Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Oxford / 2023 / Prelims / Mathematics I / 2 / b / i

Use basis extension to choose a basis $(v,v_2,\dots ,v_n)$ of the vector space $V$ over the finite field ${\mathbb{F}}_p={\mathbb{Z}}_p$. The condition $T(v)=0$ fixes the first value of a linear functional; its remaining $n-1$ values are arbitrary. There are $p^{n-1}$ such linear maps, exactly one of which is zero. Hence the required number isFor $n=1$ this is zero, as it should be: vanishing at a basis vector then forces the entire linear functional to vanish.