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In Cartesian coordinates a rank-$r$ tensor is an array whose components transform under a change of orthonormal axes by one rotation matrix factor per index:An isotropic tensor has unchanged components under every proper rotation. The Levi-Civita symbol obeysfor $Q\in SO(3)$, proving rotation invariance of the Levi-Civita symbol. Under an orthogonal transformation of determinant $-1$ its sign reverses; including such transformations requires the pseudotensor distinction. Here isotropy is with respect to proper rotations.

Contract the determinant identity with ${ϵ}_{ijk}$. Since ${ϵ}_{ijk}{ϵ}_{ijk}=3!=6$, one obtainsEvery index on the right is contracted, so the tensor component transformation law leaves no free rotation factor: the determinant is a scalar. Equivalently, $A^{\prime }=QA{Q}^T$ gives $\det A^{\prime }=(\det Q{)}^2\det A=\det A$.

For the matrix inverse, defineThis is the cofactor matrix. To verify the inverse formula rather than just recognize it, contract with $A_{ib}$ and use the determinant identity again:Here the contraction of two Levi-Civita symbols gives ${ϵ}_{ajk}{ϵ}_{ijk}=2{\delta }_{ai}$. Therefore $A{C}^T=(\det A)I$ and, when $\det A\ne 0$,These are the Levi-Civita formulas for a three-dimensional determinant and inverse.

Now differentiate the cubic determinant formula with respect to the individual entry $A_{ab}$. The three differentiated factors give equal contributions: exchanging two paired indices changes the sign of both epsilon symbols, leaving their product unchanged. ThusSubstituting the inverse expression proves the entrywise derivative of the determinant:The cofactor version remains valid for singular matrices; only the inverse version requires invertibility.

For the time-dependent Jacobian matrix, the stated smooth expansion impliesApplying the chain rule and the entrywise determinant derivative gives Jacobi's formula near $t=0$:At zero, $C=I$, so ${{\partial }_t\det A|}_0={\sum }_a{\partial }_a{u}_a=\nabla \cdot u$. A Taylor expansion therefore yieldsThe Jacobian determinant measures local volume change, so this establishes volume preservation to first order. An arbitrary family specified only through its first-order expansion need not preserve volume exactly at higher orders.

For a Cartesian change of components $x_i^{\prime }=R_{ij}{x}_j$, a rank-$n$ tensor transforms according towith repeated indices summed. An isotropic tensor has unchanged components under every proper rotation matrix.

For rank two write $T^{\prime }=RT{R}^T$. Invariance under quarter-turns implies invariance under their squares, the coordinate half-turnsEach off-diagonal entry changes sign under at least one of these, so all off-diagonal entries vanish. A quarter-turn about the third axis then interchanges the first two diagonal entries, making them equal; a quarter-turn about the first axis equates the other two. ThereforeConversely $R(\lambda I)R^T=\lambda I$ for every rotation. This proves the isotropic second-rank tensor classification without assuming that the original tensor was symmetric. Also $\lambda =T_{kk}/3$ is a scalar, since the trace is rotation-invariant.

For a uniform contraction from a comparison function on a bounded set, the closed set $M$ is complete and has diameter at most $2R$. Suppose first $R>0$. The limit condition supplies $r_0>0$ and $q_0<1$ such that $\psi (r)/r\le q_0$ for $0<r\le r_0$. On the remaining compact interval $[r_0,2R]$, if nonempty, the continuous ratio $\psi (r)/r$ attains a maximum $q_1<1$, since it is strictly below one at every point. Thus there is one $q<1$ with $\psi (r)\le qr$ for every distance $0\le r\le 2R$ arising in $M$.

Consequently $d(Tx,Ty)\le qd(x,y)$ throughout $M$. Banach's theorem applies and gives a unique fixed point in $M$. No linear structure or compactness of the ball is used; the compact object in the argument is only the scalar distance interval. If the closed ball is the singleton at radius zero, its self-map fixes that point. The estimate on the ratio near zero is what prevents the compact-interval supremum argument from approaching one at its missing endpoint.

mass as band curvature. In a periodic potential, a weakly forced electron is usefully described by a wave packet confined to one energy band. Its group velocity isDifferentiating the velocity givesThis effective-mass tensor describes the band response, not a change of the electron's bare rest mass. Along a principal direction, a steep upward curvature gives a small positive mass and a flatter curvature a larger one. Near a band maximum the electron curvature and effective mass are negative; the corresponding missing-electron description uses positive electron hole masses. Anisotropy produces distinct principal masses, and strong nonparabolicity makes them momentum dependent. The single-band semiclassical description assumes fields weak and slowly varying enough to avoid substantial interband transitions.

Lattice symmetry and Bloch's theorem. Use the active spatial translation operator $T_{\mathbf{a}}\psi (\mathbf{r})=\psi (\mathbf{r}-\mathbf{a})$. A lattice-periodic scalar potential satisfies $V(\mathbf{r}+\mathbf{a})=V(\mathbf{r})$, while the kinetic term is translation invariant. Therefore $[H,T_{\mathbf{a}}]=0$. The lattice translations also commute with one another, so they can be diagonalized simultaneously with $H$, including within a degenerate energy subspace.

For a common eigenstate, write $T_{\mathbf{a}}\psi =t(\mathbf{a})\psi$. Unitarity gives $|t(\mathbf{a})|=1$, and the group law gives $t(\mathbf{a}+\mathbf{b})=t(\mathbf{a})t(\mathbf{b})$. On primitive Bravais vectors ${\mathbf{a}}_j$, choose $t({\mathbf{a}}_j)=e^{-i\mathbf{k}\cdot {\mathbf{a}}_j}$. Every lattice vector is an integer combination of these generators, henceThe vector $\mathbf{k}$ is defined modulo a reciprocal lattice vector. The band index labels the different energy eigenstates with the same translation character. Define $u_{n\mathbf{k}}(\mathbf{r})=e^{-i\mathbf{k}\cdot \mathbf{r}}{\psi }_{n\mathbf{k}}(\mathbf{r})$. The phase factors cancel under a lattice translation, proving Bloch's theorem in its usual form:This is the Translation-character proof of Bloch theorem; the commutator guarantees a basis of such states, even when an arbitrary superposition of different translation characters is not itself a translation eigenstate.

Periodic Hamiltonian. Acting once with momentum gives $\mathbf{p}(e^{i\mathbf{k}\cdot \mathbf{r}}u)=e^{i\mathbf{k}\cdot \mathbf{r}}(\mathbf{p}+\hslash \mathbf{k})u$. Applying it again and cancelling the common plane-wave factor yieldsThe Bloch Hamiltonian acts on lattice-periodic functions in a unit cell. Expanding its square separates a zero-momentum Hamiltonian, a term linear in $\mathbf{k}$ and an identity term quadratic in $\mathbf{k}$.

Expansion about the zone centre. Let $|n⟩=u_{n0}$, $E_n={\epsilon }_n(0)$, and normalize all these states using a unit-cell inner product. For the real scalar Hamiltonian in the question, a nondegenerate zone-centre eigenfunction can be chosen real. Thenbecause opposite unit-cell faces cancel. Equivalently, time-reversal symmetry forbids a nonzero electric current in this nondegenerate spinless state. This explains why no linear energy term appears; it should not simply be omitted without a symmetry or extremum argument.

The first-order energy shift is therefore ${\hslash }^2{k}^2/(2m)$. In the second-order sum the quadratic term is proportional to the identity and has no off-diagonal matrix elements. Only the linear momentum vertex contributes. Second-order nondegenerate perturbation theory gives the momentum matrix-element expansion of band energyHermitian operator makes the two reciprocal matrix elements complex conjugates. All other periodic eigenstates at $\mathbf{k}=0$ enter the sum. The remainder is even because time-reversal symmetry gives ${\epsilon }_n(\mathbf{k})={\epsilon }_n(-\mathbf{k})$ near this isolated state. At a degeneracy the denominators signal the need for degenerate perturbation theory instead.

mass ratio and the printed formula. Write $p_{nl}^i=⟨n|p_i|l⟩$. Differentiating the quadratic energy yieldsFor a specified unit direction $\mathbf{e}$, the resulting scalar mass ratio isIn an isotropic three-dimensional band, averaging equivalent directions givesCoupling to lower bands contributes positively to inverse mass; coupling to higher bands contributes negatively. Their signs and matrix elements determine the actual curvature.

The original PDF prints $m^{\ast }={\hslash }^2[{\nabla }_{\mathbf{k}}^2{\epsilon }_n{]}^{-1}$. Taken literally as a three-dimensional Laplacian, this misses a factor of three for an isotropic scalar mass. The correct identities areThe printed expression would return $m/3$ even for the free dispersion ${\hslash }^2{k}^2/(2m)$. It is correct in one dimension, or if its second derivative is interpreted directionally. For completeness, its literal three-dimensional trace ratio would instead be $3+(2/m){\sum }_{l\ne n}|⟨n|\mathbf{p}|l⟩{|}^2/(E_n-E_l)$; that is the trace of the dimensionless inverse-mass tensor, not the usual scalar $m/m^{\ast }$.

Use metric signature $(+---)$ and four-velocities $U_i^a={\gamma }_{i}c(1,{\mathbf{\beta }}_i)$, with ${\gamma }_i=(1-{\beta }_i^2{)}^{-1/2}$. Their Lorentz invariant inner product isIn the rest frame of either particle this same scalar is the relative Lorentz factor ${\gamma }_{\mathrm{rel}}$. HenceLet $d={\mathbf{\beta }}_1\cdot {\mathbf{\beta }}_2$. The numerator after combining terms isUse $|{\mathbf{\beta }}_1\times {\mathbf{\beta }}_2{|}^2={\beta }_1^2{\beta }_2^2-d^2$ to obtainThe two rest frames agree on the relative speed, although their velocity vectors are expressed in different spatial frames. Checks include equal velocities giving zero, collinear velocities giving $|{\beta }_1-{\beta }_2|/|1-{\beta }_1{\beta }_2|$, and low speeds reducing to the Galilean relative speed. For timelike particles the four-velocity inner product also ensures $0\le {\beta }_{\mathrm{rel}}<1$.

Ordinary component differences at neighboring points depend on how the local bases vary. The covariant derivative corrects for that variation:Each upper tensor index adds a connection term and each lower index subtracts one. A scalar has ${\nabla }_{a}f={\partial }_{a}f$, while the derivative of a tensor transforms as a tensor with one additional covariant index. The Christoffel symbols themselves are not tensor components; their inhomogeneous transformation cancels that of the ordinary derivative.

For the Levi-Civita connection,These express metric compatibility and zero torsion. Along $x^a(\lambda )$, parallel transport is the initial value problemIt preserves inner products for the Levi-Civita connection. Parallel transport of the tangent itself gives the affinely parametrized geodesic equation, ${\ddot{x}}^a+{\Gamma }_{bc}^a{\dot{x}}^b{\dot{x}}^c=0$.

Transport generally depends on the path. On a round sphere, transport a tangent vector around the triangle bounded by two meridians $90$ degrees apart and the intervening equatorial arc. All three sides are geodesics; the enclosed spherical area is $\pi a^2/2$. The returning vector is rotated by $90$ degrees, with sign set by traversal orientation. Locally this holonomy is controlled by curvature, even though the connection can be made zero at a single point. A vector can therefore have changing coordinate components while remaining parallel, and constant components do not generally mean parallel transport.

This construction compares directions at separate points through a chosen connection, rather than assuming that a curved manifold supplies a path-independent comparison.^[ref]

Use Cartesian coordinates $x^a=(t,x,y,z)$ with $c=1$ and ${\eta }_{ab}=\mathrm{diag}(1,-1,-1,-1)$. Spatial dot and cross products below use the Euclidean three-metric. The alternating tensor is given the orientation ${ϵ}^{0123}=+1$.

Vector and covector transformation. The vector $A=A^b{\partial }_b$ is independent of coordinates, and the chain rule gives ${\partial }_b=(\partial x^{\prime a}/\partial x^b){\partial }_a^{\prime }$. Likewise the one-form $A_{b}d{x}^b$ is independent of coordinates. Comparing coefficients provesTheir contraction $A_a{B}^a$ is unchanged because the forward and inverse Jacobians cancel. Here lowering an index uses the metric, not an identification of the numerical upper and lower components.

Why antisymmetrization matters. Write $J^c{}_a=\partial x^c/\partial x^{\prime a}$. Differentiating the covector law givesThe last term obstructs the general tensor transformation law. It is symmetric in $a,b$, so it cancels from ${\partial }_a^{\prime }{A}_b^{\prime }-{\partial }_b^{\prime }{A}_a^{\prime }$. ThereforeEquivalently $F=dA$ is the exterior derivative of the electromagnetic four-potential one-form. The statement that ${\partial }_a{A}_b$ is not a tensor needs a qualification: under affine Cartesian Lorentz transformations it does transform tensorially, because the second derivatives vanish. The failure concerns arbitrary nonlinear coordinate changes, including curvilinear coordinates in flat spacetime. This distinction is precisely the difference between general covariance and covariance under the restricted inertial-frame transformations.^[ref]

Electric and magnetic components. Choose $A^a=(\Phi ,\mathbf{A})$, so $A_a=(\Phi ,-\mathbf{A})$, $\mathbf{E}=-\nabla \Phi -{\partial }_t\mathbf{A}$ and $\mathbf{B}=\nabla \times \mathbf{A}$. ThenThus the lower-index field tensor isThis is a derived component representation of the field, with the source's sign convention.

Raised indices and the first invariant. Raising both indices changes the time-space signs and leaves the spatial block unchanged:In the scalar contraction, each independent antisymmetric pair is counted twice, givingUnder a Lorentz transformation each inverse transformation from a lower index cancels its matching transformation from an upper index, leaving the same scalar. In particular a plane electromagnetic wave has $E=B$ in these units and makes this invariant vanish, while a pure electric field makes it negative.

The printed dual convention. The PDF explicitly defines ${}^{\ast }{F}^{ab}={ϵ}^{abcd}{F}_{cd}$, with no $1/2$. Each independent pair therefore contributes twice: for example ${}^{\ast }{F}^{01}=F_{23}-F_{32}=-2B_x$. The complete result isThe time-space pairs contribute $-4\mathbf{E}\cdot \mathbf{B}$ and the spatial pairs contribute another $-4\mathbf{E}\cdot \mathbf{B}$. The conventional Hodge dual includes $1/2$ and would instead give the contraction $-4\mathbf{E}\cdot \mathbf{B}$; it must not silently replace this paper's definition. With fixed orientation the latter contraction is a pseudoscalar: invariant under proper Lorentz transformations but odd under orientation reversal if compared using a fixed alternating symbol.

Energy density and flux. Substitution into the given mixed stress-energy tensor yieldsFor the first formula, $F^{0c}{F}_{0c}=-E^2$ and $F_{cd}{F}^{cd}/4=(B^2-E^2)/2$. For the second, $F^{0j}{F}_{ij}=(\mathbf{E}\times \mathbf{B}{)}_i$. The minus sign on $T^0{}_i$ arises from its lowered spatial index; it does not reverse the physical energy flow. Raising that index gives $T^{0i}=S_i$, and symmetry gives $T^{i0}=S_i$, with $\mathbf{S}=\mathbf{E}\times \mathbf{B}/{\mu }_0$ the Poynting vector in $c=1$ units. Thus $T^{00}$ is energy density and $T^{i0}$ represents energy flux. In SI coordinates $x^0=ct$, restore $T^{0i}=S_i/c$ and $T^{00}=({ϵ}_0{E}_{\mathrm{SI}}^2+B^2/{\mu }_0)/2$, with ${ϵ}_0{\mu }_0{c}^2=1$. This keeps the mixed-index signs and the units distinct.

Use the cross-ratio convention compatible with the permutation identities in this paper. Represent a projective point $P_i\in {\mathbb{CP}}^1$ by a nonzero vector $p_i\in {\mathbb{C}}^2$, and write $[p_i,p_j]=\det (p_i,p_j)$. DefineThe denominator is nonzero because the four projective points are distinct. Rescaling any one representative multiplies numerator and denominator by the same nonzero scalar, so the definition is independent of the chosen homogeneous coordinates. In finite affine coordinates it readswith the point at infinity of the complex projective line handled by the homogeneous formula.

A projective transformation is represented by an invertible matrix $A\in {\mathrm{GL}}_2(\mathbb{C})$. Since $[A{p}_i,A{p}_j]=\det (A)[p_i,p_j]$, the two factors of $\det (A)$ in the numerator cancel the two in the denominator. Therefore every projective transformation preserves this cross-ratio. This also shows that the formula descends from matrices to the projective linear group, whose representatives differ by a nonzero common scalar.

Retain the material frame indifference assumption used in part (c), in addition to material isotropy. Put $p=u_{,1}$, $q=u_{,2}$ and $s=p^2+q^2$. For this antiplane shear,The invariant identities give $I_B=I{I}_B=3+s$ and $II{I}_B=1$. Hence the restriction of the strain energy density isAntiplane energy does not determine the full stress: the restriction gives one scalar energy along antiplane gradients. It does not determine the full stress derivative with respect to every entry of $F$.

Indeed, using the isotropic hyperelastic stress invariant representation and differentiating the energy, with $h_j$ denoting the corresponding partial derivatives, givesUsing $S=J^{-1}T{F}^T$, the general objective isotropic Cauchy stress tensor isAll derivatives are evaluated at the current invariant triple. The extra terms generally remain nonzero on antiplane gradients, so the printed assertion that the full stress must be $\beta B$ does not follow.

A stress-free, objective isotropic counterexample is the compressible neo-Hookean solid $W(F)=\frac{\mu }{2}(|F{|}^2-3)-\mu \log J$, with $\mu >0$. Its derivative is $T=\mu F-\mu F^{-T}$, so on antiplane gradientsTake $u(x_1,x_2)=x_1$. Then $B_{22}=1$ but $S_{22}=0$, whereas $B_{13}=1$ and $S_{13}=\mu$. The diagonal entry would force $\beta =0$, contradicting the shear entry. Thus this is not a matter of choosing the right scalar coefficient.

For the additional one-invariant constitutive assumption $W(F)=\hat{w}(I_B)$, the stronger formula does hold, withThis is a valid special case, rather than a consequence of material isotropy alone. For the general restricted energy, the shear entries are still fixed: $S_{31}=2w^{\prime }(s)u_{,1}$ and $S_{32}=2w^{\prime }(s)u_{,2}$, since $w^{\prime }=h_1+h_2$ along $(3+s,3+s,1)$. The full normal stress needs the constitutive information that the printed claim omits. If material isotropy alone is interpreted without material frame indifference, even the first reduction to $|Du{|}^2$ needs that additional material frame indifference assumption.

Assume ${\mu }^2,\lambda >0$. At zero source, the vacuum manifold is the sphere of radius $v_0=\mu /\sqrt{\lambda }$. The source tilts the scalar potential by $-ϵ{\varphi }_1$. Its force should be small compared with the radial restoring-force scale ${\mu }^2{v}_0$, so a useful quantitative condition isFor nonzero $ϵ$, the exact global symmetry in field theory of the Lagrangian is $O(n-1)$, rotating ${\varphi }_2,\dots ,{\varphi }_n$. The global vacuum aligns with the source:This vacuum preserves the entire remaining $O(n-1)$ symmetry. There is therefore no exact Goldstone boson for $ϵ\ne 0$. Expanding the scalar potential to quadratic order givesThus there are $n-1$ degenerate light pseudo-Goldstone bosons and one heavy radial scalar. The small-source condition makes their squared masses parametrically smaller than the radial squared mass. Sending $ϵ$ to zero restores the original massless modes.

The light states have the counting $3+4+1=8$. This suggests approximate chiral symmetry breakingwith a nonzero quark chiral condensate $⟨{\bar{q}}_R^j{q}_L^i⟩\propto {\delta }^{ij}$ for the three light flavours $u,d,s$. The three pions, four kaons and predominantly octet eta meson are the resulting pseudo-Goldstone bosons. Their small nonzero masses reflect explicit chiral symmetry breaking by the light-quark masses; for example, $m_{\pi }^2$ is proportional to $m_u+m_d$ at leading order. The larger strange-quark mass makes the kaons and octet eta meson heavier than the pions, while electromagnetic interactions help split charged and neutral partners.^[ref]

Although the massless strong-interaction terms admit independent rotations of all six flavours, the charm, bottom and top masses are too large to treat six-flavour chiral symmetry as a small explicit breaking at the light-hadron scale. Full approximate $SU(6{)}_L\times SU(6{)}_R$ breaking would suggest 35 light modes, rather than this octet. The classical axial $U(1)$ is also broken by the chiral anomaly, so it does not supply a ninth equally light Goldstone boson.

Terminology qualification: these mesons have spin zero but negative parity: they are pseudoscalar mesons, with $J^P=0^{-}$, rather than positive-parity scalar particles with $J^P=0^{+}$. Calling the listed states “scalar” is acceptable only if it is being used loosely to mean spin zero.

The action is dimensionless and $[d^{4}x]=-4$, so $[\mathcal{L}]=4$. A canonical scalar kinetic term then requires $2+2[\varphi ]=4$, and the electromagnetic kinetic term requires $2[F_{\mu \nu }]=4$. ThusThe brackets here denote mass dimension. The Lagrangian has no explicit coordinate dependence, and all indices are contracted as Lorentz scalars. Its continuous spacetime symmetry is the Poincaré group. Noether's theorem gives conserved four-momentum from translations and conserved angular momentum, including the boost generators, from Lorentz transformations. The nonzero mass $M$ and dimensionful couplings prevent a dilation symmetry.

Sign qualification: the printed electromagnetic kinetic term has the opposite healthy relative sign to the scalar kinetic terms. With the stated mostly-minus Minkowski metric, a physical Maxwell Lagrangian is $-F_{\mu \nu }{F}^{\mu \nu }/4$. The printed plus sign instead gives photon Hamiltonian density $-({\mathbf{E}}^2+{\mathbf{B}}^2)/2$; a nonzero purely electric configuration already has negative energy, unbounded below as its amplitude grows. The physical decay widths below use the healthy Maxwell sign with the given interaction normalization. The dimensional and spacetime-symmetry conclusions themselves do not depend on this sign correction.

The massless two-body kinematics gives $q_1\cdot q_2=M^2/2$. The scalar scattering amplitude therefore has constant magnitude $|{\mathcal{A}}_{aa}|=|{\lambda }_a|M^2/2$. Use $\int d\Omega =4\pi$ and the identical-particle factor from part d:For the photons, the two-photon vertex of a scalar field-strength interaction following from $\Phi F_{\mu \nu }{F}^{\mu \nu }$ is, up to an irrelevant overall phase,Vertex qualification: the source prints same-index polarization contractions in the second product, whereas the contractions must be crossed as above. The printed expression fails the Ward identity. For a concrete counterexample take $q_1=(E,0,0,E)$, $q_2=(E,0,0,-E)$ and ${ϵ}_2=(1,1,0,-1)$. This is a transverse unit spacelike photon polarization vector, since $q_2\cdot {ϵ}_2=0$ and ${ϵ}_2^2=-1$. Replacing ${ϵ}_1$ by $q_1$ in the printed expression leaves $4{\lambda }_{\gamma }{E}^3$ instead of zero. The corrected crossed expression vanishes under either such replacement.

Choose physical spatial transverse photon polarizations along $x$ and $y$ in the parent rest frame. Then both crossed products vanish; the two equal-polarization combinations have $|{ϵ}_1\cdot {ϵ}_2{|}^2=1$ and the two orthogonal combinations give zero. There is no initial-spin average for a spin-zero parent. HenceThe calculation in this spatial transverse gauge also yields the intended result from the misprinted expression, but only the corrected vertex makes its gauge invariance explicit. For equal-magnitude couplings, the photon decay width is twice the two-scalar decay width because of its two nonzero polarization combinations.

The rank-nullity theorem states that a linear map $T:V\to W$ with finite-dimensional $V$ satisfiesChoose a basis $k_1,\dots ,k_r$ of $\ker T$ and use basis extension to obtain a basis $k_1,\dots ,k_r,u_1,\dots ,u_s$ of $V$. We prove that $T{u}_1,\dots ,T{u}_s$ is a basis of $\mathrm{im}T$.

Every $v\in V$ is a linear combination of the extended basis. Applying $T$ kills the $k_i$ terms, so $Tv$ is a linear combination of $T{u}_1,\dots ,T{u}_s$. This proves the linear span assertion. For linear independence, if ${\sum }_j{b}_{j}T{u}_j=0$, then ${\sum }_j{b}_j{u}_j$ belongs to the kernel of a linear map. Hence ${\sum }_j{b}_j{u}_j={\sum }_i{a}_i{k}_i$ for some scalars $a_i$. The linear independence of the extended basis forces every $a_i$ and $b_j$ to vanish. Consequently $\mathrm{rank}T=s$ and $\mathrm{nullity}T=r$, while $\dim V=r+s$, proving the theorem.

The three elementary row operations are:

The nonzero requirement in the second operation ensures that each elementary row operation is reversible.

The image of a linear map and kernel of a linear map areA linear map sends zero to zero, since $T(0)=T(0+0)=T(0)+T(0)$. Thus both displayed sets contain zero. If $w_1=T(v_1)$ and $w_2=T(v_2)$ belong to the image of a linear map, then for any real scalars $a,b$,If $v_1,v_2$ belong to the kernel of a linear map, thenso $a{v}_1+b{v}_2\in \ker T$. Containing zero and being closed under linear combinations is the vector subspace criterion. Hence the image of a linear map is a vector subspace of $W$, and the kernel of a linear map is a vector subspace of $V$.

The rank-nullity theorem says that for a linear map $T:V\to W$ with finite-dimensional domain of a function $V$,Take a basis $k_1,\dots ,k_r$ of the kernel of a linear map and use basis extension to obtain a basis $k_1,\dots ,k_r,u_1,\dots ,u_s$ of $V$. We show that $T(u_1),\dots ,T(u_s)$ is a basis of the image of a linear map.

Every $v\in V$ is a linear combination of the extended basis, and its $k_i$ terms vanish under $T$. Therefore $T(v)$ is a linear combination of the $T(u_j)$, proving the required linear span property. For linear independence, suppose ${\sum }_j{b}_{j}T(u_j)=0$. Then ${\sum }_j{b}_j{u}_j\in \ker T$, so ${\sum }_j{b}_j{u}_j={\sum }_i{a}_i{k}_i$ for some real scalars $a_i$. The extended basis is linearly independent, forcing every $a_i$ and $b_j$ to be zero. Thus the image of a linear map has dimension $s$, the kernel of a linear map has dimension $r$, and $\dim V=r+s$ proves the result.