# Thread: Conditions for Vector Space

1. ## Conditions for Vector Space

Hey guys,

After a 3 year hiatus from taking any math courses i'm now taking an intermediate lin alg course and im a bit slow; I say this because I dont want you guys to hurt me for asking something so easy

In my text it gives an example of,

Let $S =\{ (a_1 , a_2): a_1 , a_2 \in R \}$ For $(a_1 , a_2), (b_1 , b_2) \in S$ and $c \in R$ define,

$(a_1 , a_2) + (b_1 , b_2) = (a_1 + b_1, a_2 - b_2)$ and $c(a_1, a_2) = (ca_1, ca_2)$

All is well, and the example goes on to say that the situation described above violates the commutatively of addition and the associativity of addition, which I agree. But it also says it violates VS8 (so it is therefore not a vector space), which is

Originally Posted by VS8
For each pair of elements $a,b$ in $F$ and each element $x$ in $V$, $(a+b)x = ax + bx$
I'm obviously missing something but I do not see how $c(a_1, a_2) = (ca_1, ca_2)$ violates the above condition. It actually makes sense that this is the case to me. If i have a physical vector and I multiply it by a scalar both its points should be multiplied by the scalar (I use a physical vector as an exmaple here I do know that vectors are not just physical).

Also, the next example takes the same situation but with the definition of

$c(a_1, a_2) = (ca_1, 0)$

And this situation does not violate VS8. But i cannot see why, so clearly I am missing something with the VS8 condition!

Thanks guys

2. ## Re: Conditions for Vector Space

In your example $V=S$ and $F=R$. So $x\in S$ means that $x=(x_1, x_2)$.

Now, $(a+b)x=(a+b)(x_1, x_2)=((a+b)x_1, (a+b)x_2)=(ax_1 +bx_1, ax_2+bx_2)$

and $ax+bx=a(x_1, x_2)+b(x_1, x_2)=(ax_1,ax_2)+(bx_1,bx_2)=$

$=(ax_1+bx_1, ax_2-bx_2)\neq (ax_1 +bx_1, ax_2+bx_2)$.

So, $(a+b)x \neq ax+bx$