Past exam of the numerical linear algebra and continuous optimisation course of the University of Oxford / 2010 / A / 1 / e / Solution

Let $r$ be the matrix rank, and partition the right singular vectors as $V=(V_r{V}_0)$, with $V_0\in {\mathbb{R}}^{n\times (n-r)}$ consisting of the columns associated with zero singular values. From $Ax=0⟺\Sigma V^{T}x=0$, these columns form an orthonormal basis of the nullspace. Therefore its orthogonal projector isIt acts on the input space ${\mathbb{R}}^n$. Symmetry and idempotence follow from $V_0^T{V}_0=I_{n-r}$. At full column rank it is zero, and at rank zero it is the identity.