5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix  

- SEMATH INFO -

How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix

LAST UPDATED: NOV. 3, 2017
  Find the inverse of

, where |A| ≠ 0 .

Vetco Total Care Near You

Vetco Total Care

From Routine Care to Surgery, We’re

Here For You 7 Days/Week

Poway

STORE INFO DIRECTIONS

  Answer
  There are mainly two ways to obtain the inverse matrix. One is to use Gauss-Jordan elimination and the other is to use
the adjugate matrix. We employ the latter, here.

  The inverse matrix has the property that it is equal to the product of the reciprocal of the determinant and the adjugate
matrix.

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 1/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

~
where A is the adjugate matrix of A, and |A| is the determinant.
  The determinant of A can be obtained by using the cofactor expansion. The cofactor expansion along the first column is

The 3x3 determinant (determinant-three-by-three.html) in each term is

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 2/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

Therefore, the determinant of A is

~
Next, we will find the adjugate matrix, A. The defintion is

Here, Mji is a submatrix obtained by removing j-th row and i-th column from A,

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 3/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

These determinants are

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 4/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 5/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

~
From (1), the elements of A are

Carmel Valley
Houses For Sale
View 96 homes for sale in
Carmel Valley, CA. Paci c
Highlands Ranch, Torrey Hills.

Keller Williams #01988197 Open

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 6/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

~
  We have found |A| and A. Therefore, substituting them into

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 7/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

yields the inverse matrix.

2021 Cadillac XTS

Astonish
Auto Today

Example
  Find the inverse of

in the same way as above method.

  The determinant of A is

(see "determinant of a 4x4 matrix" (determinant-four-by-four.html))

  The submatrices of A are

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 8/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

These determinants are

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 9/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 10/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

By definition (1), each elements of the adjugate matrix are

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 11/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

  Therefore, A−1 is

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 12/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

Calculator
  Enter a 4x4 matrix and press "execute button". The inverse matrix is displayed.

Matrix

1 2 3 4

Execute

Inverse matrix

1 2 3 4

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 13/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

LINKS

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 14/15
5/26/2021 How to find the inverse matrix of a 4x4 matrix   - SEMATH INFO -

Inverse of a 3x3 matrix (inverse-cofactor-ex3.html)

Cofactor matrix (cofactor-matrix.html)

INFORMATION

Top page (../)

History (history.html)
Disclaimer (disclaimer.html)
Top of this page

© 2017 SEMATH INFO

https://semath.info/src/inverse-cofactor-ex4.html 15/15