Dual image and kernel annihilator identity 2026-10-06
For a linear map between finite-dimensional vector spaces, the image of its dual map is the annihilator of a vector subspace given by its kernel. Inclusion follows by composition. Conversely a linear functional vanishing on the kernel descends to the image and extends to the target by basis extension. The identity and the rank-nullity theorem show that a linear map and its dual have equal rank.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2001 ib Paper 2 15C Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2003 ib Paper 4 15G b Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2006 ib Paper 2 10E Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2007 ib Paper 4 1G Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 ib Paper 4 10G Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The algebraic dual space is , the vector space of all real linear functionals. For a finite basis , define the dual basis by , so . Every linear functional satisfiesThis equality follows by evaluating both sides on each vector of the basis. It proves spanning directly. If , evaluation on gives , proving linear independence without assuming a theorem on dual dimensions.
For a vector subspace , its annihilator of a vector subspace isExtend a basis of to a basis of . Then has basis , so .
The dual map of is , . In the corresponding dual bases its matrix is the transpose of the matrix for . A matrix and its transpose have the same rank, giving . Directly,Thus . Also every vanishes on , so . Both spaces have dimension by the preceding annihilator of a vector subspace formula and rank-nullity theorem, provingAlternatively, a linear functional vanishing on the kernel descends to the image of and can be extended to by extending a basis.
For the infinite-dimensional polynomial ring, the coefficient functionals are linearly independent: evaluate a finite relation on each monomial. However, they do not span the algebraic dual space. The linear functional takes value one on every monomial, while any finite combination of the vanishes on every sufficiently high-degree monomial. Thus the do not form a basis of . An infinite formal sum of coefficient functionals is not a finite linear combination.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2016 ib Paper 4 10F a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-06
The algebraic dual map is , defined by . The annihilator of a vector subspace isEvery functional vanishes on , so . Conversely, let . Define a functional on by . It is well defined because two preimages differ by an element of . Extend a basis of to one of and extend the functional arbitrarily, for instance by zero on the extra basis vectors. The resulting satisfies .
This is the dual image and kernel annihilator identity. ThereforeThe basis extension theorem also gives . By the rank-nullity theorem,Apply rank-nullity theorem to both maps, using , to obtainOver , this is the algebraic dual, without complex conjugation; the adjoint operator in part (b) uses the inner products instead.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 106 3 c Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
The Commutative Gelfand--Naimark theorem states that a complex commutative unital C-star algebra is isometrically star-isomorphic to through its Gelfand transform, with a compact Hausdorff space. The l-infinity sequence space is such an algebra under coordinatewise multiplication and conjugation, with the supremum norm. Thereforegives the required isometric isomorphism.
Uniqueness as a Banach space representation uses the Banach–Stone theorem, rather than just uniqueness as an algebra representation. To justify the relevant theorem, the Riesz-Markov-Kakutani representation theorem givesthe extreme points of the dual unit ball of C(K). A norm-one measure whose variation measure is not concentrated at one point splits into two normalized restrictions to disjoint sets of positive variation, and so is not extreme. Conversely, equality in the variation bound shows that any decomposition of into the average of two dual-unit-ball elements forces both to be : after removing the phase, the two measures must be positive and their average is concentrated at .
If is a surjective linear isometry, its dual map preserves these extreme points and their scalar orbits. Hence for a bijection and . Evaluating at gives the continuous function , whileshows that is continuous, since continuous functions determine the topology of a compact Hausdorff space. It is consequently a homeomorphism. Thus any other compact space representing is homeomorphic to this . The Banach–Stone theorem is also stated in Leonard Tomczak's notes on András Zsák's functional analysis lectures.
Embed by the evaluation characters . They are distinct because the coordinate indicator functions distinguish them. Moreover, , so every character has . If , thenand hence . It follows that is open in . Thus is a homeomorphism from the discrete natural numbers onto its image.
To prove density, suppose . The Urysohn lemma provides a nonzero vanishing on . Write . Then for all , so and , a contradiction. Every bounded function is an element of , and is its continuous extension to . Density makes this extension unique. ThereforeThis identifies with the Stone-Čech compactification of the natural numbers.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 140 6 a Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
For , the fundamental vector field of the restricted Lie group action is . If is the original moment map, thenThis is the defining Hamiltonian action identity, in the convention .
If equivariance is included in the definition of a moment map, it is also preserved: the dual map intertwines the coadjoint actions of , since . Thusis a moment map for the restricted Hamiltonian action of the Lie subgroup .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2018 iii Paper 140 6 b Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-05
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2024 ib Paper 1 8G a Solution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-25
The dual space isthe vector space of linear functionals on . If is a basis of a finite-dimensional , define . Every has the unique expansionso the dual basis proves
For , its annihilator of a vector subspace isIf is a basis of and is extended to a basis of , thenConsequentlyIf , this dimension is positive, giving a nonzero functional that vanishes on .
For a linear map , the dual map isNowsoEvery vanishes on , henceThe two spaces have the same dimension, sinceThus
Let be the quotient map. Since is onto, is injective, and the preceding identity givesThereforeFor the inclusion , the map is restriction to . It is onto and has kernelThe first isomorphism theorem now gives the other duals of a subspace and its quotient:
Restriction of a Hamiltonian group action 2026-10-05
Restriction to a Lie subgroup with Lie algebra inclusion has moment map . The dual map composes with the original moment map.