Are two 2D vectors linearly dependent when x_1y_2=x_2y_1?

makeupwn

makeupwn

Open question

2022-08-17

Are two 2D vectors linearly dependent when x 1 y 2 = x 2 y 1 ?
I was working on a proof for why a set of three vectors R 2 are always linearly dependant when I came along this.
It appears that given two vectors [ x 1 , x 2 ] T and [ y 1 , y 2 ] T , if x 1 y 2 = x 2 y 1 then one vector is a scalar multiple of the other. This is the case in my proof where you have to divide by zero (more accurately, divide by x 1 y 2 x 2 y 1 ) so I feel like this can't be a coincidence.
An example is when x 1 y 2 = x 2 y 1 = 12, we could make pairs of vectors like v 1 = [ 12 , 4 ] T , v 2 = [ 3 , 1 ] T and then v 1 = 4 v 2
Does this hold for all vector pairs that satisfy the restriction and if so, why?

Answer & Explanation

vibrerentb

vibrerentb

Beginner2022-08-18Added 21 answers

Yes. Just stack the vectors on a matrix M and notice that d e t ( M ) = x 1 y 2 x 2 y 1 . So, if x 1 y 2 = x 2 y 1 we have d e t ( M ) = 0 and then the vectors are linearly dependent.
pominjaneh6

pominjaneh6

Beginner2022-08-19Added 2 answers

Given x 1 y 2 = x 2 y 1 . If there exists a zero component, then the set of that two vectors must be linearly dependent
Assume that no components are zero. So
y 2 y 1 = x 2 x 1 = k
for some scalar k.
From above equation, we get y 2 = k y 1 and x 2 = k x 1 . Note that
( y 1 , y 2 ) = ( y 1 , k y 1 ) = y 1 ( 1 , k ) = y 1 x 1 x 1 ( 1 , k ) = y 1 x 1 ( x 1 , k x 1 ) = y 1 x 1 ( x 1 , x 2 )
Hence, the set { ( y 1 , y 2 ) , ( x 1 , x 2 ) } is linearly dependent.

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