How to Find a Basis for W in P4[x] Using the Gram-Schmidt Process?

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In summary, the author is trying to determine the orthonormal basis for the space of polynomials of degree 3 or less, but is having trouble understanding the instructions in the book.
  • #1
Bachelier
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I need some direction with respect to this problem please:

Define the inner product on P4[x] over [tex]\Re[/tex] as follows

<f,g> = [tex]\int_{0}^{1}\f(x)g(x) dx[/tex]

let W be the subspace of P4[x] consisting of the poly. ) and all polynomials with degree 0, that is W =R

Find a basis for [tex]W^{\perpendicular}[/tex]per
 
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  • #2
I assume you meant
[tex]<f, g>= \int_0^1 f(x)g(x)dx[/tex].

[itex]P_4[x][/itex] is the 5 dimensional space of all polynomials, with real coefficients, of degree 4 or less. A basis consists of [itex]\{1, x, x^2, x^3, x^4\}[/itex].
[tex]< 1, 1>= \int_0^1 1 dx= 1[/tex]
so "1" is already a unit vector. Use "Gram-Schmidt" to extend that to an orthonormal basis for [itex]P_4[x][/itex], then drop the "1" vector.
 
  • #3
HallsofIvy said:
I assume you meant
[tex]<f, g>= \int_0^1 f(x)g(x)dx[/tex].

[itex]P_4[x][/itex] is the 5 dimensional space of all polynomials, with real coefficients, of degree 4 or less. A basis consists of [itex]\{1, x, x^2, x^3, x^4\}[/itex].
[tex]< 1, 1>= \int_0^1 1 dx= 1[/tex]
so "1" is already a unit vector. Use "Gram-Schmidt" to extend that to an orthonormal basis for [itex]P_4[x][/itex], then drop the "1" vector.

cool I'll try it.
 
  • #4
I did that. Actually this was the path I followed before posting my question:
Here's the deal:

I use V1 = 1

V2 = X - (Projection of X onto 1)

I get V2 = X - 1/2

in their answer in this book, they gave 1 - X/2 which is not even orthogonal to X - 1/2.

I don't know how they got these answers:
[itex]
\{1-X/2 ; X/2 - X^2/3 ; X^2/3 - 1/4X^3\}
[/itex]

Also we know Dim V = Dim W + Dim W^per

Dim V = 5, Dim W = 1, so we should have four polynomials in the basis, not 3!
 
  • #5
Oh, blast! I suspect then, that they are using a different convention than I am and are using "[itex]P_4[x][/itex]" to mean the four dimensional space of polynomials of degree 3 or less: [itex]\{p| p(x)= a+ bx+ cx^2+ dx^3\}[/itex].

Use Gram-Schmidt to construct an orthonormal basis from [itex]\{1, x, x^2, x^3\}[/itex] and drop "1".
 

FAQ: How to Find a Basis for W in P4[x] Using the Gram-Schmidt Process?

What is a basis for a vector space?

A basis for a vector space is a set of linearly independent vectors that can be used to represent any vector in that space through linear combinations. This means that every vector in the space can be expressed as a unique combination of the basis vectors.

How do you find a basis for a given vector space?

To find a basis for a vector space, you need to determine a set of linearly independent vectors that span the entire space. This can be done by solving a system of linear equations or by using other methods such as Gaussian elimination or the Gram-Schmidt process.

What is the difference between a spanning set and a basis?

A spanning set is a set of vectors that can be used to represent all vectors in a space, but it may not be linearly independent. A basis, on the other hand, is a spanning set that is also linearly independent. This means that a basis is the smallest possible spanning set for a vector space.

Can a vector space have more than one basis?

Yes, a vector space can have more than one basis. In fact, any two bases for the same vector space will have the same number of vectors, known as the dimension of the vector space. However, the specific vectors in each basis may differ.

How do you determine the dimension of a vector space?

The dimension of a vector space is equal to the number of vectors in any basis for that space. This can also be determined by finding the number of linearly independent vectors in the space.

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