Linear Algebra Flashcards
Cosine Rule
c^2 = a^2 + b^2 - 2abcosC
What is a vector?
An ordered list of numbers
How to find the magnitude of a vector
How to find the direction of a 2D vector
θ = arctan(u2/u1)
How to add 2 vectors
y + z = (y1 + z1,y2 + z2,…yn + zn)
How to find the distance between 2 vectors
The distance between their tips (magnitude of difference)
How is the dot product defined (both ways)
u.v=(u1v1 +u2v2 +…+unvn)
u.v = |u| |v| cos θ
The dot product is zero
Vectors are orthogonal (perpendicular)
The dot product of a vector with its self
u . u = |u|^2 , so 1 if u is a unit vector
Convert a vector into a unit vector
Divide it by its scalar magnitude
How to project vector v onto vector u
Convert u into a unit vector in both instances (hence the mag squared) and multiply by the dot product
How does a projection (v onto u) work
Stretches “u” such that it is at its minimum distance from “v”. (makes a right angle triangle)
What is a unit vector
A vector with a magnitude of 1
What are standard basis vectors?
The standard unit vectors that can represent any other vector in that dimension, through a linear combination.
How do we represent coordinate spaces
2D -> R^2
3D -> R^3
ND -> R^N
What are the 2 ways of finding the normal to a line in 2D
1) u . v = 0
2) n . p = d
What are the 3 ways of representing vectors as a line in 2D
1) P = P_0 +tu (ND)
2) n . p =d (2D)
3) y = mx + c (2D)
What is the cartesian equation (and formula) for a 2D line
What is the cartesian equation for a 3D line
How are cicles and spheres defined (vector eq)
Why is |p-p0| = r for circles and spheres?
What are the 3 ways in which planes can be defined?
1) p= p_0 + su + tv
2) n . p = d
3) (n_x) x + (n_y) y + (n_z) z = d
What are the 2 things which the cross product can do?
1) Find a othogonal vector to a plane
2) The magnitude is the area of the parallelogram
How to compute cross product
How are circles defined (parametric eq)
p = r cosθ e1 +r sinθ e2
How to find the normal to a circle / sphere
P_1 - P_0
(where p_1
is a point and p_0
is the center)
This is simply the line from the center to the point
How to find a tangent to a circle / sphere at a point
The projection of the point on the tangent to the unit normal = radius. Or without making it unit (p is any point on the line):
How to compute an intersection with a plane
Why does n . p = d work (for a plane)
What is a linear combination?
Vector u is a linear combination over the vector set V if
~~~
u = a_1 v_1 + a_2 v_2 + … + a_n v_n
~~~
Basically a weighted sum of the vectors
What does it mean to for vectors be lineararly (in)dependent?
Dependent: ` a_1 v_1 + … + a_n v_n = 0
Independent:
a_1 v_1 + … + a_n v_n /= 0` for all values of a.
Note: can make a dependent set independent by removing a single (or more) vectors
What is a Span of a set of vectors?
Span(V) is the set of all possible vectors generated by the linear combiantion of the vectors in V. Eg: 2 independent vectors span a plane. The span is a vector space
What is a vector subspace
A subset of vectors of another vector space
What is a basis for vector space V?
A linearly independent set of vectors **that span V **through linear combinations. N terms span N dimensions
What are vector coordinates
The scalar values of a linear combination (of a basis):
How to determine vector coordinates
Either through a system of linear equations or by taking the dot product of an orthonormal basis.