Solution LT.C30 Robert Beezer
For the first pre-image, we want $\vect{x}\in\complex{3}$ such that $\lt{T}{\vect{x}}=\colvector{2\\3}$. This becomes, \begin{equation*} \colvector{2x_1-x_2+5x_3\\-4x_1+2x_2-10x_3}=\colvector{2\\3} \end{equation*} Vector equality gives a system of two linear equations in three variables, represented by the augmented matrix \begin{equation*} \begin{bmatrix} 2 & -1 & 5 & 2\\ -4 & 2 & -10 & 3 \end{bmatrix} \rref \begin{bmatrix} \leading{1} & -\frac{1}{2} & \frac{5}{2} & 0\\ 0 & 0 & 0 & \leading{1} \end{bmatrix} \end{equation*} so the system is inconsistent and the pre-image is the empty set. For the second pre-image the same procedure leads to an augmented matrix with a different vector of constants \begin{equation*} \begin{bmatrix} 2 & -1 & 5 & 4\\ -4 & 2 & -10 & -8 \end{bmatrix} \rref \begin{bmatrix} \leading{1} & -\frac{1}{2} & \frac{5}{2} & 2\\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \end{bmatrix} \end{equation*} This system is consistent and has infinitely many solutions, as we can see from the presence of the two free variables ($x_2$ and $x_3$) both to zero. We apply Theorem VFSLS to obtain \begin{equation*} \preimage{T}{\colvector{4\\-8}}= \setparts{ \colvector{2\\0\\0}+ x_2\colvector{\frac{1}{2}\\1\\0}+ x_3\colvector{-\frac{5}{2}\\0\\1} }{ x_2,\,x_3\in\complex{\null} } \end{equation*}