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Linear independence in $mathbb{Z}_2$ and $mathbb{R}$

Mathematics Asked by Andrew Yuan on February 4, 2021

Let $v_1,…,v_k$ be vectors whose entries are all in ${ 0, 1 }$. These vectors can be considered both as elements of $Bbb{Z}_2^n = {0,1}^n$ (with modulo 2 addition), and as elements of $Bbb{R}^n$ (with regular addition).

Question: Is it true that $v_1,…,v_k$ are linearly independent with respect to $mathbb{Z}_2$ (modulo 2 addition) $Leftrightarrow v_1,…,v_k$ are linearly independent with respect to $mathbb{R}$?
If not, is either direction true?

One Answer

Since these vectors have entries in ${ 0, 1 }$, it follows that any linear dependence of such vectors over $Bbb{R}$ is actually (up to a constant multiple) a linear dependence over $Bbb{Q}$, which can easily be turned into a linear dependence over $Bbb{Z}$ by clearing denominators, and then by reducing mod $2$ can be turned into a linear dependence over $Bbb{Z}_2$. (If this linear dependence over $Bbb{Z}_2$ is initially trivial, that means the $Bbb{Z}$-coefficients of the original linear dependence all had a factor of $2$ in them to begin with, which may be cancelled out; if the resulting linear dependence over $Bbb{Z}_2$ is still trivial, we repeat as necessary until not all the $Bbb{Z}$-coefficients are even, at which point we get the desired nontrivial linear dependence relation over $Bbb{Z}_2$.)

But the other direction isn't true: the vectors $[1, 0, 0, 1], [1, 1, 0, 0], [0, 1, 0, 1]$ are linearly dependent over $Bbb{Z}_2$ (their sum is $[0, 0, 0, 0]$), but linearly independent over $Bbb{R}$.

Answered by Rivers McForge on February 4, 2021

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