The Wolfram Mathematica notebook which contains the code that produces all the Mathematica output in this web page may be downloaded at this link. Caution: This notebook will evaluate, cell-by-cell, sequentially, from top to bottom. However, due to re-use of variable names in later evaluations, once subsequent code is evaluated prior code may not render properly. Returning to and re-evaluating the first Clear[ ] expression above the expression no longer working and evaluating from that point through to the expression solves this problem.
Remove[ "Global`*"] // Quiet (* remove all variables *)
Inner Product
An inner product of two vectors of the same size, usually denoted by \( \left\langle {\bf x} , {\bf y} \right\rangle ,\) is a generalization of the dot product if it satisfies the following properties:
- \( \left\langle {\bf v}+{\bf u} , {\bf w} \right\rangle = \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf w} \right\rangle + \left\langle {\bf u} , {\bf w} \right\rangle . \)
- \( \left\langle {\bf v} , \alpha {\bf u} \right\rangle = \alpha \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf u} \right\rangle \) for any scalar α.
- \( \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf u} \right\rangle = \overline{\left\langle {\bf u} , {\bf v} \right\rangle} , \) where overline means complex conjugate.
- \( \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf v} \right\rangle \ge 0 , \) and equal if and only if \( {\bf v} = {\bf 0} . \)
The fourth condition in the list above is known as the positive-definite condition. A vector space together with the inner product is called an inner product space. Every inner product space is a metric space. The metric or norm is given by
when entries are complex. Here \( \overline{\bf x} = \overline{a + {\bf j}\, b} = a - {\bf j}\,b = {\bf x}^{\ast} {\bf y} \) is a complex conjugate of a complex number x = a + jb.
Nonzero vectors u and v of the same size are orthogonal (or perpendicular) when their inner product is zero: \( \left\langle {\bf u} , {\bf v} \right\rangle = 0 . \) We abbreviate it as \( {\bf u} \perp {\bf v} . \) If A is an n × n positive definite matrix and u and v are n-vectors, then we can define the weighted Euclidean inner product
The invention of Cartesian coordinates in 1649 by René Descartes (Latinized name: Cartesius) revolutionized mathematics by providing the first systematic link between Euclidean geometry and algebra.
============================================================An inner product of two vectors of the same size, usually denoted by \( \left\langle {\bf x} , {\bf y} \right\rangle ,\) is a generalization of the dot product if it satisfies the following properties:
- \( \left\langle {\bf v}+{\bf u} , {\bf w} \right\rangle = \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf w} \right\rangle + \left\langle {\bf u} , {\bf w} \right\rangle . \)
- \( \left\langle {\bf v} , \alpha {\bf u} \right\rangle = \alpha \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf u} \right\rangle \) for any scalar α.
- \( \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf u} \right\rangle = \overline{\left\langle {\bf u} , {\bf v} \right\rangle} , \) where overline means complex conjugate.
- \( \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf v} \right\rangle \ge 0 , \) and equal if and only if \( {\bf v} = {\bf 0} . \)
The fourth condition in the list above is known as the positive-definite condition. A vector space together with the inner product is called an inner product space. Every inner product space is a metric space. The metric or norm is given by
Riesz representation theorem: Let V be a finite dimensional vector space over the field 𝔽 (𝔽 = ℝ, ℂ) on which 〈·, ·〉 is an inner product. Let φ : V ⇾ 𝔽 be a linear functional on V. Then there exists a unique vector u ∈ V such that φ(v) = 〈u, v〉 for all v ∈ V.
In 1912, the Hungarian mathematician Frigyes Riesz established an isomorphism between an Euclidean space and its dual space. His result (which is also valid for some infinite dimensional spaces) restores equal right between vectors and covectors, but under a new marriage sectificate---known as the inner product, which is our next topic to discuss.
Suppose there exist two vectors u1 and u2 in the Riesz representation theorem. Then for w = u1 − u2, we have 〈w, v〉 = 0 for all v ∈ V. But then for w ∈ V, it follows that 〈w, w〉 = ∥ w ∥² = 0, which implies that u1 = u2.
to be checked ========================
The following famous theorem (proved independently by Frigyes Riesz and Maurice René Fréchet in 1907) establishes the converse: Any linear functional T(v) corresponds to the dot product with a weight vector u.An inner product of two vectors of the same size, usually denoted by \( \left\langle {\bf x} , {\bf y} \right\rangle ,\) is a generalization of the dot product if it satisfies the following properties:
- \( \left\langle {\bf v}+{\bf u} , {\bf w} \right\rangle = \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf w} \right\rangle + \left\langle {\bf u} , {\bf w} \right\rangle . \)
- \( \left\langle {\bf v} , \alpha {\bf u} \right\rangle = \alpha \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf u} \right\rangle \) for any scalar α.
- \( \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf u} \right\rangle = \overline{\left\langle {\bf u} , {\bf v} \right\rangle} , \) where overline means complex conjugate.
- \( \left\langle {\bf v} , {\bf v} \right\rangle \ge 0 , \) and equal if and only if \( {\bf v} = {\bf 0} . \)
The fourth condition in the list above is known as the positive-definite condition.
A generalized length function on a vector space can be imposed in many different ways, not necessarily through the inner product. What is important that this generalized length, called in mathematics a norm, should satisfy the following four axioms.
- \( \| {\bf u} \| \) is real and nonnegative;
- \( \| {\bf u} \| =0 \) if and only if u = 0;
- \( \| k\,{\bf u} \| = |k| \, \| {\bf u} \| ;\)
- \( \| {\bf u} + {\bf v} \| \le \| {\bf u} \| + \| {\bf v} \| . \)
With dot product, we can assign a length of a vector, which is also called the Euclidean norm or 2-norm:
Norm[{2, \[ImaginaryJ], -2}, 3/2]
Out[2]= (1 + 4 Sqrt[2])^(2/3)
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| Augustin-Louis Cauchy | Viktor Yakovlevich Bunyakovsky | Hermann Amandus Schwarz |
- Let V be a complex inner product space and let \( {\bf u}, {\bf v} \in V . \) Show that
\[ \left\langle {\bf u} , {\bf v} \right\rangle = \frac{1}{2\pi} \int_{-\pi}^{\pi} e^{{\bf j} \theta} \left\| {\bf u} + e^{{\bf j} \theta} {\bf v} \right\|^2 {\text d}\theta . \]
1. Let 〈 · , · 〉 be the standard inner product on ℂⁿ defined by \( \displaystyle \quad \langle x, y \rangle = \sum_{i=1}^n \overline{x}_i y_i = \sum_{i=1}^n x_i^{\ast} y_i . \quad \) For any vectors xi yi ∈ ℂN × 1 and scalar c, which of the following scaling properties holds? A. 〈x , cy〉 = c∗〈x , y〉 Incorrect. The standard inner product is linear in the first argument, meaning scaling the first vector by c scales the inner product by c, not its complex conjugate.
B. 〈c<;b>x , y〉 = c〈x , y〉 Incorrect. The inner product is conjugate-linear in the second argument, meaning &lang<;cx , y〉 = c〈x , y〉.
C. 〈x , cy〉 = c〈x , y〉 Correct! The standard inner product on ℂⁿ is linear in the second slot 〈x , cy〉 = c∗〈x , y〉 and conjugate-linear in the first slot.
D. 〈<;b>x , x〉 = ⅉ∥x∥². Incorrect. The inner product of a vector with itself is always a real, non-negative number, never purely imaginary or non-real.
Show hint: Think about whether the standard inner product is linear or conjugate-linear with respect to the first coordinate versus the second coordinate in ℂⁿ.
2. Let A and B be complex matrices, and let A✶ denote the conjugate transpose (Hermitian adjoint) of A. Which of the following identity statements is always true for matrix products? A. B. C. D.
✏️ Interactive Quiz: Complex Vector Spaces & Orthogonality
1. Let ⟨·, ·⟩ be the standard inner product on &Coprod;n defined by ⟨x, y⟩ = y*x. For any vectors x, y ∈ &Coprod;n and scalar c ∈ &Coprod;, which of the following properties holds?
2. Let A and B be n × n complex matrices, and let A* denote the conjugate transpose (adjoint) of A. Which identity statement is always true?
3. If x, y ∈ &Coprod;n are orthogonal vectors with respect to the standard complex inner product (⟨x, y⟩ = 0), how does the squared norm of their sum ||x + y||2 simplify?
4. For an m × n complex matrix A, what is the exact orthogonal complement of the Row Space Row(A) inside &Coprod;n?
5. Let U be an n × n complex matrix. Which condition is necessary and sufficient for U to preserve the Euclidean norm of every vector (||Ux|| = ||x||)?



