Date: 04/01/2021

Class: #22

Syllabus Topic: Matrices

Title: Determinant, Adjoint, Inverse of a matrix, Identity Matrix

Determinant of a matrix

The determinant of a matrix is a NUMBER.

𝒂 𝒃
Matrices are of the general form: ( )
𝒄 𝒅

Example:

𝑎 𝑏 2 0
( )=( )
𝑐 𝑑 −1 4

By comparing the equivalent matrices, we have:

𝑎=2

𝑏=0

𝑐 = −1

𝑑=4

Formula for determinant

The formula to find the determinant is given by:

det = 𝒂𝒅 − 𝒃𝒄

Example:

3 2
𝐴=( )
−1 0
𝑑𝑒𝑡(𝐴) = 𝑎𝑑 − 𝑏𝑐

= (3)(0) − (2)(−1)

= 0 − (−2)

=0+2

=2

Singular Matrices

A matrix is singular if and only if its determinant is equal to zero.

Worked Examples

Find the determinant of the following matrices:

3 −2
1. 𝐴 = ( )
4 3

−2 0
2. 𝐵 = ( )
3 −4

𝑎 1
3. 𝑃 = ( )
10 14

−6 −3
4. 𝑄 = ( )
4 2

5. Which of these matrices are singular?

Solution:

3 −2
1. 𝐴 = ( )
4 3

det(𝐴) = 𝑎𝑑 − 𝑏𝑐

det (𝐴) = (3)(3) − (−2)(4)

det (𝐴) = 9 + 8

det (𝐴) = 17
 −2 0
2. 𝐵 = ( )
3 −4

det (𝐵) = 𝑎𝑑 − 𝑏𝑐

= (−2)(−4) − (0)(3)

= 8−0

=8

𝑎 1
3. 𝑃 = ( )
10 14

det (𝑃) = 𝑎𝑑 − 𝑏𝑐 Note: We cannot

= 14𝑎 − 10

−6 −3
4. 𝑄 = ( )
4 2

det (𝑄) = 𝑎𝑑 − 𝑏𝑐

= (−6)(2) − (−3)(4)

= −12 − (−12)

= −12 + 12

=0

5. Which of these matrices are singular?

We cannot determine if the matrix 𝑃 in number 3 is singular because we do not

10 5
know the value of 𝑎. Only if 𝑎 = 14 = 7 , then the matrix is singular.

The matrix 𝑄 in number 4 is singular because its determinant is equal to zero.

The adjoint of a matrix is a MATRIX.

𝒅 −𝒃
Adjoint of a matrix = ( )
−𝒄 𝒂

Examples:

Matrix Adjoint

2 3 −1 −3
( ) ⟹ ( )
5 −1 −5 2

1 15 −4 −15
( ) ⟹ ( )
−2 −4 2 1

Question 1:

1 −3
Find the adjoint of 𝐴 = ( )
2 −4

Solution:

𝑑 −𝑏
𝑎𝑑𝑗(𝐴) = ( )
−𝑐 𝑎
−4 3
=( )
−2 1

Question 2:

−10 −6
Find the adjoint of 𝐵 = ( )
−3 7

Solution:

𝑑 −𝑏
𝑎𝑑𝑗(𝐵) = ( )
−𝑐 𝑎
7 6
=( )
3 −10
Question 3:

Find the adjoint of 𝑃.

3 𝑚
𝑃=( )
−2 4

Solution:

𝑑 −𝑏
𝑎𝑑𝑗(𝑃) = ( )
−𝑐 𝑎
4 −𝑚
=( )
2 3

Inverse of a Matrix

Recall:

Additive inverse:

4 ⟹ −4
Note: The additive
−2 ⟹ 2 inverse is the value when
added to the number,
6 ⟹ −6 gives 0.
1 1
⟹ −2
2

𝑎 ⟹ −𝑎

Multiplicative inverse:
2 3
⟹
3 2
Note: The multiplicative
1
3 ⟹ inverse is the value when
3
multiplied to the number,
1 gives 1.
−2 ⟹ −2

𝒂 𝒃
⟹
𝒃 𝒂
There is also something called the “INVERSE MATRIX”.

We use the determinant and the adjoint to find the inverse of a matrix.

This concept is related to the “opposition” of the matrix.

Let 𝐴 be a matrix.

The inverse of 𝐴 is written as 𝑨−𝟏 .

The formula for the inverse of a matrix is:

𝟏
Inverse = 𝒅ⅇ𝒕ⅇ𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒕 (𝒂𝒅𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕)

Question 1:

−3 2
𝐴=( )
−2 2

Find 𝐴−1 .

Solution:

determinant adjoint

𝑑 −𝑏
𝑑𝑒𝑡 = 𝑎𝑑 − 𝑏𝑐 𝑎𝑑𝑗(𝐴) = ( )
−𝑐 𝑎

2 −2
= (−3)(2) − (2)(−2) =( )
2 −3

= −6 − (−4)

= −6 + 4

= −2
 1
𝐴−1 = (𝑎𝑑𝑗)
𝑑𝑒𝑡

1 2 −2
= −2 ( )
2 −3

2 −2

= (−2
2
−2
−3)
Ensure to simplify your fractions!
−2 −2

−1 1
= (−1 3 )
2

Question 2:

2 −1
𝑄=( )
−4 6

Find 𝑄 −1.

Solution:

𝑑 −𝑏
𝑑𝑒𝑡 = 𝑎𝑑 − 𝑏𝑐 𝑎𝑑𝑗(𝑄) = ( )
−𝑐 𝑎

6 1
= (2)(6) − (−1)(−4) =( )
4 2

= 12 − 4

=8

1
𝑄 −1 = (𝑎𝑑𝑗)
𝑑𝑒𝑡
1 6 1
= 8( )
4 2
6 1

= (84 8
2)
8 8

3 1

= (41 8
1)
2 4
Identity matrix

Recall:
3+𝟎 =3
5 ×𝟏 = 5

• 0 is the additive identity.

For matrices, there is only one identity matrix, 𝐼, where:

1 0
𝐼 =( )
0 1

When a matrix 𝐴 is multiplied by the identity matrix, the result does not change:
1 0
𝐴×( )=𝐴
0 1

𝐼 is commutative, meaning that, for a matrix 𝐴:

Example
2 3
𝐴=( )
−7 1

2 3 1 0
𝐴𝐼 = ( )( )
−7 1 0 1

(2 × 1) + (3 × 0) (2 × 0) + (3 × 1)
=( )
(−7 × 1) + (1 × 0) (−7 × 0) + (1 × 1)

2+0 0+3
=( )
−7 + 0 0 + 1

2 3
=( )
−7 1