Examples of a Proof for a Subspace

You should write your proofs on exams as clearly as here. If something in your proof remains unclear,
I cannot grade it.

1. Proof That Something is a Subpace

Consider the subset of R3 :    
 x1 
L = x = x2 | x1 = x2 + x3 .
 
x3
 

Prove that this is a subspace.

Let us check three conditions:
(1) The zero vector belongs to L. This follows from 0 = 0 + 0.
(2) The subset L is closed under vector addition. In other words, if
   
x1 y1
x = x2  , y = y2  ∈ L, then x + y ∈ L.
x3 y3

Indeed, we have: x1 = x2 + x3 , and y1 = y2 + y3 . Adding these equalities, we get:

 
x1 + y1
x1 + y1 = (x2 + y2 ) + (x3 + y3 ), so x + y = x2 + y2  ∈ L.
x3 + y3

(3) The subset L is closed under scalar multiplication. In other words, if x ∈ L, and c ∈ R, then
cx ∈ L. Let  
x1
x = x2  ∈ L,

x3
then x1 = x2 + x3 , and multiplying this by c, we have: cx1 = cx2 + cx3 , so
 
cx1
cx = cx2  ∈ L.

cx3

2. Proof That Something is Not a Subspace

Consider the subset of R2 :
   
x1
L= x= | x1 = x2 or x1 = −x2 .
x2

Then this is not a subspace of R2 , because it is not closed under vector addition. Indeed,
     
1 1 2
x= , y= ∈ L, but x + y = ∈
/ L.
1 −1 0