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10: Inner Product Spaces

  • Page ID
    58896
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    • 10.1: Inner Products and Norms
      This page covers the concept and properties of inner products in real vector spaces, starting with definitions based on axioms and examples like \(\mathbb{R}^n\) and continuous function spaces. It explains the relationship between inner products and positive definite matrices, showing that every inner product corresponds to such matrices.
    • 10.2: Orthogonal Sets of Vectors
      This page covers essential concepts related to inner product spaces and orthogonal sets, including orthogonality in vectors and their linear independence. It introduces polynomial inner products, Lagrange interpolation, and Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization. The Legendre polynomials are highlighted as an orthogonal basis with significance in differential equations.
    • 10.3: Orthogonal Diagonalization
      This page covers symmetric linear operators \(T\) in finite-dimensional inner product spaces, highlighting the existence of an orthogonal basis of eigenvectors and the equivalence between having such bases and diagonal matrix representation. Key properties include the symmetry condition \(\langle \mathbf{v}, T(\mathbf{w}) \rangle = \langle T(\mathbf{v}), \mathbf{w} \rangle\), real eigenvalues, and diagonalizability, supported by the Principal Axis Theorem.
    • 10.4: Isometries
      This page explores distance-preserving transformations, particularly isometries, in inner product spaces. It establishes that these transformations can be linear or non-linear, and provides theorems identifying conditions for isometries. Key concepts include properties of operators, classifications into rotations and reflections based on determinants, and implications for eigenvalues and invariant subspaces.
    • 10.5: An Application to Fourier Approximation
      This page covers the expansion of a vector in an orthogonal basis and the application of Fourier series for approximating continuous functions using sine and cosine functions. It highlights the properties of Fourier coefficients for even and odd functions, their significance in electronics, and illustrates their convergence towards the original function as terms increase. Additionally, it emphasizes the historical relevance of Fourier series in mathematics and various scientific disciplines.


    This page titled 10: Inner Product Spaces is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by W. Keith Nicholson (Lyryx Learning Inc.) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.