Definition:Set of All Linear Transformations
Definition
Let $R$ be a ring.
Let $G$ and $H$ be $R$-modules.
Then $\map {\LL_R} {G, H}$ is the set of all linear transformations from $G$ to $H$:
- $\map {\LL_R} {G, H} := \set {\phi: G \to H: \phi \mbox{ is a linear transformation} }$
If it is clear (and therefore does not need to be stated) that the scalar ring is $R$, then this can be written $\map \LL {G, H}$.
Linear Operators
The set of all linear operators on $G$ is denoted:
- $\map {\LL_R} G := \set {\phi: G \to G: \phi \text{ is a linear operator} }$
Specific Instances
Specific instantiations of this concept to particular modules are as follows:
Vector Space
Let $K$ be a field.
Let $X, Y$ be vector spaces over $K$.
Then $\map {\LL} {X, Y}$ is the set of all linear transformations from $X$ to $Y$:
- $\map {\LL} {X, Y} := \set {\phi: X \to Y: \phi \mbox{ is a linear transformation} }$
Also denoted as
The usual notation for the set of linear transformations uses $\mathscr L$ out of the mathscript font, whose $\LaTeX$ code is \mathscr L, but this does not render well on many versions of $\LaTeX$.
When this page was written, that font was unavailable. It is still a future possibility that we change to use $\mathscr L$.
The set of all linear transformations can also be denoted as $\map {\mathrm {Hom}_R} {G, H}$, or $\map {\mathrm {Hom} } {G, H}$ if $R$ is understood.
Also see
Sources
- 1965: Seth Warner: Modern Algebra ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $\text {V}$: Vector Spaces: $\S 28$. Linear Transformations
- 1969: M.F. Atiyah and I.G. MacDonald: Introduction to Commutative Algebra: $\S 2$: Modules: Modules and Module Homomorphisms