Extend to an orthonormal basis for R^3

In summary, the conversation discusses how to find a singular value decomposition by deriving an orthonormal set from a set of vectors. Different orders can give different results, but any of those would be a correct answer. The conversation also touches on the use of Gram-Schmidt and the orientation of the resulting matrix. The experts in the conversation provide a thorough explanation and confirm that the method works.
  • #1
Petrus
702
0
Hello MHB,
(I Hope the picture is read able)
154unac.jpg

this is a exemple on My book ( i am supposed to find a singular value decomposition) well My question is in the book when they use gram-Schmidt to extand they use \(\displaystyle (u_1,u_2,e_3)\) but I would use \(\displaystyle (u_1,u_2,e_1)\) cause it is orthogonal against u_2 which make the gram-Schmidt easy!:) does My method works as well?
Edit: I am pretty sure it works cause it is orthonormal to the other! Just want confirmed:)!
Regards,
\(\displaystyle |\pi\rangle\)
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
Re: Extend to a orthonornal basis for R^3

When you are asked to derive an orthonormal set from a set of vectors, different orders will give different results but they will all be orthonormal sets. Any of those would be a correct answer. (Unless the order is specifically mentioned in the problem.)
 
  • #3
Re: Extend to a orthonornal basis for R^3

HallsofIvy said:
When you are asked to derive an orthonormal set from a set of vectors, different orders will give different results but they will all be orthonormal sets. Any of those would be a correct answer. (Unless the order is specifically mentioned in the problem.)
Thanks for the answer and thanks for taking your time! Have a nice day!:)

Regards,
\(\displaystyle |\pi\rangle\)
 
  • #4
Petrus, what you say is true, but in the case of a standard basis vector we have:

$\text{proj}_{\mathbf{v}}(\mathbf{e}_j) = \dfrac{\mathbf{v}\cdot\mathbf{e}_j} {\mathbf{v}\cdot \mathbf{v}}\mathbf{v}$

If $\mathbf{v}$ is already a unit vector, this becomes:

$v_j\mathbf{v}$.

So if we pick $\mathbf{v}_3 = \mathbf{e}_3$ (as your text does), then Gram-Schmidt gives:

$\mathbf{u}_3 = \mathbf{e}_3 - \text{proj}_{\mathbf{u}_1}(\mathbf{e}_3) - \text{proj}_{\mathbf{u}_2}(\mathbf{e}_3)$

$= (0,0,1) -\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{6}}\left(\dfrac{2}{\sqrt{6}}, \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{6}},\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{6}}\right) - \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\left(0,\dfrac{-1}{\sqrt{2}},\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\right)$

$= (0,0,1) - \left(\dfrac{1}{3},\dfrac{1}{6},\dfrac{1}{6}\right) - \left(0,\dfrac{-1}{2},\dfrac{1}{2}\right)$

$= \left(\dfrac{-1}{3},\dfrac{1}{3},\dfrac{1}{3}\right)$

which upon normalization clearly becomes the $\mathbf{u}_3$ in your text.

Yes, you are correct that if we pick $\mathbf{v}_3 = \mathbf{e}_1$, then one of the projection terms we subtract is 0, and we get:

$\mathbf{u}_3 = (1,0,0) - \dfrac{2}{\sqrt{6}}\left(\dfrac{2}{\sqrt{6}}, \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{6}},\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{6}}\right)$

$= (1,0,0) - \left(\dfrac{2}{3},\dfrac{1}{3},\dfrac{1}{3}\right)$

$= \left(\dfrac{1}{3},\dfrac{-1}{3},\dfrac{-1}{3}\right)$

This is the negative (upon normalization) of the vector your book found, and is clearly also perpendicular to the plane spanned by $\{\mathbf{u}_1,\mathbf{u}_2\}$.

Now it's largely a matter of preference as to which $U$ you use, one will be orientation-preserving, and one will be orientation-reversing. I'm a bit surprised your text chose the orientation-reversing matrix, but as you can see, both methods work out (up to a sign difference) the same (and it turns out the sign of the 3rd column of $U$ doesn't matter, because the 3rd row of $\Sigma$ is 0).
 
  • #5
Deveno said:
Petrus, what you say is true, but in the case of a standard basis vector we have:

$\text{proj}_{\mathbf{v}}(\mathbf{e}_j) = \dfrac{\mathbf{v}\cdot\mathbf{e}_j} {\mathbf{v}\cdot \mathbf{v}}\mathbf{v}$

If $\mathbf{v}$ is already a unit vector, this becomes:

$v_j\mathbf{v}$.

So if we pick $\mathbf{v}_3 = \mathbf{e}_3$ (as your text does), then Gram-Schmidt gives:

$\mathbf{u}_3 = \mathbf{e}_3 - \text{proj}_{\mathbf{u}_1}(\mathbf{e}_3) - \text{proj}_{\mathbf{u}_2}(\mathbf{e}_3)$

$= (0,0,1) -\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{6}}\left(\dfrac{2}{\sqrt{6}}, \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{6}},\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{6}}\right) - \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\left(0,\dfrac{-1}{\sqrt{2}},\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{2}}\right)$

$= (0,0,1) - \left(\dfrac{1}{3},\dfrac{1}{6},\dfrac{1}{6}\right) - \left(0,\dfrac{-1}{2},\dfrac{1}{2}\right)$

$= \left(\dfrac{-1}{3},\dfrac{1}{3},\dfrac{1}{3}\right)$

which upon normalization clearly becomes the $\mathbf{u}_3$ in your text.

Yes, you are correct that if we pick $\mathbf{v}_3 = \mathbf{e}_1$, then one of the projection terms we subtract is 0, and we get:

$\mathbf{u}_3 = (1,0,0) - \dfrac{2}{\sqrt{6}}\left(\dfrac{2}{\sqrt{6}}, \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{6}},\dfrac{1}{\sqrt{6}}\right)$

$= (1,0,0) - \left(\dfrac{2}{3},\dfrac{1}{3},\dfrac{1}{3}\right)$

$= \left(\dfrac{1}{3},\dfrac{-1}{3},\dfrac{-1}{3}\right)$

This is the negative (upon normalization) of the vector your book found, and is clearly also perpendicular to the plane spanned by $\{\mathbf{u}_1,\mathbf{u}_2\}$.

Now it's largely a matter of preference as to which $U$ you use, one will be orientation-preserving, and one will be orientation-reversing. I'm a bit surprised your text chose the orientation-reversing matrix, but as you can see, both methods work out (up to a sign difference) the same (and it turns out the sign of the 3rd column of $U$ doesn't matter, because the 3rd row of $\Sigma$ is 0).
Thanks a LOT I always like your post! Thanks for taking your time and have a nice day!:)

Regards,
\(\displaystyle |\pi\rangle\)
 

Related to Extend to an orthonormal basis for R^3

1. What is an orthonormal basis for R^3?

An orthonormal basis for R^3 is a set of three vectors that are all perpendicular to each other and have a length of 1. This means that they form a right-handed coordinate system and can be used to uniquely describe any point in three-dimensional space.

2. Why is it important to extend to an orthonormal basis for R^3?

Extending to an orthonormal basis for R^3 is important because it allows us to simplify calculations and geometric interpretations in three-dimensional space. It also allows us to easily represent rotations and transformations in a way that is intuitive and easy to understand.

3. How do you extend a set of vectors to an orthonormal basis for R^3?

To extend a set of vectors to an orthonormal basis for R^3, we use the Gram-Schmidt process. This involves taking the original set of vectors and iteratively creating new vectors that are perpendicular to the previous ones until we have three vectors that form a right-handed coordinate system.

4. What are the benefits of using an orthonormal basis for R^3?

Using an orthonormal basis for R^3 has several benefits. It simplifies calculations and geometric interpretations, as mentioned before. It also makes it easier to represent and manipulate vectors and matrices, and it is useful in many fields of science and engineering, such as physics, computer graphics, and signal processing.

5. Can you extend to an orthonormal basis for R^3 with any set of three vectors?

No, not all sets of three vectors can be extended to form an orthonormal basis for R^3. The vectors must be linearly independent, meaning that none of them can be expressed as a linear combination of the others. Additionally, they must be non-coplanar, which means they cannot all lie in the same plane. If these conditions are not met, the Gram-Schmidt process will not produce a valid orthonormal basis.

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