In mathematics, particularly in functional analysis and linear algebra, the concept of the **dual space** is important in studying vector spaces and linear maps. ### Definition Given a vector space \( V \) over a field \( F \) (commonly the real numbers \( \mathbb{R} \) or complex numbers \( \mathbb{C} \)), the **dual space** \( V^* \) is defined as the set of all linear functionals on \( V \).