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Exercise 1747Linear algebra › Inner product spacesL1Added 3 Nov 2026

Distance to a subspace

#distance#orthogonal projection#minimization

Statement

Compute the distance from v=(1,1,1)v=(1,1,1) to the plane F={x+y+z=0}F=\{x+y+z=0\} in R3\mathbb{R}^3.

Hint

The distance is ∥v−pF(v)∥\|v-p_F(v)\|. Since v−pF(v)∈F⊥v-p_F(v)\in F^\perp, we may compute pF⊥(v)p_{F^\perp}(v) instead: the vector v−pF(v)v-p_F(v) equals the orthogonal projection of vv onto F⊥F^\perp.

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Solution

Orthogonal complement. F⊥=span⁡((1,1,1))F^\perp = \operatorname{span}\bigl((1,1,1)\bigr), normalized to u=(1,1,1)/3u=(1,1,1)/\sqrt3.

Projection onto F⊥F^\perp. ⟨v,u⟩=(1+1+1)/3=3/3=3\langle v,u\rangle = (1+1+1)/\sqrt3 = 3/\sqrt3 = \sqrt3. Hence
pF⊥(v)=⟨v,u⟩ u=3⋅(1,1,1)3=(1,1,1)=v.p_{F^\perp}(v) = \langle v,u\rangle\, u = \sqrt3\cdot\frac{(1,1,1)}{\sqrt3} = (1,1,1) = v.
This is consistent: v∈F⊥v\in F^\perp because (1,1,1)(1,1,1) is exactly the normal of FF (and v∉Fv\notin F since 1+1+1=3≠01+1+1=3\neq 0).

Distance. The distance to FF is ∥v−pF(v)∥\|v-p_F(v)\|. Since v−pF(v)∈F⊥v-p_F(v)\in F^\perp and R3=F⊕F⊥\mathbb{R}^3 = F\oplus F^\perp, we have v−pF(v)=pF⊥(v)=vv-p_F(v)=p_{F^\perp}(v)=v. Therefore
dist⁡(v,F)=∥v∥=12+12+12=3.\operatorname{dist}(v,F) = \|v\| = \sqrt{1^2+1^2+1^2}=\sqrt3.

Conclusion. The distance from (1,1,1)(1,1,1) to the plane x+y+z=0x+y+z=0 is 3\sqrt3.