertible

(b) The linear space of the vectors spanned by the columns of A has dimension 2

(c) The rank of A is strictly lower that 3

(c) Vector v = (1, 1, 1) is an eigenvector of A [No points awarded if you use the characteristic polynomial]

(d) λ = 3 is an eigenvalue of A

(e) The system of linear equations given by Ax = b, where x = (x1 x2 x3 )′ and b = (9 9 23)′ is unsolvable

Problem 6. Consider the matrix  

1 −2 −1
A =  −2 4 2 
 

3 −6 −3

Find the following [4 points each]:

(a) the rank of A;

(b) a full rank decomposition of A;

(c) the pseudoinverse of A;

(d) determine whether the system Ax = b is consistent, where b = (6, 6, 6)′ , and explain why;

(e) find a least square solution of the above system using the pseudoinverse;

(f ) determine whether the system Ax = c is consistent for c being the second column of A, and find its
solution of minimal norm.