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href="/nlab/show/stable+homotopy+theory">stable</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/equivariant+homotopy+theory">equivariant</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/rational+homotopy+theory">rational</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/p-adic+homotopy+theory">p-adic</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/proper+homotopy+theory">proper</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/geometric+homotopy+theory">geometric</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/cohesive+homotopy+theory">cohesive</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/directed+homotopy+theory">directed</a>…</p> <p>models: <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/topological+homotopy+theory">topological</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/simplicial+homotopy+theory">simplicial</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/localic+homotopy+theory">localic</a>, …</p> <p>see also <strong><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/algebraic+topology">algebraic topology</a></strong></p> <p><strong>Introductions</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Introduction+to+Topology+--+2">Introduction to Basic Homotopy Theory</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Introduction+to+Homotopy+Theory">Introduction to Abstract Homotopy Theory</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/geometry+of+physics+--+homotopy+types">geometry of physics – homotopy types</a></p> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Definitions</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy">homotopy</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/higher+homotopy">higher homotopy</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy+type">homotopy type</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Pi-algebra">Pi-algebra</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/spherical+object+and+Pi%28A%29-algebra">spherical object and Pi(A)-algebra</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy+coherent+category+theory">homotopy coherent category theory</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopical+category">homotopical category</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/model+category">model category</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/category+of+fibrant+objects">category of fibrant objects</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/cofibration+category">cofibration category</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Waldhausen+category">Waldhausen category</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy+category">homotopy category</a></p> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Ho%28Top%29">Ho(Top)</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-category">(∞,1)-category</a></p> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy+category+of+an+%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-category">homotopy category of an (∞,1)-category</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Paths and cylinders</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/left+homotopy">left homotopy</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/cylinder+object">cylinder object</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/mapping+cone">mapping cone</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/right+homotopy">right homotopy</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/path+object">path object</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/mapping+cocone">mapping cocone</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/generalized+universal+bundle">universal bundle</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/interval+object">interval object</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy+localization">homotopy localization</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/infinitesimal+interval+object">infinitesimal interval object</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Homotopy groups</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy+group">homotopy group</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fundamental+group">fundamental group</a></p> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fundamental+group+of+a+topos">fundamental group of a topos</a></li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Brown-Grossman+homotopy+group">Brown-Grossman homotopy group</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/categorical+homotopy+groups+in+an+%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-topos">categorical homotopy groups in an (∞,1)-topos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/geometric+homotopy+groups+in+an+%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-topos">geometric homotopy groups in an (∞,1)-topos</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fundamental+%E2%88%9E-groupoid">fundamental ∞-groupoid</a></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fundamental+groupoid">fundamental groupoid</a></p> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/path+groupoid">path groupoid</a></li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fundamental+%E2%88%9E-groupoid+in+a+locally+%E2%88%9E-connected+%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-topos">fundamental ∞-groupoid in a locally ∞-connected (∞,1)-topos</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fundamental+%E2%88%9E-groupoid+of+a+locally+%E2%88%9E-connected+%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-topos">fundamental ∞-groupoid of a locally ∞-connected (∞,1)-topos</a></p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fundamental+%28%E2%88%9E%2C1%29-category">fundamental (∞,1)-category</a></p> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fundamental+category">fundamental category</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Basic facts</strong></p> <ul> <li><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fundamental+group+of+the+circle+is+the+integers">fundamental group of the circle is the integers</a></li> </ul> <p><strong>Theorems</strong></p> <ul> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/fundamental+theorem+of+covering+spaces">fundamental theorem of covering spaces</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Freudenthal+suspension+theorem">Freudenthal suspension theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Blakers-Massey+theorem">Blakers-Massey theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/higher+homotopy+van+Kampen+theorem">higher homotopy van Kampen theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/nerve+theorem">nerve theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Whitehead%27s+theorem">Whitehead's theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Hurewicz+theorem">Hurewicz theorem</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/Galois+theory">Galois theory</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homotopy+hypothesis">homotopy hypothesis</a>-theorem</p> </li> </ul> </div></div> </div> </div> <h1 id="linear_combinations">Linear combinations</h1> <div class='maruku_toc'> <ul> <li><a href='#idea'>Idea</a></li> <li><a href='#definition'>Definition</a></li> <li><a href='#examples'>Examples</a></li> <li><a href='#special_cases'>Special cases</a></li> <li><a href='#references'>References</a></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="idea">Idea</h2> <p>Linear combinations are the most general operations in the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/operads">operads</a> for <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/modules">modules</a> over a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/rig">rig</a> (including modules over a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/ring">ring</a> and <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/vector+spaces">vector spaces</a> over a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/field">field</a>).</p> <h2 id="definition">Definition</h2> <p>Let <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math> be a rig, and let <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math> be a (left) <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math>-module. By ‘scalar’, we mean an element of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math>; by ‘vector’, we mean an element of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math>. Given any <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/natural+number">natural number</a> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</annotation></semantics></math> and any <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</annotation></semantics></math>-<a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/tuple">tuple</a> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><msub><mi>a</mi> <mn>1</mn></msub><mo>,</mo><mi>…</mi><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>a</mi> <mi>n</mi></msub><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">(a_1,\ldots,a_n)</annotation></semantics></math> of scalars (so in short, given a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/finite+list">finite list</a> of scalars), we have an <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</annotation></semantics></math>-ary operation on <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math> that maps <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><msub><mi>x</mi> <mn>1</mn></msub><mo>,</mo><mi>…</mi><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>x</mi> <mi>n</mi></msub><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">(x_1,\ldots,x_n)</annotation></semantics></math> to</p> <div class="maruku-equation"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>a</mi> <mn>1</mn></msub><msub><mi>x</mi> <mn>1</mn></msub><mo>+</mo><mi>⋯</mi><mo>+</mo><msub><mi>a</mi> <mi>n</mi></msub><msub><mi>x</mi> <mi>n</mi></msub><mo>.</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex"> a_1 x_1 + \cdots + a_n x_n .</annotation></semantics></math></div> <p>The result of this operation is the <strong>linear combination</strong> of the vectors <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>x</mi> <mn>1</mn></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x_1</annotation></semantics></math> through <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>x</mi> <mi>n</mi></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x_n</annotation></semantics></math> with respective <strong><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/coefficients">coefficients</a></strong> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>a</mi> <mn>1</mn></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">a_1</annotation></semantics></math> through <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>a</mi> <mi>n</mi></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">a_n</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <p>Variations: If <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math> is a non-unital rig (or more generally if <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>M</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">M</annotation></semantics></math> is a non-unital module), then a linear combination may also have a term <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>x</mi> <mn>0</mn></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x_0</annotation></semantics></math> with no coefficient. If <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math> is non-associative (or more generally if <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>M</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">M</annotation></semantics></math> is a non-associative module), then the term with <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>x</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x_i</annotation></semantics></math> takes the form</p> <div class="maruku-equation"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>a</mi> <mrow><mi>i</mi><mo>,</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow></msub><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><msub><mi>a</mi> <mrow><mi>i</mi><mo>,</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msub><mi>⋯</mi><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><msub><mi>a</mi> <mrow><mi>i</mi><mo>,</mo><msub><mi>i</mi> <mi>m</mi></msub></mrow></msub><msub><mi>x</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mi>⋯</mi><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mo stretchy="false">)</mo><mo>.</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex"> a_{i,1} (a_{i,2} \cdots (a_{i,i_m} x_i){\cdots})) .</annotation></semantics></math></div> <p>If <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math> is non-commutative and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math> is a right <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math>-module, the term with <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>x</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x_i</annotation></semantics></math> takes the form <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>x</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub><msub><mi>a</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x_i a_i</annotation></semantics></math>. If <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math> is an <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math>-<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>S</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">S</annotation></semantics></math>-<a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/bimodule">bimodule</a>, then the term with <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>x</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">x_i</annotation></semantics></math> takes the form <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>a</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub><msub><mi>x</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub><msub><mi>b</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">a_i x_i b_i</annotation></semantics></math>, with <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>a</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub><mo lspace="verythinmathspace">:</mo><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">a_i\colon R</annotation></semantics></math> and <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>b</mi> <mi>i</mi></msub><mo lspace="verythinmathspace">:</mo><mi>S</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">b_i\colon S</annotation></semantics></math>. Of course, all of these variations may be combined.</p> <p>Given a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/subset">subset</a> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>G</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">G</annotation></semantics></math> of (the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/underlying+set">underlying set</a> of) <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math>, the set of all linear combinations of the vectors in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>G</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">G</annotation></semantics></math> is a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/submodule">submodule</a> of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math>, the <strong><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math>-linear span</strong> of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>G</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">G</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <p>More abstractly, by the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/adjunction">adjunction</a> between the underlying-set functor and the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/free+functor">free functor</a>, the subset inclusion</p> <div class="maruku-equation"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>i</mi> <mi>G</mi></msub><mo lspace="verythinmathspace">:</mo><mi>G</mi><mo>→</mo><mrow><mo stretchy="false">|</mo><mi>V</mi><mo stretchy="false">|</mo></mrow></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex"> i_G\colon G \to {|V|} </annotation></semantics></math></div> <p>corresponds to a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/homomorphism">homomorphism</a></p> <div class="maruku-equation"><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mover><mi>i</mi><mo stretchy="false">^</mo></mover> <mi>G</mi></msub><mo lspace="verythinmathspace">:</mo><mi>R</mi><mo stretchy="false">[</mo><mi>G</mi><mo stretchy="false">]</mo><mo>→</mo><mi>V</mi><mo>.</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex"> \hat{i}_G\colon R[G] \to V .</annotation></semantics></math></div> <p>Then the <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math>-linear span of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>G</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">G</annotation></semantics></math> is the image of the homomorphism <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><msub><mover><mi>i</mi><mo stretchy="false">^</mo></mover> <mi>G</mi></msub></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\hat{i}_G</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <p>This abstract definition works more generally for any set function <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>f</mi><mo>:</mo><mi>G</mi><mo>→</mo><mrow><mo stretchy="false">|</mo><mi>V</mi><mo stretchy="false">|</mo></mrow></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">f : G \to {|V|}</annotation></semantics></math>. The <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math>-linear span of the image of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>f</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">f</annotation></semantics></math> in <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math> is the image of its corresponding homomorphism <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mover><mi>f</mi><mo stretchy="false">^</mo></mover><mo lspace="verythinmathspace">:</mo><mi>R</mi><mo stretchy="false">[</mo><mi>G</mi><mo stretchy="false">]</mo><mo>→</mo><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">\hat{f} \colon R[G] \to V</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> <h2 id="examples">Examples</h2> <p>Every operation on the module <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">V</annotation></semantics></math> is a linear combination:</p> <ul> <li> <p>The <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/identity+operation">identity operation</a> is the linear combination of arity <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</annotation></semantics></math> with coefficient <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Addition is the linear combination of arity <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">2</annotation></semantics></math> with coefficients <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>,</mo><mn>1</mn><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">(1,1)</annotation></semantics></math>, and the zero element is the linear combination of arity <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>0</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">0</annotation></semantics></math> (with no coefficients).</p> </li> <li> <p>Scalar multiplication by the scalar <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>a</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">a</annotation></semantics></math> is the linear combination of arity <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</annotation></semantics></math> with coefficient <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>a</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">a</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> </li> <li> <p>If <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math> is a ring (so <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo lspace="verythinmathspace" rspace="0em">−</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">-1</annotation></semantics></math> is a scalar), then subtraction is the linear combination of arity <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>2</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">2</annotation></semantics></math> with coefficients <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo stretchy="false">(</mo><mn>1</mn><mo>,</mo><mo lspace="verythinmathspace" rspace="0em">−</mo><mn>1</mn><mo stretchy="false">)</mo></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">(1,-1)</annotation></semantics></math>, and the additive inverse is the linear combination of arity <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</annotation></semantics></math> with coefficient <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mo lspace="verythinmathspace" rspace="0em">−</mo><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">-1</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> </li> <li> <p>If <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math> is <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/divisible+group">divisible</a> (so <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo stretchy="false">/</mo><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1/n</annotation></semantics></math> is a scalar for every <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/positive+integer">positive integer</a> <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</annotation></semantics></math>), then the <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/mean">mean</a> of <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</annotation></semantics></math> vectors is the linear combination of arity <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">n</annotation></semantics></math> with every coefficient <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn><mo stretchy="false">/</mo><mi>n</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1/n</annotation></semantics></math>.</p> </li> </ul> <h2 id="special_cases">Special cases</h2> <p>An <strong><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/affine+linear+combination">affine linear combination</a></strong> is a linear combination whose coefficients sum to <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mn>1</mn></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">1</annotation></semantics></math>. These are the operations in an <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/affine+space">affine space</a>.</p> <p>If <math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline" class="maruku-mathml"><semantics><mrow><mi>R</mi></mrow><annotation encoding="application/x-tex">R</annotation></semantics></math> is <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/ordered+ring">ordered</a>, then a <strong><span class="newWikiWord">conical linear combination<a href="/nlab/new/conical+linear+combination">?</a></span></strong> is a linear combination whose coefficients are all positive, and a <strong><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/convex+linear+combination">convex linear combination</a></strong> an affine conical linear combination. These are the operations in (respectively) a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/conical+space">conical space</a> and a <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/convex+space">convex space</a>.</p> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ul> <li id="Lawvere92"><a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/show/William+Lawvere">William Lawvere</a>, pp. 33 of: <em>Introduction to Linear Categories and Applications</em>, course lecture notes (1992) [<a href="https://github.com/mattearnshaw/lawvere/blob/192dac273e8bf352f307f87b9ec4fe8ef7dc85b9/pdfs/1992-introduction-to-linear-categories-and-applications.pdf">pdf</a>, <a class="existingWikiWord" href="/nlab/files/Lawvere-LinearCategories.pdf" title="pdf">pdf</a>]</li> </ul> </body></html> </div> <div class="revisedby"> <p> Last revised on August 25, 2023 at 20:11:42. 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