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22 views11 pages

LAL32 NP

This is s slide the

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okeemmanuel819
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Lecture 32: Calculating Determinants by Pivotal

Condensation

Winfried Just
Department of Mathematics, Ohio University

MATH3200: Applied Linear Algebra

Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation


Review: Our definition of the determinant

Definition
The function det assigns to every square matrix a number det(A)
and has the following properties:
1 When B is obtained by switching two rows of A, then
det(B) = − det(A).
2 When B is obtained by multiplying of one row of A by a
scalar λ, then det(B) = λ det(A).
3 When B is obtained by adding a scalar multiple of one row
of A to another row, then det(B) = det(A).
4 If A is upper-triangular or lower-triangular, then det(A) is the
product of the diagonal elements.

In this lecture we will illustrate a procedure, called pivotal


condensation, that allows us to compute det(A) for every square
matrix A based on these properties.
Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation
Our definition of the determinant in terms of elementary
row operations
When we use the notation EA for the matrix obtained by applying
an elementary row operation to A, our definition becomes:
Definition
The function det assigns to every square matrix a number det(A)
and has the following properties:
1 If E implements elementary row operation (E1): “Exchange
two rows of A,” then det(EA) = − det(A).
2 If E implements elementary row operation (E2): “Multiply
one row of A by a scalar λ 6= 0,” then det(EA) = λ det(A).
3 If E implements elementary row operation (E3): “Add a scalar
multiple of one row of A to another row of A,” then
det(EA) = det(A).
4 If A is upper-triangular or lower-triangular, then det(A) is the
product of the diagonal elements.
Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation
(How) can we calculate det(A) from these properties?

1 Transform A by successive elementary row operations into


A → E1 A → E2 E1 A → · · · → Ek . . . E2 E1 A = U,
where U is upper-triangular.
2 Use Properties 1–3 of the definition on the previous slide to
keep track of how the determinant changes at every step.
3 Calculate det(U) as the product of the diagonal elements.
4 Deduce det(A) from the results you obtained in the previous
steps.

The procedure outlined above is called pivotal condensation.


It always gives you a unique number for det(A), and we can see
that the properties on the previous slides uniquely determine the
values of the function det.

Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation


Pivotal condensation: An example

 
0 1 2
Let A = 0.2 −0.4 1 Form E1 A by switching rows 1 and 2:
−1 4 9
   
0 1 2 0.2 −0.4 1
A = 0.2 −0.4 1 −→ E1 A =  0 1 2
−1 4 9 −1 4 9

Question L32.1: How is det(A) related to det(E1 A)?

det(A) = − det(E1 A).

Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation


An example of pivotal condensation, continued
   
0 1 2 0.2 −0.4 1
Let A = 0.2 −0.4 1 E1 A =  0 1 2
−1 4 9 −1 4 9

Then det(A) = − det(E1 A).

Form E2 E1 A by multiplying row 1 by 5:


   
0.2 −0.4 1 1 −2 5
E1 A =  0 1 2 −→ E2 E1 A =  0 1 2
−1 4 9 −1 4 9

Question L32.2: How is det(A) related to det(E2 E1 A)?


det(A) = − 15 det(E2 E1 A). We need to divide by 5 here to
compensate for factor of 5 by which the determinant increased.
Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation
An example of pivotal condensation, continued
   
0 1 2 1 −2 5
Let A = 0.2 −0.4 1 E2 E1 A =  0 1 2
−1 4 9 −1 4 9

Then det(A) = − 51 det(E2 E1 A).

Form E3 E2 E1 A by adding row 1 to row 3:


   
1 −2 5 1 −2 5
E2 E1 A =  0 1 2 −→ E3 E2 E1 A = 0 1 2
−1 4 9 0 2 14

Question L32.3: How is det(A) related to det(E3 E2 E1 A)?


The determinant does not change under this operation, so that:
det(A) = − 15 det(E2 E1 A) = − 51 det(E3 E2 E1 A).

Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation


An example of pivotal condensation, continued
   
0 1 2 1 −2 5
Let A = 0.2 −0.4 1 E3 E2 E1 A = 0 1 2
−1 4 9 0 2 14

Then det(A) = − 51 det(E3 E2 E1 A).

Form E4 E3 E2 E1 A by subtracting 2(row 2) from row 3:


   
1 −2 5 1 −2 5
E3 E2 E1 A = 0 1 2  −→ E4 E3 E2 E1 A = 0 1 2 =U
0 2 14 0 0 10

Question L32.4: How is det(A) related to det(U)?


The determinant does not change under this operation, so that:
det(A) = − 15 det(E3 E2 E1 A) = − 51 det(E4 E3 E2 E1 A) = − 15 det(U).

Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation


An example of pivotal condensation, completed
   
0 1 2 1 −2 5
Let A = 0.2 −0.4 1 E4 E3 E2 E1 A = 0 1 2=U
−1 4 9 0 0 10

Then det(A) = − 51 det(U).

Question L32.5: What is det(A)?

The matrix U is upper triangular.


Its determinant is the product of the diagonal elements:
det(U) = (1)(1)(10) = 10.
We conclude that det(A) = − 15 det(U) = −2.

Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation


A more convenient notation for keeping track
In our example, the notation was chosen so that it explicitly relates
to the definition. In practice, you may prefer the following notation
for keeping track of how the determinant does or does not change
at every step of pivotal condensation:

0 1 2 0.2 −0.4 1
R1↔R2
det(A) = 0.2 −0.4 1 = − 0 1 2
−1 4 9 −1 4 9

1 −2 5 1 −2 5
R17→5R1 R37→R3+R1
det(A) = − 15 0 1 2 = − 51 0 1 2
−1 4 9 0 2 14

1 −2 5
R37→R3−2R2
det(A) = − 15 0 1 2 = − 15 (1)(1)(10) = −2.
0 0 10

Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation


Take-home message

We have defined det(A) in terms of how the value of this number


behaves under elementary row operations (slide 4). These
properties allow us to calculate A by the method of pivotal
condensation.

This method is outlined on slide 4, and slides 5–10 contain a


worked-out example that gives a template for using it.

Pivotal condensation works by performing enough steps of Gaussian


elimination to reduce the given matrix to an upper-triangular one
and keeping track of how the determinant changes at every step.

Winfried Just, Ohio University MATH3200, Lecture 32: Pivotal Condensation

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