MATRICES AND DETERMINANT

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to:

1. Define, state the order, and write a matrix using notation form.

2. Identify the types of matrices.

3. Add and subtract matrices

4. Carry out scaler multiplication and multiply two matrices

5. Find the transpose of a matrix

6. Calculate the determinant of a matrix

7. Find the inverse of a matrix

8. Apply matrices in solving simultaneous equation.

TEACHING AND LEARNING RESOURCES

Matrix charts, matrix addition and subtraction charts, determinant charts, computer-assisted
instructional materials.

INTRODUCTION

Matrices refer to an arrangement of two items, persons or numbers in groups of such items. In
real life, this may involve the arrangement of student seats and desks in a classroom and the
arrangement of numbers in rows and columns.

With this arrangement, we can compare, count, subtract or perform other higher algebraic
processes. A determinant is used to solve sets of linear equations.

DEFINITION, ORDER AND NOTATION

Definition

A matrix is a set of numbers arranged in rectangular pattern and enclosed in brackets. A matrix
can also be defined as a rectangular array of numbers, subject to certain laws of combination.

6 5 1
4 3
5
8 6
6
ORDER OF A MATRIX

The order of a matrix with q rows and n columns known as q by n order of matrix x (denoted by
q×n).

Example 1.

The matrix 6 5 has 3 rows and 2 columns, i.e a (3×2) order

4 3

8 6

Notation

When naming a matrix we label it with a capital letter. Therefore, the matrices above can be
written as

6 5 1

A= 4 3 C= 5

8 6 6

Note

A matrix with an equal number of rows and columns is called a square matrix. Each number in a
matrix is known as an element.

Example 2.

The list of items required by mary and pat is shown in the table below represent the
information by a matrix.

Solution PAT MARY

Exercise books 10 15

Text books 6 9

Work books 21 12
This information can be represented as

10 15

6 9

21 12

TYPES OF MATRICES

1. Zero Matrix

A matrix with zero element, e.g. 0 0 zero matrix. When such a matrix is added to any
other matrix of the same order. 0 0 that matrix remains the same.

2. Square Matrix

This is a matrix having the same number of rows and columns.

3. Diagonal Matrix

This is a matrix in which all the elements are 0 except those on the diagonal from the top the
bottom right. This diagonal is referred to as the leading diagonal. On the leading diagonal the
elements can take any value including zero.

Example

6 0 3 0 5 0 0

0 1 0 0 0 1 0

0 0 3

Leading diagonals

MATRIX ADDITTION AND SUBTRACTION

Table 2.3 shows the number of competitors for school A and B in school sport outing.

School A School B

Football 18 16

Basketball 15 14

Hockey 12 8
Table 2.4 shows the number of competitors from schools C and D the same school sport outing.

School C School D

Football 18 16

Basketball 15 14

Hockey 12 8

The information can be transformed into matrices X and Y shown below.

18 16 14 16

X = 15 14 and Y = 16 15

12 8 10 15

To find the total number of Football, Basketball and Hockey players, we add the element.

18 16 14 16 18+14 16+16 32 32

15 14 + 16 15 = 15+16 14+15 = 31 29

12 8 10 15 12+10 8+15 22 23

NOTE:

1. Two matrices A and B can be added together if both have the same order

2. Since addition is commutative and associative over a set of real numbers, the addition of
matrices both commutative and associative over sets of matrices whose entries are real
numbers. That is A+B = B+A is commutative and A + (B+C) = (A+B+C).

Example 4

Two matrices A and B of the same order can also be subtracted from each other.

3 4 2 3 1 4

If A = 1 2 3 B = -1 3 2

-2 1 0 2 1 -1

3–3 4–1 2–4 3 1 4

A–B= 1--1 2–3 3–2 = 2 -1 1

-2 -2 1–1 0--1 -4 0 1
MATRIX MULTIPLICATION

Two matrices can be multiplied together if the number of rows in the right-hand matrix equals
the number of row in the left-hand matrix.

Example 8

Find the product of A and B

A= 3 2 and B = 2 3

1 2 1 3

SOLUTION

A×B = 3 2 2 3

1 2 1 3

= 3×2 + 2×1 3×3 + 2×3 = 6+2 9+6 = 8 15

1×2 + 2×1 1×3 + 2×3 2+2 3+6 4 9

Example 10

Abia’s family and Musa’s family budgeted the following items for breakfast.

Abia’s Musa’s

Bread 12 loaves 16 loaves

Tea 20 packets 18 packets

Sugar 4 kilograms 6 kilograms

If a loaf of bread costs $100, a packet of tea costs $150 and kilogram of sugar costs $250 find
the budget of each family.

12 16

Let A = (100 150 250) and B = 20 18 To obtain the cost for each family

4 6

(100 150 250) 12

20 = 1200 + 3000 + 1000 = $5200

14
(100 150 250) 16

18 = 1600 + 2700 + 1500 = $5800

In this example the process of obtaining the family budget is obtained with matrix
multiplication. The process is called row-column multiplication.