Determinants

Learning & Revision for the Day

u Determinants u Area of Triangle by using u Inverse of a Matrix

u Properties of Determinants Determinants u Solution of System of Linear
u Cyclic Determinants u Minors and Cofactors Equations in Two and Three
u Adjoint of a Matrix Variables

Determinants
Every square matrix A can be associated with a number or an expression which is called its
determinant and it is denoted by det (A) or |A| or ∆ .
 a11 a12 ... a1 n  a11 a12 ... a1 n
a a22 ... a2 n  a a22 ... a2 n
If A =  21  , then det ( A) = 21
 M M M M  M M M M
a 
 n1 an2 ... a nn  an1 an2 ... ann

a b  a b
●
If A =   , then | A| = = ad − bc
c d  c d
a b c  a b c
PRED
●
If A =  p q r  , then | A| = p q r
 
MIRROR
u v w  u v w
q r p r p q
=a −b +c [expanding along R1 ]
v w u w u v
= a (qw − vr ) − b ( pw − ur ) + c ( pv − uq )
There are six ways of expanding a determinant of order 3 corresponding to each of three rows
(R1 , R2 , R3 ) and three columns (C1 , C2 , C3 ).

NOTE • Rule to put + or − sign in the expansion of determinant + − +

of order 3. − + −
• A square matrix A is said to be singular, if | A| = 0 + − +
and non-singular, if | A| ≠ 0.
 1 x x3
Properties of Determinants
(ii) 1 y y3 = ( x − y) ( y − z) (z − x)( x + y + z)
(i) If each element of a row (column) is zero, then ∆ = 0.
1 z z3
(ii) If two rows (columns) are proportional, then ∆ = 0.
(iii) | A T| = | A|, where A T is a transpose of a matrix. 1 x2 x3
(iv) If any two rows (columns) are interchanged, then ∆ (iii) 1 y2 y3 = ( x − y) ( y − z) (z − x)( xy + yz + zx)
becomes −∆. 1 z2 z3
(v) If each element of a row (column) of a determinant is a b c
multiplied by a constant k, then the value of the new
determinant is k times the value of the original (iv) b c a = − (a + b + c)(a 2 + b 2 + c2 – ab – bc – ca)
determinant c a b
= − (a3 + b 3 + c3 − 3 abc)
(vi) det (kA) = k n det( A), if A is of order n × n.
a bc abc a a2 a3
(vii) If each element of a row (column) of a determinant is
written as the sum of two or more terms, then the (v) b ca abc = b b 2 b 3 = abc (a − b )(b − c)(c − a)
determinant can be written as the sum of two or more c ab abc c c2 c3
determinants i.e.
a1 + a2 b c a1 b c a2 b c
p1 + p2 q r = p1 q r + p2 q r Area of Triangle by
u1 + u2 v w u1 v w u2 v w using Determinants
(viii) If a scalar multiple of any row (column) is added to If A( x1 , y1 ), B( x2 , y2 ) and C( x3 , y3 ) are vertices of ∆ABC, then
another row (column), then ∆ is unchanged
x1 y1 1
a b c a b c 1
Area of ∆ABC = x2 y2 1
i.e. p q r = p + ka q + kb r + kc , which is 2
x3 y3 1
u v w u v w
obtained by the operation R2 → R2 + kR1 1
=[ x1 ( y2 − y3 ) + x2 ( y3 − y1 ) + x3 ( y1 − y2 )]
2
x1 y1 1
Product of Determinants If these three points are collinear, then x2 y2 1 = 0
a1 b1 c1 α1 β1 γ1 and vice-versa. x3 y3 1
If| A| = a2 b2 c2 and| B| = α 2 β2 γ2 , then
a3 b3 c3 α3 β3 γ3 Minors and Cofactors
a1α 1 + b1β1 + c1 γ1 a1α 2 + b1β2 + c1 γ2 The minor M ij of the element aij is the determinant
| A| × | B| = a2α 1 + b2β1 + c2 γ1 a2α 2 + b2β2 + c2 γ2
obtained by deleting the ith row and jth column of ∆.
a3α 1 + b3β1 + c3 γ1 a3α 2 + b3β2 + c3 γ2 a11 a12 a13
a1α 3 + b1β3 + c1 γ3
If ∆ = a21 a22 a23 ,
a2α 3 + b2β3 + c2 γ3 =| AB|
a31 a32 a33
a3α 3 + b3β3 + c3 γ3 a a23 a21 a23
then M11 = 22 , M12 = etc.
[multiplying row by row] a32 a33 a31 a33
We can multiply rows by columns or columns by rows or The cofactor Cij of the element aij is (−1)i + j M ij.
columns by columns
a11 a12 a13
a a23 a a23
NOTE • | AB | = | A| |B | = |BA| = | AT B | =| ABT | = | AT BT | If ∆ = a21 a22 a23 , then C11 = 22 , C12 = − 21 etc.
a32 a33 a31 a33
• | An | = | A| n , n ∈ Z + a31 a32 a33
The sum of product of the elements of any row (or column)
Cyclic Determinants with their corresponding cofactors is equal to the value of
determinant.
In a cyclic determinant, the elements of row (or column) are
arranged in a systematic order and the value of a determinant i.e. ∆ = a 11 C 11 + a 12 C 12 + a 13 C 13
is also in systematic order. = a 21 C21 + a 22 C 22 + a 23 C 23
1 x x2 = a 31 C 31 + a 32 C 32 + a 33 C 33
(i) 1 y y2 = ( x − y) ( y − z) (z − x) But if elements of a row (or column) are multiplied with
1 z z2 cofactors of any other row (or column), then their sum is zero.
Adjoint of a Matrix 1. Matrix Method
[ ]
If A = aij
nxn
, then adjoint of A, denoted by adj ( A), is defined
In this method we first write the above system of equations in
matrix form as shown below.
as [Cij]Tnxn , where Cij is the cofactor of aij.  a1 b1 c1   x  d1 
T  a b c   y  = d  or AX = B
a11 a12 a13  C11 c12 C13   2 2 2
    2
If A = a21 a22 a23 , then adj ( A) = C21 C22 C23   3
a b c3  z d3 
   
3

a31 a32 a33  C31 C32 C33   a1 b1 c1  x d1 

− b where, A =  a2 b2 c2  , X =  y  and B = d 
NOTE • If A = 
a b
, then adj ( A) = 
d
.
     2
 c d   − c a   a3 b3 c3  z d3 
Case I When system of equations is non-homogeneous
Properties of Adjoint of a Matrix (i.e. when B ≠ 0).
Let A be a square matrix of order n, then ●
If| A| ≠ 0, then the system of equations is consistent and has
(i) (adj A) A = A (adj A) = | A| ⋅ I n a unique solution given by X = A −1 B.
(ii) |adj A | = | A|n − 1 , if| A| ≠ 0 ●
If| A| = 0 and (adj A), B ≠ 0, then the system of equations is
(iii) adj (AB) = (adj B) (adj A) inconsistent and has no solution.
●
If| A| = 0 and (adj A) ⋅ B = O, then the system of equations
(iv) adj ( A T ) = (adj A)T
may be either consistent or inconsistent according as the
(v) adj (adj A) = | A|n – 2 A, if| A| ≠ 0 system have infinitely many solutions or no solution.
2
(vi) |adj (adj A)| = | A |( n – 1 ) , if| A| ≠ 0 Case II When system of equations is homogeneous
(i.e. when B = 0).
Inverse of a Matrix ●
If| A| ≠ 0, then system of equations has only trivial solution,
Let A be any non-singular (i.e.| A| ≠ 0) square matrix, then namely x = 0, y = 0 and z = 0.
inverse of A can be obtained by following two ways. ●
If| A| = 0, then system of equations has non-trivial solution,
which will be infinite in numbers.
1. Using determinants
1 2. Cramer’s Rule Method
In this, A −1 = adj ( A)
| A| In this method we first determine
a1 b1 c1 d1 b1 c1
2. Using Elementary operations
D = a2 b2 c2 , D1 = d2 b2 c2 ,
In this, first write A = IA (for applying row operations) or
a3 b3 c3 d3 b3 c3
A = AI (for applying column operations) and then reduce A of
LHS to I, by applying elementary operations simultaneously a1 d1 c1 a1 b1 d1
on A of LHS and I of RHS. If it reduces to I = PA or I = AP, D2 = a2 d2 c2 and D3 = a2 b2 d2
then P = A −1 . a3 d3 c3 a3 b3 d3

Properties of Inverse of a Matrix Case I When system of equations is non-homogeneous

●
If D ≠ 0, then it is consistent with unique solution given by
(i) A square matrix is invertible if and only if it is D D D
non-singular. x = 1 , y = 2 ,z = 3.
D D D
(ii) If A = diag (λ 1 , λ 2 ,..., λ n ), ●
If D = 0 and atleast one of D1 , D2 and D3 is non-zero, then it
then A −1 = diag (λ−11 , λ−12 ,..., λ−1n ) provided is inconsistent (no solution).
λ i ≠ 0 ∀, i = 1, 2, … n. ●
If D = D1 = D2 = D3 = 0, then it may be consistent or
inconsistent according as the system have infinitely many
solutions or no solution.
Solution of System of Linear
Case II When system of equations is homogeneous
Equations in Two and Three
If D ≠ 0, then x = y = z = 0 is the only solution, i.e. the
Variables
●

trivial solution.
Let system of linear equations in three variables be ●
If D = 0, then it has infinitely many solutions.
a1 x + b1 y + c1 z = d1 , a2 x + b2 y + c2 z = d2
Above methods can be used, in a similar way, for the solution
and a3 x + b3 y + c3 z = d3 . of system of linear equations in two variables.
Now, we have two methods to solve these equations.