Chapter 5 summary

Properties of matrices
Matrix Elements
A matrix is a rectangular array that displays a collection of values. An element is an entry in a matrix. An element in matrix ​A​can be
​A = ​[​ ​ ​ ​ ​]​​
4 2 1 3 referenced as:
9 6 7 8 ​amn
​ ​​, where

Rows and columns • m​ ​is the row number

Rows are horizontal lists that are numbered from top to bottom. • ​n​is the column number
Example:
4 2 1 3 1
9 6 7 8 2 The element ​a​23​is located in the second row and third column.
3
Columns are vertical lists that are numbered from left to right.
4 2 1 3
A =
1 2 3 4 9 6 7 8 2
4 2 1 3
9 6 7 8
Order
The order represents the dimensions of a matrix. It is expressed
in the form:
​number of rows × number of columns​
Example: The following is a ​2 × 4​ matrix.

​A = ​[​ ​ ​ ​ ​]​​
4 2 1 3
9 6 7 8

Types of matrices
Row matrix Zero matrix
A matrix with one row and any number of columns. A matrix of any size where all of the elements are zero.
​​[​10​ 5​]​​ and [​​ ​4​ 4​ 8​ 8​ 3​]​​ 0 0
[0 0]
[​​ ​0]​ ​​ and ​​ 0​
​ ​ 0​​ ​​
Column matrix
A matrix with one column and any number of rows.
Identity matrix

⎢ ⎥
⎡2⎤ A square matrix where all of the elements in the leading diagonal
​​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ and [​​ ​ ​]​​
14 1
(the diagonal line from the top left corner to the bottom right
6 1
⎣9⎦ corner of a square matrix) are one and the rest of the elements
are zero. It is commonly denoted as ​I​.

⎢ ⎥
Square matrix ⎡1 0 0 0⎤
​ ​​ and [​​ ​ ​ ​]​​
0 1 0 0 1 0
A matrix with an equal number of rows and columns. ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​
0 0 1 0 0 1
⎣0 1⎦

⎢ ⎥
⎡1 2 3 4⎤ 0 0

​​[​ ​ ​
9 16]
5.2 1 5 6 7 8
​ ​ ​​ and ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​​ ​ ​ ​​
9 10 11 12
⎣13 14 15 16⎦

VCE General Mathematics Units 1&2  CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY 1

Matrix operations
Matrix addition and subtraction Matrix determinants
The matrices involved in these operations must be of the same The determinant of matrix ​A​is denoted ​det​(​A​)​​.
order. When adding or subtracting the matrices, elements in
​ × 2​matrix, such as, ​A = ​[​ ​ ​]​​,
a b
the same position are added or subtracted from each other. For a 2
c d
Example: the determinant of ​A​can be calculated as:
2 0 8 3 2+8 0+3 10 3 ​det​(​A​)​ = ad − bc​​.
[6 7] [4 2] [ 6 + 4 7 + 2] [10 9 ]
​​ ​0​​ 4​​ ​ + ​ 2​
​ ​ 9​​ ​ = ​ ​0 + 2​​ 4 + 9​​ ​ = ​ ​ 2​ ​ 13​​ ​ ​​
For a ​3 × 3​matrix, the CAS calculator must be used to calculate
its determinant.

Scalar multiplication The determinant can be used to calculate the inverse of a matrix.

Each element in the matrix is multiplied by the scalar. If the determinant is 0, then the matrix does not have an inverse.
This is known as a singular matrix.
Example:

​3[​ ​ ​
0 3 ] [0 × 3 3 × 3 ] [ 0 9 ]
6 −7 6 × 3 −7 × 3 18 −21 Inverse matrices
​ ​= ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ = ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​
The inverse matrix, ​A​−1​, is a square matrix such that when it is
pre- or post-multiplied with ​A​, it results in the identity matrix, ​I​.
Matrix multiplication
​A × ​A​−1​ = ​A​−1​ × A = I​
This operation is only defined if the number of columns in the
first matrix is equal to the number of rows in the second matrix. The inverse of matrix A
​ ​is denoted ​A​−1​​.

​ × 2​matrix, such as, ​A = ​[​ ​ ​]​​,

e a b
A = a b B = f For a 2
c d
c d
e e the inverse of A ​ ​can be calculated as:
AB = a b × f BA = × a b
c d f c d ​​A​ ​ = ​ ( ) ​ ​[​ d​ ​ −b​]​​
−1 1
_______
det​ A ​ −c a
Order: 2 × 2 2 × 1 Order: 2 × 1 2 × 1
For a ​3 × 3​matrix, the CAS calculator must be used to calculate
equal not equal its inverse.
The order of the resulting matrix will be the number of rows in
the first column by the number of columns in the second matrix. Solving matrix equations
e
AB = a b × f Simple equations may involve adding or subtracting matrices,
c d or multiplying them with a scalar. Such equations will require
Order: 2 × 2 2 × 1 inverse operations in order to solve for the unknown matrix.
2 × 1 Example:
Post-multiplication is the process of multiplying one matrix Solving for X
​ ​.
after the other. ​A + X = B​
Pre-multiplication is the process of multiplying one matrix X = B − A​
​
before another.
Advanced equations may involve the multiplication of matrices.
Example: Such equations will require inverse matrices in order to solve
For A
​ × B​, for the unknown matrix.
• Matrix ​A​is pre-multiplied to matrix ​B​. Example:
• Matrix ​B​is post-multiplied to matrix ​A​. Solving for X
​ ​.
When multiplying the matrices, the elements in specific rows AX = B
and columns must be multiplied then summed together. If ​X​is pre-multiplied by ​A​, to solve for X
​ ​, ​A​and ​B​must be
a b × e f pre-multiplied by the inverse of A ​ ​.
= a × e + b × g a × f + b × h
c d g h c × e + d × g c × f + d × h AX = B​
​

Matrix powers ​A​−1​AX = ​A​−1​B​

A matrix is raised to a power (or index). This can only be applied X = ​A​−1​B​
​
to square matrices.

​​B​2​ = ​[​ ​
0 −3] [0 −3]
7 5 7 5
​ ​ ​× ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​​

= ​[​
0 × 7 + ​(−3)​ × 0 0 × 5 + ​(−3)​ × ​(−3)]​
7×7+5×0 7 × 5 + 5 × ​(−3)​
​ ​ ​ ​​

= ​[​ ​ ​
9]
49 20
​ ​​
0

VCE General Mathematics Units 1&2  CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY 2

Matrix applications
Simultaneous equations Transition and state matrices
Matrices can be used to solve for unknown variables in a set of A transition matrix models the unidirectional movement from
simultaneous equations. one state to another. The elements in each column all add up to 1.
The simultaneous equations ​a𝑥 + b𝑦 = e​ and ​c𝑥 + d𝑦 = f​ can It can be represented by a transition state diagram.
be expressed as: Example:

​​[​ ​ ​]​​[​𝑦​]​ = ​[​f ​]​​

a b 𝑥 e today
c d C M
This is in the form A
​ X = B​, where 0.8 0.4 C
T = tomorrow
0.2 0.6 M
• ​A =​ ​[a​ ​ b​]​​
c d 0.2
• ​X =​ [​ ​𝑦​]​​
𝑥 0.8

C M
• ​B =​ ​[​f ​]​​
e
0.6
The following equation can be evaluated to solve for the 0.4
variable matrix, ​X​, and determine the values of 𝑥 and 𝑦.
Element ​t12
​ ​means that 40% of items at M today will transition
​X = ​A​−1​B​ to C tomorrow.
A state matrix models the state of a system at specific time
Summing matrices intervals. It is commonly denoted as ​Sn​ ​. An initial state matrix
A summing matrix is a row or column matrix that can be is a column matrix that presents the first state of a system.
used to calculate the sum of either the rows or the columns It is commonly denoted as ​S0​ ​
of another matrix. Example:
​​[​ ​]​ [​ ​1​ 1​ 1​ 1​]​​
1
1 240 P
S0 =
127 T
Summing across rows
Row 1 means that there were initially 240 items at P.
• Post-multiply a summing matrix of 1 column to that matrix.
Row 2 means that there were initially 127 items at T.
• The number of rows in the summing matrix must be equal
to the number of columns in the matrix to be summed. A matrix recurrence relation follows the form:
​S0​ ​ =​initial state matrix, ​Sn+1
​ ​ = ​T × S​n​​, where
​A = ​[​ ​ ​ ​]​
1 4
−2 3 • ​n​refers to the state number
​​[​ ​ ​ ​]​ × ​[​ ​]​ = ​[​
−2 × 1 + 3 × 1]
1 4 1 1×1+4×1 • ​Sn​ ​is the current state matrix
​ ​ ​​
−2 3 1
• ​Sn+1
​ ​is the next state matrix
= ​[​ ​]​​
5
1 • ​T​is the transition matrix

​​S0​ ​ = ​[​ ​]​, ​Sn+1 ​[​ ​

0.3 0.8]
52 0.7 0.2
​ ​= ​ ​ × ​Sn​ ​​
Summing across columns 98
• Pre-multiply a summing matrix of 1 row to that matrix. The steady state matrix represents a point in time in which the
• The number of columns in the summing matrix must be transition matrix no longer affects the overall state of the system.
equal to the number of rows in the matrix to be summed. This is represented as ​Sn​ ​ = ​Sn+1
​ ​ = ​Sn−1
​ ​. This usually requires a
large number of iterations, such as ​n = 30​.
​A = ​[​ ​ ​ ​]​​
1 4
−2 3

[ −2 3]
1 4
[​​ ​1​ 1​]​ × ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ = ​[1​ × 1 + 1 × ​(−2)​ 1 × 4 + 1 × 3​]​

= ​[​−1​ 7​]​​

VCE General Mathematics Units 1&2  CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY 3

Communication matrices
A one step communication matrix models the number of direct
connections between two points. It is commonly denoted as C
​ ​.
Example:
to
X Y Z
0 1 0 X
C = 1 0 1 Y from
1 1 0 Z

Element ​c​31​indicates that Z can communicate directly with X.

Z Y

A two step communication matrix models the number of

indirect connections between two points. It is commonly
denoted as ​C​2​​.
Example:
to
X Y Z
0 1 0 X
C = 1 0 1 Y from
1 1 0 Z

Element ​c​31​indicates that there is 1 way that Z can

communicate indirectly with X, via a third point.

Z Y

Misconceptions

Description Incorrect ✖ Correct ✔

​​[​ ​]​​ ​​[​ ​]​​

Swapping rows and columns when 115 115
referring to the order of matrices. 112 112
The order of the matrix is 1
​ × 2​. The order of the matrix is 2
​ × 1​.

Ignoring the multiplication order Solving for X

​ ​. Solving for X
​ ​.
when solving equations involving AX = B​
​ AX = B​
​
inverse matrices.
​A​−1​AX = B​A​−1​ ​A​−1​AX = ​A​−1​B​
X = B​A​−1​
​ X = ​A​−1​B​
​

Not calculating the inverse matrix Solving for X

​ ​. Solving for X
​ ​.
when solving equations involving AX = B​
​ AX = B​
​
matrix multiplication.
​AAX = AB​ ​A​−1​AX = ​A​−1​B​
X = AB​
​ X = ​A​−1​B​
​

​A = ​[​ ​ ​ ​ ​]​​ ​A = ​[​ ​ ​ ​ ​]​​

Stating the order of a matrix as the 1 4 2 1 4 2
product of its dimensions. −2 3 0 −2 3 0
Order: 6 Order: 2 × 3

VCE General Mathematics Units 1&2  CHAPTER 5 SUMMARY 4