2.2 Determinants Row Reduction
2.2 Determinants Row Reduction
Mathematics Department
Linear Algebra, 201-NYC-05, Winter 2020
Noushin Sabetghadam
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2.1. Determinants by Row Reduction
In this section we shall show that the determinant of a square matrix can be
evaluated by reducing the matrix to its corresponding row-echelon form which is
a triangular matrix. So we should show that how an elementary row operation
affects the value of the determinants. Let
a1 a2 a3
A = b1 b2 b3 .
c1 c2 c3
ka1 ka2 ka3
(a) If B = b1 b2 b3 , then det(B) = k det(A). This is the same as
c1 c2 c3
ka1 ka2 ka3 a1 a2 a3
b1 b2 b3 = k b1 b2 b3 .
c1 c2 c3 c1 c2 c3
a1 a2 a3
(b) If C = c1 c2 c3 , then det(C) = − det(A). This is the same as
b1 b2 b3
a1 a2 a3 a1 a2 a3
c1 c2 c3 = − b1 b2 b3 .
b1 b2 b3 c1 c2 c3
a1 + kb1 a2 + kb2 a3 + kb3
(c) If D = b1 b2 b3 , then det(D) = det(A). This is the
c1 c2 c3
same as
a1 + kb1 a2 + kb2 a3 + kb3 a1 a2 a3
b 1 b 2 b 3
b b
1 2 3 .
= b
c1 c2 c3 c1 c2 c3
−1 3 2
Example 8) Use row reduction to find the determinant of A = 1 −2 −1 .
0 3 −4
−1 3 2 1 −2 −1 1 −2 −1
det(A) = 1 −2 −1 = − −1 3 2 = − 0 1 1 =
0 3 −4 0 3 −4 0 3 −4
1 −2 −1
= − 0 1 1 = 7
0 0 −7
Proof. Without loss of generality, let the second row be a multiple of the
first row
· · · a1n
a11 a12
ka11 ka12 · · · ka1n
A= ... .. .. .. .
. . .
an1 an2 · · · ann
So we have
a1 a2 a3 a4
ka1 ka2 ka3 ka4
det(A) =
1b b 2 b 3 b 4
c1 c2 c3 c4
a1 a2 a3 a4
ka1 − ka1 ka2 − ka2 ka3 − ka3 ka4 − ka4
=
b1 b2 b3 b4
c1 c2 c3 c4
a1 a2 a3 a4
0 0 0 0
= = 0.
b 1 b 2 b 3 b 4
c1 c2 c3 c4
Example 9) Show that
−1 3 −2 7
12 −2 3
13 6 0 9
= 0, 3 2 −3 = 0
3 9 1 5
7 4 −6
2 −6 4 −14
Solution: Because in the first matrix the first row and the fourth row are
proportional, and in the second one the second column and the third column
are proportional.
0 1 5
Example 10)Use row reduction to evaluate det(A) where A = 3 −6 9 .
2 6 1
0 1 5 3 −6 9 1 −2 3
det(A) = 3 −6 9 = − 0 1 5 = −3 0 1 5 =
2 6 1 2 6 1 2 6 1
1 −2 3 1 −2 3
= −3 0 1 5 = −3 0 1 5 = −3(−55) = 165.
0 10 −5 0 0 −55
(d) det(kA) =
a1 a2 a3
Example 12) Assume b1 b2 b3 = 5. Evaluate
c1 c2 c3
−4c1 −2a2 −4c2 −4c3
−4c1 −4c 2 −4c 3
a1 + 3c1 a2 + 3c2 a3 + 3c3 and a1 + 3c1 3a1 a2 + 3c2 a3 + 3c3
.
a1 − 2b1 a2 − 2b2 a3 − 2b3
0 2c1 0 0
a1 − 2b1 2c1 a2 − 2b2 a3 − 2b3