Linear Map - Forming New Linear Maps From Given Ones

Forming New Linear Maps From Given Ones

The composition of linear maps is linear: if f: V → W and g: W → Z are linear, then so is their composition g f: V → Z. It follows from this that the class of all vector spaces over a given field K, together with K-linear maps as morphisms, forms a category.

The inverse of a linear map, when defined, is again a linear map.

If f₁: V → W and f₂: V → W are linear, then so is their sum f₁ + f₂ (which is defined by (f₁ + f₂)(x) = f₁(x) + f₂(x)).

If f : V → W is linear and a is an element of the ground field K, then the map af, defined by (af)(x) = a (f(x)), is also linear.

Thus the set L(V, W) of linear maps from V to W itself forms a vector space over K, sometimes denoted Hom(V, W). Furthermore, in the case that V = W, this vector space (denoted End(V)) is an associative algebra under composition of maps, since the composition of two linear maps is again a linear map, and the composition of maps is always associative. This case is discussed in more detail below.

Given again the finite-dimensional case, if bases have been chosen, then the composition of linear maps corresponds to the matrix multiplication, the addition of linear maps corresponds to the matrix addition, and the multiplication of linear maps with scalars corresponds to the multiplication of matrices with scalars.