Maths WorkshopMaths problems with full solutions
Exercise 1057Linear algebra › Matrices and linear systemsL1Added 3 Nov 2026

Kernel and image of a matrix

#kernel#image#basis

Statement

Find a basis for the kernel and image of
A=(123246123).A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 2 & 3 \\ 2 & 4 & 6 \\ 1 & 2 & 3 \end{pmatrix}.

Hint

The rows are all proportional to (1,2,3)(1,2,3), so the rank is 11.

Show solutionHide solution

Solution

Rank. The three rows are all multiples of (1,2,3)(1,2,3), so rank⁡(A)=1\operatorname{rank}(A) = 1.

Image. A basis of the image is the single nonzero column, i.e. (1,2,1)(1,2,1) (first column). So Im⁡A=span⁡((1,2,1))\operatorname{Im} A = \operatorname{span}((1,2,1)).

Kernel. Solve Ax=0Ax = 0: x1+2x2+3x3=0x_1 + 2x_2 + 3x_3 = 0. The solutions are (x1,x2,x3)=(−2s−3t,s,t)(x_1,x_2,x_3) = (-2s-3t, s, t) with s,t∈Rs,t \in \mathbb{R}. A basis is (−2,1,0)(-2,1,0) and (−3,0,1)(-3,0,1).

Conclusion. dim⁡(ker⁡A)=2\dim(\ker A) = 2, dim⁡(Im⁡A)=1\dim(\operatorname{Im} A) = 1, and 2+1=32+1=3, consistent with the rank-nullity theorem.