We fix a real vector space $E$ of dimension $n$, as well as a nilpotent vector subspace $\mathcal{V}$ of $\mathcal{L}(E)$, equipped with an inner product $(-\mid-)$. We consider an arbitrary vector $x$ of $E \backslash \{0\}$, and set
$$H := \operatorname{Vect}(x)^{\perp}, \quad \mathcal{V} x := \{v(x) \mid v \in \mathcal{V}\} \text{ and } \mathcal{W} := \{v \in \mathcal{V} : v(x) = 0\}$$
We denote by $\pi$ the orthogonal projection of $E$ onto $H$. For $u \in \mathcal{W}$, we denote by $\bar{u}$ the endomorphism of $H$ defined by $\forall z \in H, \bar{u}(z) = \pi(u(z))$. We consider the sets $\overline{\mathcal{V}} := \{\bar{u} \mid u \in \mathcal{W}\}$ and $\mathcal{Z} := \{u \in \mathcal{W} : \bar{u} = 0\}$.
Show that
$$\operatorname{dim} \mathcal{V} = \operatorname{dim}(\mathcal{V} x) + \operatorname{dim} \mathcal{Z} + \operatorname{dim} \overline{\mathcal{V}}.$$