Okay so I went off and did the rest of the nonsense that is linear algebra, and it turns out bases are important when you're doing transformations between to bases. Who'd've thought.
Anyway, I'm going to try to interpret that 'homework problem'.
Let B (babble) be the basis for subspace W of the space of continuous functions (whatever the blazes that is).
This is a set of unit 'vectors' because
apparently vector spaces (the spaces where vectors live) can have entire functions as their basic components. For some unholy reason.
In this case, it means any vector (A,B,C,D) is equivalent to A+Bx+Ce
-x+Dxe
-x.
Obviously.Let Dx be the differential operator on W.
This...seems to mean that there's some matrix that you can multiply any given vector by and get the derivative of it, for the vector space defined by B. Which is...something. Certainly easier than doing it by hand.
Then we do the simple task of plugging the thing into the disaster grid.
Someone tell me if I'm horrifically wrong (I almost certainly am), but I'm working off of this understanding, even if it doesn't actually make sense.
EDIT: This was actually correct and shockingly simple. Basically, find the derivative of each vector, and re-write it in terms of the vector space, and then slot each one into its column from left to right. xe
-x gave me some trouble because I forgot the product rule for like the fiftieth time. Which was fantastic.
Edit 2: I'm now fighting with this arcane tomfuckery, which I've managed to work out from the notes multiple different ways and still get rejected by the program. Delightful.