In mathematics, a bilinear map is a function combining elements of two vector spaces to yield an element of a third vector space, and is linear in each of its arguments. Matrix multiplication is an example.

A bilinear map can also be defined for moduless. For that, see the article pairing.

Definition

Vector spaces

be three vector spaces over the same base field. A bilinear map is a function is a linear map, the result is a linear operator, and similarly for when we hold the first entry fixed.

satisfies the following properties.

and we have then we say that B is symmetric. If X is the base field F, then the map is called a bilinear form, which are well-studied (for example: scalar product, inner product, and quadratic form).

Modules

The definition works without any changes if instead of vector spaces over a field F, we use moduless over a commutative ring R. It generalizes to n-ary functions, where the proper term is multilinear.

For non-commutative rings R and S, a left R-module M and a right S-module N, a bilinear map is a map with T an -bimodule, and for which any n in N, is an R-module homomorphism, and for any m in M, is an S-module homomorphism. This satisfies

1. B(r ⋅ m, n) = r ⋅ B(m, n)

2. B(m, n ⋅ s) = B(m, n) ⋅ s

for all m in M, n in N, r in R and s in S, as well as B being additive in each argument.

Properties

An immediate consequence of the definition is that whenever or . This may be seen by writing the zero vector 0V as (and similarly for 0W) and moving the scalar 0 "outside", in front of B, by linearity.

The set of all bilinear maps is a linear subspace of the space (viz. vector space, module) of all maps from into X.

If V, W, X are finite-dimensional, then so is that is, bilinear forms, the dimension of this space is (while the space of linear forms is of dimension ). To see this, choose a basis for V and W; then each bilinear map can be uniquely represented by the matrix , and vice versa. Now, if X is a space of higher dimension, we obviously have .

Examples

• Matrix multiplication is a bilinear map .

• If a vector space V over the real numbers carries an inner product

• In general, for a vector space V over a field F, a bilinear form on V is the same as a bilinear map .

• If V is a vector space with dual space V∗, then the canonical evaluation map, is a bilinear map from to the base field.

• Let V and W be vector spaces over the same base field F. If f is a member of V∗ and g a member of W∗, then defines a bilinear map .

• The cross product

• be a linear map, then is a bilinear map on .

Continuity and separate continuity

are topological vector spaces be a bilinear map. Then b is said to be if the following two conditions hold:

1. is continuous;

2. is continuous.

Many separately continuous bilinear that are not continuous satisfy an additional property: hypocontinuity. All continuous bilinear maps are hypocontinuous.

Sufficient conditions for continuity

Many bilinear maps that occur in practice are separately continuous but not all are continuous. We list here sufficient conditions for a separately continuous bilinear map to be continuous.

• If X is a Baire space and Y is metrizable is continuous.

• are the strong duals of Fréchet spaces is continuous.

• If a bilinear map is continuous at (0, 0) then it is continuous everywhere.

Composition map

be locally convex Hausdorff spaces is not continuous (no matter what topologies the spaces of linear maps are given). We do, however, have the following results:

Give all three spaces of linear maps one of the following topologies:

1. give all three the topology of bounded convergence;

2. give all three the topology of compact convergence;

3. give all three the topology of pointwise convergence.

4. is an equicontinuous is continuous for all three topologies.

5. is a barreled space

See also

References

Bibliography

External links