MATRICES

A matrix is an array of numbers arranged in rows and columns. Most numerical tables can be written as matrices.
e.g. A Form 5 class is given a quiz every month to assess their progress. Some of the marks are shown below:

Marks /10
Student
Test #1 Test #2 Test #3 10 7 10 Number of elements:
Mark
Kevin
Alana
Donna
10
5
8
10
7
6
9
9
10
5
8
9
( )
5
8
10
6 5
9 8
9 9
Number of rows:
Number of columns:
Order:

State the order of the following matrices:

24 12
a . ( 3 4 5 ) b . 12 0.5 c . 89 d . 18 8
4 6 ( ) ( )
41
40 20( )
Types of Matrices

1) Row matrix 4) Square matrix

2) Column matrix 5) Diagonal matrix

3) Null matrix 6) Unit matrix (Identity¿

Addition and Subtraction of Matrices

6 3 5 4 6 3 5 4
( )( )( ) ( )
13 5 + 4 7 = 13 5 − 4 7 =¿
16 2 8 1 16 2 8 1
 Matrices must be of the same order.
 Note that matrix addition is commutative as well as associative.

Multiplication by a Scalar
1) Write the following as a single matrix:

a)5 ( 43 0.5
1 ) b)4 (12 )−2(−13 )
2) Find the value of the variables in each equation.

a)3 (1c −2
d
=
3 −6
)(
d 12 ) b) x (405 2060 )=(10y 155 )
Multiplying Matrices
If ( k ×l ) and( m× n ) are the orders of two matrices, then
☺ multiplication is only possible if l=m
☺ the product has an order of ( k × n )

Multiplication is only possible if the number of columns in the first matrix is equal to the number of rows in the second matrix.
The product of two matrices is found by multiplying the rows of the first matrix by the columns of the second matrix.
 a b e f ae +bg af +bh
If A=
( )
c d and B =
( )g h then AB =
( ce+dg cf +dh )
3) Multiply the following matrices.

a. 1 2 7 b. 1 3 2 c. 3 0 7
( )( ) ( )( ) (
3 4 8 4 2 1 1 −4 −2 )( )
4) Multiply the following matrices.

a . 8 1 1 4 b . 1 4 8 1 c . −2 3 2 1
( )( ) ( )( ) (
2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 6 −1 −1 3 )( )
5) Multiply the following matrices. Write "undefined" if the matrices cannot be multiplied.
5

1( )(
a . 6 1 0 b . 6 (−5 4 ) c . ( 2 −5 ) −3 1
2 3 −3 ) ( ) −1 7 ( )
6) A=( 3 n ) and B= (m4 23). Given that AB=( 11 3 ), calculate the values of m and n. (PPQ)

Determinant of a Matrix
☺ A determinant of a matrix represents a single number.

☺ If we have the 2 × 2 matrix A= a b ( ) then the determinant of this matrix is written as follows:
c d

|ac db| = det(A) = | A|= ad−bc

☺ Note that a singular matrix has a determinant of 0.

7) Find the determinants of the following matrices. State whether any of them are singular.
a. (12 43 )b .( 23 46 ) c .(112 −5
−1 )
8) The matrix L= (1x 4x ).
(i) Calculate in terms of x, the determinant of L.
(ii) Calculate the values of x given that L is singular. (PPQ)

Inverse of a Matrix

1
A= a b d −b
c d( ) A−1=
ad−bc −c a( )
☺ Note that a singular matrix has no inverse.

☺ A-1 A = I where (10 01)

I=
9) Find the inverse of the following matrices. If any of them are singular, state that no inverse exists.
a. (12 43 )b .( 23 46 ) c .(112 −5
−1 )
10) Given that M = (n+1 2
2n n )
find M-1 in terms of n.

Simultaneous Equations
We wish to solve the system of simultaneous linear equations using matrices:
a1x + b1y = c1
a2x + b2y = c2
If we let
a1 b1 c1
A= ( a2 b2 ) X=( xy ) and C= ()
c2
then AX=C X = A-1C

11) Solve the following simultaneous equations using a matrix method:

a . 3 x+ y =7 b . x+ y =12;
2 x− y=3 x− y =28

PAST PAPER QUESTIONS

1) Jan 2013 Week 1 Week 2

A superstore sells 3 models of cell phones. 2 model A no model A
Model A costs $40 each. Model B costs $55 each and model C costs $120 each. 5 model B 6 model B
The weekly sales for two weeks in June were 3 model C 10 model C

(i) Write down a matrix of size 3x2 which represents the sales for two weeks. [1]
(ii) Write down a matrix of size 1x3 which represents the cost of different models of cell phones. [1]
(iii) Write down the multiplication of the two matrices which represents the superstore’s takings from the sale of
cell phones for each of the two weeks. [2]

2) Jan 2010
L and N are two matrices where

L= (31 24 ) N=(−10 32)

Evaluate
(i) L – N2 [3]

(ii) The matrix M is given as M = (3x 12x ) calculate the values of x for which M is singular. [2]
3) June 2012

(i) Calculate the values of a and b such that (1a −4 2 −4

)(
b 1 −3
=
2 0
)( )
0 2
[3]
 (ii) Hence or otherwise, write down the inverse of (21 −4
−3 ) [2]

(21 −4
(iii) Use the inverse of
−3 )
to solve for x and y

(21 −4 x 12
−3 )( y ) ( 7 )
= [3]

4) June 2015

i) Calculate the matrix product AB where A= (12 13)and B=(10 21) [2]

ii) Show that the matrix product of A and B is NOT commutative, that is, AB≠ BA . [2]
iii) Find A-1, the inverse of A [2]

iv) Given that M = (29x 23) calculate the value of x for which |M|=0. [2]

5) Jan 2018
−3 2
The matrices A and B are given A=
−1 0
3 2 (
B= 1 1
4 6
) ( )
(i) Determine A-1,the inverse of A. [2]
(ii) Show that A-1A = I, the identity matrix [2]
(iii) Determine the matrix A2 [2]
(iv) a) Explain why the matrix product AB is NOT possible [1]
b) Without calculating, state the order of the matrix product BA. [1]

6) Jan 2012 9) June 2017

L and M are two matrices where a) Matrices A and B are such that

L= 3 2 M = −1 3
( ) ( ) A= 3 2 B= 4 0
( ) ( )
1 4 0 2 5 4 3 −1
a) Evaluate (i) Show by multiplying A and B , that AB ≠ BA . [2]
(i) L + 2M [2] (ii) Determine A-1, the inverse of A [2]
(ii) LM [2] (iii) Write down
b) The matrix Q, is such that Q= ( 41 21) the 2x2 matrix of the product AA -1 [1]
b) (i) Write the following pair of simultaneous equations as a
(i) Find Q-1 [2] matrix equation. [1]
(ii) Using a matrix method, findthe values of x and y 3 x+ 2 y =1
5 x+ 4 y =5
( 41 21)( xy)=(83 ) [3]
(ii) Write the solution of your matrix equation in b) (i) as

7) June 2013
2 1 ( 24 13)( rt us )=( 24 −11 ) [5]
Given that M = ( )
4 3
(i) Evaluate M-1, the inverse of M. [2] 10) Jan 2014
−1
(ii) Show that M M =I . [2]
(iii) Use a matrix method to solve for r, s, t and u in
The matrix T is such that T = ( 21 −13 )
the equation i) Determine T-1, the inverse value of T. [3]
 ii) The matrix T maps the point (a,b) onto the point
(4,9). Determine the values of a and b. [4]

a) Determine the value of x for which the matrix

8) June 2019

i) a) Find the matrix product

−1 3 k
( )( )
[2]
(32 4x)is singular. [2]
4 h 5
b) N and P are two 2 x 2 matrices such that
b) Hence find the values of h and k that satisfy

the equation
−1 3 k
( =
0
)( ) ( ) [2]
N= ( 43 12) P=(12 51)
4 h 5 0 (i) Determine NP [1]
ii) Using a matrix method, solve the simultaneous
equations [3]
(ii) Given that PN = (1911 114 ), determine whether
2 x+3 y =5 matrix multiplication is commutative. [1]
−5 x+ y=13 (iii) Determine N-1, the inverse of N [2]
(iv) Hence calculate the values of x and y for

11) June 2016

which ( 43 12)( xy)=(12 )[3]