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Part BCSIR NET December 2024isotropic-vectors-exist-in-an-indefinite-form

Isotropic vectors exist in an indefinite form

Consider the real matrix A = [[0, 0, 1], [0, 1, 0], [1, 0, 0]]. Define by B(v, w) = vᵗAw. Which of the following statements is true?

  1. A.B(v, v) = 0 if and only if v = 0.
  2. B.For every , there exists v such that .
  3. C.There exists v ≠ 0 such that B(v, w) = 0 for all .
  4. D.If B(v, w) = 0 then either v = 0 or w = 0.

You have the answer. Trap Analysis is why the other three were written.

Not a worked solution repeated four times — the specific reasoning error each wrong option was built to reward.

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50 are analysed free — try those first.

Related counterexample: Every real symmetric matrix is positive definite if det > 0

More on this topic

The chapter behind this: Quadratic forms, signature and definiteness — free to read

From Inner Product Spaces and FormsQuadratic forms, positive definiteness, Sylvester's law

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