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Consider the linear map $A:{\mathbb{R}}^3\to {\mathbb{R}}^2$ represented by the rectangular matrixTo compute its kernel, solve the homogeneous linear system $x+2y=0$, $y+z=0$. Taking $y=t$ gives $x=-2t$, $z=-t$, soThus $v$ represents a null direction of a linear map: decreasing the first input by two, increasing the second by one, and decreasing the third by one changes neither output. Solving the homogeneous linear system is the concrete computation behind a kernel; the column space instead decides which outputs are attainable.^[ref]

Now prescribe the nonzero output $b=(3,2{)}^T$. The linear system $Au=b$ becomes $x+2y=3$, $y+z=2$. Again take $y=t$:Direct substitution gives $A{u}_0=(3,2{)}^T$, and $A(u_0+tv)=A{u}_0+tAv=b$. Conversely, the two linear equations force exactly this form, so no solutions have been omitted. This fiber is an affine subspace of dimension one in the three-dimensional input vector space. It is parallel to the kernel, but does not pass through the origin. For instance, $u_0=(3,0,2{)}^T$ and $u_1=(1,1,1{)}^T$ both give $b$, while their difference $u_1-u_0=v$ gives zero. Adding $u_0$ and $u_1$ gives output $2b$, which is another way to see that this nonzero-output fiber is not a vector subspace.

The first and third columns of $A$ are $(1,0{)}^T$ and $(0,1{)}^T$, a basis of the output vector space. Hence $A$ has matrix rank two and reaches every output. The rank-nullity theorem predicts nullity $3-2=1$ before we solve any linear system. It provides a useful completeness check: one nonzero kernel vector already forms a basis here, so a second independent null direction of a linear map would signal a calculation error. In general, matrix rank $r$ for an $m\times n$ matrix leaves $n-r$ independent kernel directions, rather than $m-r$.^[ref]

A representation of a complex Banach algebra is a complex-linear multiplicative action on a vector space. For a unital action require $\pi (1)=I$; a nonunital algebra can be handled by extending the action to its unitization. A nonzero action is algebraically irreducible when it has no nonzero proper invariant vector subspace, equivalently when it defines a simple module.

An algebra representation is a unital algebra homomorphism into the endomorphisms of a vector space. It is equivalent to making that vector space a left module over the algebra, with $av=\rho (a)v$.

A representation over the rational numbers is a group representation on a finite-dimensional rational vector space. Choosing a basis gives rational matrices. It differs from a rational representation of an algebraic group, where rational refers to regular matrix-coefficient functions rather than the ground field. Scalar extension yields representations over every characteristic-zero field.

Representation theory describes abstract symmetries by linear maps on vector spaces. A group representation assigns an invertible linear map to each group element, respecting multiplication. The payoff is that a symmetry problem becomes a problem about matrices, invariant subspaces, and eigenvalues. Decomposing the action can reveal combinations of variables that a symmetric system cannot mix.

Take the cyclic group $C_3=\{e,g,g^2\}$, with $g^3=e$. On three real coordinates, let $g$ send $(a,b,c)$ to $(c,a,b)$:This permutation representation does more than relabel a list: it acts linearly on every possible assignment of values to the three positions. The vector $(1,1,1)$ stays fixed. The vector subspace $W=\{(a,b,c):a+b+c=0\}$ is also preserved, since a permutation does not change the sum.

Every vector separates uniquely into these two types:For example, $(4,1,1)=2(1,1,1)+(2,-1,-1)$. The first term belongs to a trivial representation; the second is a contrast with zero coordinate sum. This is a direct sum decomposition ${\mathbb{R}}^3=\mathbb{R}(1,1,1)\oplus W$. The symmetry preserves the mean and rotates the contrasts.

The rotation is literal after choosing the orthonormal basis $u=(2,-1,-1)/\sqrt{6}$, $v=(0,1,-1)/\sqrt{2}$ of $W$. In this basis,It is a rotation through $120$ degrees, and three applications return to the starting point. There is no nonzero invariant real line, because this rotation has no real eigenvector. Thus the two-dimensional action is an irreducible representation over the real numbers. Over the complex numbers it instead splits into two eigenlines with eigenvalues $e^{2\pi i/3}$ and $e^{-2\pi i/3}$. The coefficient field is part of an irreducibility claim.

Why would this decomposition matter for a physical calculation? Consider three equal masses with scalar displacements $x_i$ and the symmetric quadratic coupling energyThe equations of motion are $m\ddot{x}=-kLx$, whereis a Graph Laplacian and $J$ is the all-ones matrix. The constant vector has eigenvalue zero: translating all coordinates equally costs no coupling energy. On $W$, $J$ vanishes and $L=3I$, so both independent contrast directions have angular frequency $\sqrt{3k/m}$. A three-coordinate coupled problem reduces to a free mean and two identical harmonic oscillators.

For initial displacement $x(0)=(4,1,1)$ and initial velocity zero, the exact solution is $x(t)=2(1,1,1)+\cos (\sqrt{3k/m}t)(2,-1,-1)$. The fixed mean and oscillating contrast can be read directly from the decomposition. More generally, a linear operator commuting with the group action carries its fixed-vector subspace into itself; with an invariant inner product, it preserves the corresponding orthogonal complement too.

For a finite group, averaging over the action constructs an invariant inner product over the real numbers or complex numbers. The resulting invariant complements explain Maschke's theorem: a finite-dimensional group representation decomposes into irreducible representations. Characters compress the action into traces and help identify those pieces. The assumptions matter; in modular representation theory the coefficient field can have characteristic dividing the group order, and such decompositions can fail. Chapter 4 of Pavel Etingof and coauthors' notes develops these mechanisms. ^[ref].

A right inverse of a function $f:X\to Y$ is a function $g:Y\to X$ satisfying $f\circ g={\mathrm{id}}_Y$. It forces $f$ to be a surjective function. A surjective linear map onto a finite-dimensional vector space has a linear right inverse: lift a basis of the target and extend by linearity.

The row rank of a matrix is the dimension of the vector space spanned by its rows. Elementary row operations preserve this space; multiplication on the right by an invertible matrix preserves all linear relations among the rows. In row echelon form the nonzero rows are linearly independent, so the row rank is the number of pivots. The pivot columns are also linearly independent and span the column space, proving equality with the column rank.

A scalar is an element of the field over which a vector space is defined.

Scalar multiplication is the vector space operation $(a,v)\mapsto av$ taking a scalar and a vector to a vector.

For a partition of an integer $\lambda ⊢n$, applying a Young symmetrizer of that shape to the tensor power of each vector space gives a Schur functor. The construction respects linear maps because their tensor powers commute with place permutations. For single rows it gives symmetric powers, and for single columns exterior powers.

A Schur module is the value of a Schur functor on a vector space. Over the complex numbers it is either zero or an irreducible polynomial representation of the general linear group. Its character is the Schur polynomial $s_{\lambda }$ in the eigenvalues, and its highest weight is $\lambda$ padded with zeros.

This is a section of a fiber bundle whose fibers are vector spaces.

A section of a vector bundle $\pi :E\to B$ is a map $s:B\to E$ satisfying $\pi \circ s={\mathrm{id}}_B$.

A seminorm on a real or complex vector space $E$ is a finite-valued function $p:E\to [0,\infty )$ satisfying absolute homogeneity and the triangle inequality:In particular $p(0)=0$ and $p(-x)=p(x)$. A seminorm is a norm exactly when $p(x)=0$ implies $x=0$: this is the extra definiteness of a norm axiom. The zero function is a valid seminorm. The missing definiteness is useful when a measurement deliberately ignores some directions, such as an individual coordinate or the constant term of a function whose derivative is measured.

For example, on $C^1([0,1])$ the function $p(f)={\sup }_{t\in [0,1]}|f^{\prime }(t)|$ is a seminorm that vanishes on every constant function. Adding the value measurement gives the norm $q(f)=|f(0)|+p(f)$: if $q(f)=0$, the fundamental theorem of calculus gives $f(t)=f(0)+{\int }_0^t{f}^{\prime }(s)ds=0$. A family of such partial measurements defines a seminorm topology.

Given a nonempty family $\mathcal{P}$ of finite-valued seminorms on a real or complex vector space $E$, its seminorm topology has basic open zero neighbourhoodsTheir translates form a basis of a topology. Only finite intersections are required: an infinite intersection might impose a stronger topology. Equivalently, put $q(x)={\max }_i{p}_i(x)/{\epsilon }_i$; then $q$ is a seminorm and $U=\{q<1\}$. See Günther Hörmann, Advanced Functional Analysis, section 4, neighbourhood systems from seminorms for the general construction.

Each defining seminorm is continuous, since $|p(x)-p(y)|\le p(x-y)$. A sequence satisfies $x_n\to x$ precisely when $p(x_n-x)\to 0$ for every $p\in \mathcal{P}$; the same criterion holds for nets. Finitely many measurements can each meet a prescribed tolerance after a common index.

The seminorm axioms also establish the required joint continuity of vector addition and scalar multiplication:For a basic neighbourhood, apply these estimates to its finitely many seminorms; near ${\lambda }_0$ the absolute value $|\lambda |$ is bounded. This gives a locally convex space even when some directions are invisible to every measurement.

A sequence space is a vector space of scalar sequences, closed under coordinatewise addition and scalar multiplication. Examples include the l-p sequence space, the l-infinity sequence space and spaces of convergent sequences.

If $T^2=T$, every vector splits as $v=(v-Tv)+Tv$ in $\ker T\oplus \mathrm{im}T$. On these summands $T$ is respectively zero and the identity. Its matrix in an adapted basis is therefore $\mathrm{diag}(0,I_r)$, where $r$ is its rank of a linear map. Two idempotent linear maps on the same finite-dimensional vector space are similar matrices exactly when their ranks agree.