Assignment No 1
Assignment No 1
2 − 3 4 − 2 1 − 3 2
2 3 1
A = 3 2 2 B = 3 4 C = 1 − 4 D =
1 −1 3 −1 5 6 1 − 2 − 3
2
Find the following matrices if they exist, or explain why they don’t exist. (I stands for an
identity matrix of the appropriate size).
(a) 3A (b) -2B (c) A + B (d) B + C (e) A + 3I (f) B + 3I (g) AB
(h) BA (i) BC (j) CD (k) A2 (l) B2 (m) (BD)2
2. (a) Suppose A and B are matrices such that both AB and BA are defined. Show
that AB and BA are both square matrices.
(b) If A and B are square matrices such that AB = BA show that (A-B)(A+B) = A2-B2.
(c) Find two 2 x 2 matrices A, B for which (A - B)(A + B) ≠ A2 - B2
(d) Prove that (A + B)2 = A2 + B2 + 2AB if and only if AB = BA
3. Let A and B be two matrices such that AB is defined. By considering the general entry in
both sides of the equation, show that A( λ B) = λ (AB) where λ is any real number.
1 0 1 1 2 2 2
4. Let A = 0 1 1 B = 2 − 2 C = 3 − 2
1 1 2 −1 4 − 2 4
Show that AB = AC and deduce that matrices cannot in general be cancelled from products.
2 1
5. Let A = Show that A2 = A + 5I and hence find A6 as a linear combination of A and I.
3 − 1
0 1 0
6. N = 0 0 1
0 0 0
2
Find N2 and N3. Show that ( I + N )(I − N + N ) = I
7. Let A and B be n x n real matrices such that A2 = I, B2 = I and (AB)2 = I. Prove that AB = BA.
8. Let A be a 2 x 2 real matrix such that AX = XA for all 2 x 2 real matrices X. Show that A = αI
for some α ∈ R .
1 − 2 3 7 0 3
9. Suppose A = 4 0 1 B = 2 − 1 6
3 2 − 1 −1 0 5
(a) Write down a column vector v such that Av is the second column of A.
(b) Write down a row vector v such that vB is the third row of B.
(c) Write down a column vector v such that Av is the second column of AB.
(d) Write down a row vector v such that vB is the first row of AB.