Matrix Algebra Using Determinants
Marcus and Aaliyah text each other in code. Each message is a block of numbers that gets multiplied by a secret $2\times2$ key matrix. Aaliyah can read a message only if she can undo that multiplication, so the key matrix needs an inverse. Can you tell whether a key works without decoding anything? The determinant answers that question in one number. With a few properties you can often answer it without writing out the matrix at all.
Computing a Determinant: Diagonal Method and Cofactors
For a $2\times2$ matrix, $\begin{vmatrix}a&b\\c&d\end{vmatrix}=ad-bc$. For larger matrices you have two tools.
Diagonal method ($3\times3$ only). Copy the first two columns to the right of the matrix. Add the products along the three down-right diagonals and subtract the products along the three up-right diagonals. Some problems call this Sarrus' rule.
$$|A|=aei+bfg+cdh-ceg-afh-bdi$$Cofactor expansion (any size). The minor $M_{ij}$ is the determinant you get by deleting row $i$ and column $j$. The cofactor is $C_{ij}=(-1)^{i+j}M_{ij}$. The signs follow a checkerboard that starts with $+$ in the top-left corner. You can expand along any row or column:
$$|A|=a_{i1}C_{i1}+a_{i2}C_{i2}+\dots+a_{in}C_{in}$$Why choose a row or column with many zeros? Every zero entry kills its whole term, so you skip that cofactor.
In an archaeological excavation, the coordinates of three key points forming a search sector have been recorded. To calculate the area of this sector, we first need to…
In an archaeological excavation, the coordinates of three key points forming a search sector have been recorded. To calculate the area of this sector, we first need to obtain the value of the determinant of the following position matrix $A$:
$A = \begin{pmatrix} 2 & 1 & 3 \\ -1 & 0 & 4 \\ 1 & -2 & 1 \end{pmatrix}$
Calculate the value of $|A|$ using Sarrus' rule.
Calculate the value of the determinant of the following matrix $4 \times 4$ by expanding along the elements of the second row (the one with the most zeros):…
Calculate the value of the determinant of the following matrix $4 \times 4$ by expanding along the elements of the second row (the one with the most zeros):
$|D| = \begin{vmatrix} 1 & 3 & 0 & 5 \\ 0 & 2 & 0 & 0 \\ -1 & 1 & 4 & 2 \\ 2 & 0 & 1 & 3 \end{vmatrix}$
The Determinant Toolbox
In real problems you rarely need the entries of a matrix. You only need to know how a determinant changes under each operation. Let $A$ and $B$ be square matrices of order $n$ and let $k$ be a scalar. (Some problems write the transpose as $A^t$; it is the same as $A^T$.)
Why does the scalar get raised to the $n$? The scalar $k$ multiplies every one of the $n$ rows, and each row lets you pull out one factor of $k$.
Without fully expanding the matrix, apply the properties of determinants to justify why the following determinant is equal to $0$:…
Without fully expanding the matrix, apply the properties of determinants to justify why the following determinant is equal to $0$:
$|A| = \begin{vmatrix} 1 & 2 & 3 \\ 5 & 10 & 15 \\ 0 & 1 & -4 \end{vmatrix}$
(Hint: Observe the relationship between the first and second rows).
Let $A$ be a square matrix of order $3$ whose determinant is $|A| = -2$. Use the properties of determinants to calculate the following values: a) $|A^t|$ (determinant of…
Let $A$ be a square matrix of order $3$ whose determinant is $|A| = -2$. Use the properties of determinants to calculate the following values:
- a) $|A^t|$ (determinant of the transpose).
- b) $|A^{-1}|$ (determinant of the inverse).
- c) $|3A|$ (determinant of the matrix multiplied by the scalar $3$).
Given that the determinant of a square matrix $A$ of order 3 is $|A| = -2$, use the properties of determinants to calculate, giving reasons, the value of the following…
Given that the determinant of a square matrix $A$ of order 3 is $|A| = -2$, use the properties of determinants to calculate, giving reasons, the value of the following determinants:
- a) $|A^t \cdot A|$
- b) $|3A^{-1}|$
- c) The determinant of the matrix resulting from multiplying the first row of $A$ by $5$, swapping the second and third rows, and transposing the matrix.
When Is a Matrix Singular? Parameters
A square matrix has an inverse exactly when $|A|\ne0$. A matrix with $|A|=0$ is called singular. When entries depend on a parameter $k$, the determinant becomes an expression in $k$. The values of $k$ that make it zero are the ones that break the matrix.
If the determinant is a cubic, look for a rational zero (test factors of the constant term) and use synthetic division. The section on smart row operations below has shortcuts for symmetric matrices.
The graph below is $y=x^3-x$, the determinant above with $x$ standing for $k$. Its zeros are exactly the values of $k$ where the matrix fails.
A courier company uses a matrix-based coding system. For a message to be "decryptable", the matrix used $M$ must be invertible. Given the matrix…
A courier company uses a matrix-based coding system. For a message to be "decryptable", the matrix used $M$ must be invertible.
Given the matrix $M = \begin{pmatrix} k & 4 \\ 1 & k \end{pmatrix}$, determine for which values of the real parameter $k$ the matrix has no inverse (that is, it is a singular matrix).
Given the matrix $M = \begin{pmatrix} k & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & k & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & k \end{pmatrix}$: a) Determine the values of the real parameter $k$ for which the matrix $M$ is…
Given the matrix $M = \begin{pmatrix} k & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & k & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & k \end{pmatrix}$:
- a) Determine the values of the real parameter $k$ for which the matrix $M$ is singular (has no inverse).
- b) For the value $k = 0$, calculate the inverse matrix $M^{-1}$ using the adjugate matrix method.
In an air traffic control system, the position of three drones at a given instant is defined by the columns of a matrix $P$. In the simplified model used, the…
In an air traffic control system, the position of three drones at a given instant is defined by the columns of a matrix $P$. In the simplified model used, the configuration is considered safe only if the determinant of $P$ is non-zero. Given the matrix:
$$P(k) = \begin{pmatrix} k & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & k & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & k \end{pmatrix}$$- a) Calculate the values of $k$ for which the drones would be in a "critical" configuration (zero determinant).
- b) For $k = 0$, check if the matrix is invertible and, if so, find its inverse $P^{-1}$ using the adjugate matrix method.
- c) Show that for any value of $k \neq 1$ and $k \neq -2$, it holds true that $P(k)$ is non-singular.
Inverse by the Adjugate Method
For a $2\times2$ matrix there is a shortcut:
$$\begin{pmatrix}a&b\\c&d\end{pmatrix}^{-1}=\frac{1}{ad-bc}\begin{pmatrix}d&-b\\-c&a\end{pmatrix}$$For larger matrices use cofactors. In these problems $\operatorname{Adj}(A)$ denotes the cofactor matrix of $A$: the matrix whose entries are the cofactors $C_{ij}$. Its transpose, $\operatorname{Adj}(A)^T$, is the adjugate of $A$ (also called the classical adjoint), which is the matrix most US textbooks use in the inverse formula.
Why does it work? Row $i$ of $A$ times the cofactors of row $i$ gives $|A|$ by cofactor expansion. Row $i$ times the cofactors of a different row gives the determinant of a matrix with two equal rows, which is $0$.
A useful consequence is the determinant of $\operatorname{Adj}(A)$. From $\operatorname{Adj}(A)^T=|A|A^{-1}$ and the scalar rule,
$$|\operatorname{Adj}(A)|=|\operatorname{Adj}(A)^T|=\big||A|\,A^{-1}\big|=|A|^n\cdot\frac{1}{|A|}=|A|^{n-1}$$Once you have $A^{-1}$, you can undo $A$. If $AX=B$, multiply both sides on the left by $A^{-1}$ to get $X=A^{-1}B$.
Calculate the inverse matrix $A^{-1}$ of the matrix $A = \begin{pmatrix} 3 & 2 \\ 5 & 4 \end{pmatrix}$ using the adjugate matrix method:…
Calculate the inverse matrix $A^{-1}$ of the matrix $A = \begin{pmatrix} 3 & 2 \\ 5 & 4 \end{pmatrix}$ using the adjugate matrix method:
$A^{-1} = \frac{1}{|A|} \cdot (\text{Adj}(A))^t$
Follow these steps:
-
Find the determinant $|A|$.
-
Calculate the matrix of cofactors $\text{Adj}(A)$.
-
Transpose it and divide by the determinant.
Solve the following matrix equation to find the unknown matrix $X$: $A \cdot X = B$ where: $A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1 \\ 0 & 1 \end{pmatrix}$ and…
Solve the following matrix equation to find the unknown matrix $X$:
$A \cdot X = B$
where:
$A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1 \\ 0 & 1 \end{pmatrix}$ and $B = \begin{pmatrix} 2 & 3 \\ 1 & 4 \end{pmatrix}$
(Remember: $X = A^{-1} \cdot B$. You must calculate $A^{-1}$ first).
Given the matrix $A = \begin{pmatrix} 2 & 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 & -1 \\ 3 & 0 & 2 \end{pmatrix}$, calculate: a) The determinant of $A$ using Sarrus' rule. b) The matrix of…
Given the matrix $A = \begin{pmatrix} 2 & 1 & 0 \\ 0 & 1 & -1 \\ 3 & 0 & 2 \end{pmatrix}$, calculate:
- a) The determinant of $A$ using Sarrus' rule.
- b) The matrix of cofactors $\text{Adj}(A)$.
- c) Verify that the property $A \cdot \text{Adj}(A)^t = |A| \cdot I$ is satisfied, where $I$ is the identity matrix of order 3.
Solving Matrix Equations
Matrix multiplication is not commutative, so you can't just "divide". You multiply by the inverse, on the same side of both sides, so that it lands next to the matrix you want to cancel.
When $\operatorname{Adj}(A)$ appears inside the equation, replace it using the identity. Since $\operatorname{Adj}(A)^T=|A|A^{-1}$, taking the transpose gives $\operatorname{Adj}(A)=|A|\,(A^{-1})^T$. For example, if $XA=\operatorname{Adj}(A)^T$, then $X=\operatorname{Adj}(A)^TA^{-1}=|A|\,A^{-1}A^{-1}$. Compute $|A|$ and $A^{-1}$ once and reuse them.
Solve the following matrix equation $A \cdot X \cdot B = C$, where the matrices $A$, $B$, and $C$ are: $A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ 2 & 1 \end{pmatrix}$,…
Solve the following matrix equation $A \cdot X \cdot B = C$, where the matrices $A$, $B$, and $C$ are:
$A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ 2 & 1 \end{pmatrix}$, $B = \begin{pmatrix} 3 & 1 \\ 1 & 1 \end{pmatrix}$, and $C = \begin{pmatrix} 2 & 0 \\ -1 & 4 \end{pmatrix}$
First justify that the matrices $A$ and $B$ are invertible by calculating their determinants.
A logistics company uses an encryption algorithm based on matrix algebra to protect its routes. The security key is a matrix $X$ that satisfies the following equation:…
A logistics company uses an encryption algorithm based on matrix algebra to protect its routes. The security key is a matrix $X$ that satisfies the following equation:
$$A \cdot X \cdot A^t = B - 2I$$where $I$ is the identity matrix of order 2 and the matrices $A$ and $B$ are:
$$A = \begin{pmatrix} 2 & 3 \\ 1 & 2 \end{pmatrix}, \quad B = \begin{pmatrix} 10 & 12 \\ 4 & 14 \end{pmatrix}$$- a) Justify, using determinants, that the matrix $A$ is invertible.
- b) Isolate the matrix $X$ in the previous equation.
- c) Calculate the matrix $X$ explicitly.
Consider the matrix $A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 & -1 \\ 0 & m & 3 \\ 4 & 1 & -m \end{pmatrix}$. a) Determine the values of the parameter $m$ for which the matrix $A$ has…
Consider the matrix $A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 & -1 \\ 0 & m & 3 \\ 4 & 1 & -m \end{pmatrix}$.
- a) Determine the values of the parameter $m$ for which the matrix $A$ has an inverse.
- b) For $m = 2$, solve the matrix equation $X \cdot A - 2 \cdot Adj(A) = |A| \cdot I$, where $Adj(A)$ is the adjugate matrix of $A$ and $I$ is the identity matrix.
Hint: Use the fundamental relationship between a matrix and its adjugate: $A \cdot (Adj(A))^t = |A| \cdot I$.
Systems with Two Unknown Matrices
When the unknown matrices $X$ and $Y$ only appear added together and multiplied by scalars, never multiplied by each other, you solve the system exactly like a numeric linear system. Use elimination or substitution and treat each matrix like a number.
Solve the system of matrix equations to find the matrices $X$ and $Y$:…
Solve the system of matrix equations to find the matrices $X$ and $Y$:
$\begin{cases} 2X + Y = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 0 \\ -1 & 1 \end{pmatrix} \\ X - Y = \begin{pmatrix} 2 & 3 \\ 1 & 2 \end{pmatrix} \end{cases}$
Once found, calculate the determinant of the product matrix $X \cdot Y$.
Solve the following system of matrix equations for the unknown matrices $X$ and $Y$: $$\begin{cases} 2X + Y = A \\ X - Y = B \end{cases}$$ where the coefficient matrices…
Solve the following system of matrix equations for the unknown matrices $X$ and $Y$:
$$\begin{cases} 2X + Y = A \\ X - Y = B \end{cases}$$where the coefficient matrices are:
$$A = \begin{pmatrix} 5 & 1 \\ 11 & 4 \end{pmatrix}, \quad B = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & -1 \\ 1 & 2 \end{pmatrix}$$Once $X$ and $Y$ are found:
- a) Calculate $|X \cdot Y|$ and $|X + Y|$.
- b) Determine if the product matrix $X \cdot Y$ is invertible using its determinant.
Matrices That Satisfy an Equation
Sometimes a matrix is described only by an equation, such as $A^2-5A+6I=O$. You can still learn a lot about it, including its inverse and its determinant.
The same trick turns many matrix facts into numeric ones. Take determinants of both sides, then use $|AB|=|A||B|$, $|kA|=k^n|A|$ and $|\operatorname{Adj}(A)|=|A|^{n-1}$.
It is known that a square matrix $B$ satisfies the equation $B^2 - 3B + 2I = O$, where $I$ is the identity matrix and $O$ is the zero matrix. a) Show that $B$ is a…
It is known that a square matrix $B$ satisfies the equation $B^2 - 3B + 2I = O$, where $I$ is the identity matrix and $O$ is the zero matrix.
- a) Show that $B$ is a nonsingular matrix (has an inverse) and express $B^{-1}$ in terms of $B$ and $I$.
- b) If $B$ is of order 2 and its determinant is $|B| = 2$, what is the determinant of the adjugate matrix of $B$, $|\text{Adj}(B)|$?
Let $A$ and $B$ be two square matrices of order 3 such that $|A| = 2$ and $|B| = -1$. Calculate, justifying each step with the properties of determinants, the value of…
Let $A$ and $B$ be two square matrices of order 3 such that $|A| = 2$ and $|B| = -1$. Calculate, justifying each step with the properties of determinants, the value of the following determinants:
- a) $|(A^t \cdot B)^{-1}|$
- b) $|3 \cdot A^2 \cdot Adj(B)|$
- c) If we know that a matrix $C$ satisfies $C^2 = C$ (idempotent matrix), show that its determinant can only be 0 or 1.
Smart Row Operations: Triangular, Vandermonde, and Symmetric Patterns
Since adding a multiple of one row to another doesn't change a determinant, you can clear entries on purpose. The determinant of a triangular matrix is the product of its diagonal entries, so aim for a triangular form.
A Vandermonde determinant is one whose rows are $(1,x,x^2)$, $(1,y,y^2)$, $(1,z,z^2)$. Its columns are $1$, the variable and the variable squared. Transposing doesn't change a determinant, so the version with columns $(1,x,x^2)$ is the same.
Another common pattern is a matrix where every row has the same sum, or every row has the same entries in a different order. Add all the columns into the first column: it then has the same entry in every row, so you can factor it out.
Try the same steps when the diagonal entries are $x$, every other entry is $a$, and the order is a general $n$. The factor from the first column and the number of $(x-a)$ factors will depend on $n$.
An electronic components company manufactures three types of circuits: $C_1$, $C_2$, and $C_3$. The production cost of each circuit is determined by the determinant of…
An electronic components company manufactures three types of circuits: $C_1$, $C_2$, and $C_3$. The production cost of each circuit is determined by the determinant of the materials matrix $M$:
$M = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1 & 1 \\ x & y & z \\ x^2 & y^2 & z^2 \end{pmatrix}$
- a) Given that $x$, $y$, and $z$ represent the amounts of silicon, copper, and tin, respectively, show that the determinant of this (Vandermonde) matrix is $(y-x)(z-x)(z-y)$.
- b) If for a specific circuit the amounts are $x=1$, $y=2$, and $z=4$, is the matrix $M$ invertible? Justify your answer using the result from part a.
Consider the matrix of order 4 depending on the real parameter $k$: $$M = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & 1-k & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & 1+k & 1 \\ k & k & k & k^2…
Consider the matrix of order 4 depending on the real parameter $k$:
$$M = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1 & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & 1-k & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & 1+k & 1 \\ k & k & k & k^2 \end{pmatrix}$$Using exclusively the properties of determinants, perform the following tasks:
- a) Find the value of the determinant of $M$ in terms of $k$, presenting the result in factorized form.
- b) Determine the values of $k$ for which the matrix $M$ does not have an inverse.
- c) For the case $k = 2$, calculate the value of the determinant of the adjugate matrix of $M$, that is, $|Adj(M)|$, without explicitly calculating the elements of said adjugate matrix.
Given the square matrix of order $n$: $$Dn = \begin{pmatrix} x & a & a & \dots & a \\ a & x & a & \dots & a \\ a & a & x & \dots & a \\ \vdots & \vdots & \vdots &…
Given the square matrix of order $n$:
$$D_n = \begin{pmatrix} x & a & a & \dots & a \\ a & x & a & \dots & a \\ a & a & x & \dots & a \\ \vdots & \vdots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a & a & a & \dots & x \end{pmatrix}$$- a) For the case $n = 3$, show that the determinant of the matrix is $|D_3| = (x+2a)(x-a)^2$.
- b) Generalize the previous result for a matrix of order $n$ and deduce the expression for $|D_n|$ in terms of $x, a$ and $n$.
- c) If $x = 5$ and $a = 2$, for what values of $n$ would the matrix $D_n$ be singular?
Rank of a Matrix
The rank of a matrix is the largest order $r$ of a square submatrix whose determinant (a minor) is not $0$. Equivalently, it counts the independent rows. A $3\times4$ matrix has rank at most $3$.
Two parameters. Now the conditions become relationships between $a$ and $b$, such as a line in the $(a,b)$ plane. Treat the generic case first, then check each special case separately.
Determine the rank of the following matrix $B$ by studying its minors: $B = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 2 & 3 \\ 0 & 1 & 1 \\ 2 & 4 & 6 \end{pmatrix}$ State, giving reasons,…
Determine the rank of the following matrix $B$ by studying its minors:
$B = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 2 & 3 \\ 0 & 1 & 1 \\ 2 & 4 & 6 \end{pmatrix}$
State, giving reasons, whether the rank is $1$, $2$, or $3$.
Consider the matrix $A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & m & 1 \\ m & 1 & 1 \\ 0 & 2 & 2 \end{pmatrix}$. a) Calculate the determinant of $A$ in terms of the parameter $m$. b)…
Consider the matrix $A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & m & 1 \\ m & 1 & 1 \\ 0 & 2 & 2 \end{pmatrix}$.
- a) Calculate the determinant of $A$ in terms of the parameter $m$.
- b) Determine the rank of the matrix $A$ according to the values of $m$.
Investigate the rank of the matrix $A$ according to the values of the real parameters $a$ and $b$: $$A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & a & 1 & 2 \\ 2 & b & 2 & 4 \\ 1 & 1 & a & 2…
Investigate the rank of the matrix $A$ according to the values of the real parameters $a$ and $b$:
$$A = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & a & 1 & 2 \\ 2 & b & 2 & 4 \\ 1 & 1 & a & 2 \end{pmatrix}$$To carry out the investigation, use the method of bordered minors and reason in detail under what conditions the rank is 1, 2 or 3.
Summary
Back to the start: Aaliyah can decode Marcus's messages exactly when the key matrix has a nonzero determinant. Decoding then means multiplying by $A^{-1}$, which you can build with the adjugate formula.