Tutorial

Solving systems of linear equations by explicitly inverting the coefficient

matrix

Steps:
1) Get the determinant det (A)
2) Compute the Matrix of Minors |𝐴|
3) Find the Cofactor Matrix, C, where 𝐶𝑖𝑗 = (−1)𝑖+𝑗 × |𝐴𝑖𝑗 |
4) Compute the Adjugated Matrix, 𝐶̃ , where 𝐶̃ = 𝐶 𝑇
1
5) Get the inverse of the matrix A by using 𝐴−1 = × ⁡ 𝐶̃
det⁡(𝐴)

6) Get the solution by using [ 𝑥 = 𝐴−1 𝑏⁡]

𝟏
𝑨−𝟏 = Č
𝐝𝐞𝐭(𝑨)

𝒙 = 𝑨−𝟏 𝒃
Exercise 1: Solve the following systems of linear equations by explicitly inverting the
coefficient matrix:
𝒙 + 𝟑𝒚 = 𝟔
{ 𝒚 − 𝟑𝒛 = 𝟓
𝟑𝒙 − 𝒛 = 𝟒
You can also get
Write the system of equations in the matrix form: 𝐴𝑥 = 𝑏 the determinant
using Sarrus Rule
1 3 0 6
Matrix = [0 1 −3] [5]
3 0 −1 4

1. 𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑥⁡𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑡⁡ = ⁡𝑑𝑒𝑡(𝐴) = 1(−1 − 0) − 3(0 + 9) + 0(0 − 3) = ⁡ −28

2. Compute the Matrix of Minors |𝐴|:

|𝑎11 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 −3
] = (1 × −1) − (−3 × 0) = −1
0 −1
|𝑎12 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [0 −3
] = (0 × −1) − (−3 × 3) = 9
3 −1
|𝑎13 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [0 1
] = 0 × 0 − 1 × 3 = −3
3 0
3 0
|𝑎21 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [ ] = 3 × −1 − 0 × 0 = −3
0 −1
|𝑎22 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 0
] = (1 × −1) − (0 × 3) = −1
3 −1
|𝑎23 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 3
] = 1 × 0 − 3 × 3 = −9
3 0
|𝑎31 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [3 0
] = (3 × −3) − (0 × 1) = −9
1 −3
|𝑎32 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 0
] = (1 × −3) − 0 × 1 = −3
0 −3
|𝑎33 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 3
]= 1×1−3×0= 1
0 1
−1 9 −3
Matrix of Minors: |𝐴| = [−3 −1 −9]
−9 −3 1

3. Find the cofactor matrix, 𝐶, where 𝐶𝑖𝑗 = (−1)𝑖+𝑗 × |𝐴𝑖𝑗 |

−1 −9 −3
Cofactor Matrix C = [ 3 −1 9 ]
−9 3 1
4. Compute the adjugated matrix, 𝐶̃ , where 𝐶̃ = 𝐶 𝑇

−1 3 −9
T
C = [−9 −1 3 ]
−3 9 1
1
5. Finally, use 𝐴−1 = det⁡(𝐴) × ⁡ 𝐶̃ to invert the Coefficient Matrix⁡and⁡𝑥 = 𝐴−1 𝑏⁡ to solve the
system:
1 −1 3 −9
𝐴−1 = × [−9 −1 3 ]
−28
−3 9 1
1 −3 9
28 28 28
9 1 −3
𝐴−1 =
28 28 28
3 −9 −1
[28 28 28 ]

𝑥 = 𝐴−1 𝑏
𝟏 −𝟑 𝟗 𝟐𝟕
𝟐𝟖 𝟐𝟖 𝟐𝟖 𝟐𝟖
𝟗 𝟏 −𝟑 𝟔 𝟒𝟕
𝒙= × [𝟓 ] =
𝟐𝟖 𝟐𝟖 𝟐𝟖 𝟒 𝟐𝟖
𝟑 −𝟗 −𝟏 −𝟑𝟏
[𝟐𝟖 𝟐𝟖 𝟐𝟖 ] [ 𝟐𝟖 ]
Exercise 2: Solve the following systems of linear equations by explicitly inverting the
coefficient matrix:
𝒙 + 𝒚 + 𝟐𝒙 = 𝟒
{𝒙 − 𝟑𝒚 + 𝟐𝒛 = −𝟏
𝒙 − 𝟓𝒚 = −𝟒

Write the system of equations in the matrix form: 𝐴𝑥 = 𝑏

1 1 2 𝑥 4
[1 −3 2] [𝑦] = [−1]
1 −5 0 𝑧 −4

1. Get the determinant using Sarrus rule:

𝑎11 𝑎12 𝑎13 1 1 2
𝑑𝑒𝑡(𝐴) = [𝑎21 𝑎22 𝑎23 ] = [1 −3 2]
𝑎31 𝑎32 𝑎33 1 −5 0

𝑎11 𝑎12 𝑎13 𝑎11 𝑎12

𝑎21 𝑎22 𝑎23 ⁡⁡⁡⁡ 𝑎21 𝑎22
𝑎31 𝑎32 𝑎33 𝑎31 𝑎32
1 1 2 1 1
1 −3 2⁡⁡⁡⁡ 1 −3
1 −5 0 1 −5
⁡𝑑𝑒𝑡(𝐴) = (𝑎11 × 𝑎22 × 𝑎33 ) + (𝑎12 × 𝑎23 × 𝑎31 ) + (𝑎13 × 𝑎21 × 𝑎32 ) − (𝑎13 × 𝑎22 × 𝑎31 )
− (𝑎11 × 𝑎23 × 𝑎32 ) − (𝑎12 × 𝑎21 × 𝑎33 )
𝑑𝑒𝑡(𝐴) = (1 × −3 × 0) + (1 × 2 × 1) + (2 × 1 × −5) − (2 × −3 × 1) − (1 × 2 × −5)
− (1 × 1 × 0) = (0) + (2) + (−10) − (−6) − (−10) − (0) = ⁡8

2. Compute the Matrix of Minors, |𝐴|;

|𝑎11 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [−3 2] = (−3 × 0) − (2 × −5) = 10

−5 0
|𝑎12 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 2] = (1 × 0) − (2 × 1) = −2
1 0
|𝑎13 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 −3] = (1 × −5) − (−3 × 1) = −2
1 −5
|𝑎21 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [ 1 2] = (1 × 0) − (2 × −5) = 10
−5 0
|𝑎22 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 2] = (1 × 0) − (2 × 1) = −2
1 0
|𝑎23 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 1 ] = (1 × −5) − (1 × 1) = −6
1 −5
|𝑎31 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [ 1 2] = (1 × 2) − (2 × −3) = 8
−3 2
|𝑎32 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 2] = (1 × 2) − (2 × 1) = 0
1 2
|𝑎33 | = 𝑑𝑒𝑡 [1 1 ] = (1 × −3) − (1 × 1) = −4
1 −3
10 −2 −2
Matrix⁡of⁡Minors:⁡|𝐴| = [10 −2 −6]
8 0 −4
3. Find the cofactor matrix, 𝐶, where 𝐶𝑖𝑗 = (−1)𝑖+𝑗 × |𝐴𝑖𝑗 |
10 2 −2
𝐶 = [−10 −2 6 ]
8 0 −4
4. Compute the adjugated matrix, 𝐶̃ , where 𝐶̃ = 𝐶 𝑇
𝐶̃ = 𝐶 𝑇
10 −10 8
̃
𝐶=[ 2 −2 0]
−2 6 −4

1
5. Finally, use 𝐴−1 = det⁡(𝐴) × ⁡ 𝐶̃ to invert the Coefficient Matrix⁡and⁡𝑥 = 𝐴−1 𝑏⁡ to solve the
system:

1
∴ 𝐴−1 = × ⁡ 𝐶̃
det(𝐴)
5 −5
1
10 −10 8 4 4
1 1 −1
𝐴−1 =8×[ 2 −2 0 ]⁡= 4 4
0
−2 6 −4 −1 3 −1
[4 4 2 ]
𝑥 = 𝐴−1 𝑏
𝟓 −𝟓 𝟗
𝟏
𝟒 𝟒 𝟒
𝟏 −𝟏 𝟒 𝟓
𝒙= 𝟎 × [−𝟏] =
𝟒 𝟒 −𝟒 𝟒
−𝟏 𝟑 −𝟏 𝟏
[𝟒 𝟒 𝟐] [𝟒]