2.

Matrices and Determinants

Matrix
A matrix is a rectangular array of elements

Rows: Horizontal lines or numbers;

Columns: Vertical lines or numbers
Element or Entry: Each number of the matrix,
Notation: Matrix is denoted by capital letters e.g. A, B, C etc
Order of a Matrix
Order of a matrix is given by number of rows followed by numbers of columns.

The matrix A above has m rows and n columns, so order of A is (read as m by n matrix). Above
matrix A can also be written as:
[ ] [ ]

Equal Matrices
Two matrices [ ] [ ] of same order are said to be equal when their corresponding
elements are equal. i.e. For example

Row matrix or Row vector

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A matrix with only one row is called row matrix or row vector. Equivalently matrix of order of the
form [ ] is called row matrix or row vector. For example [ ] is a row matrix
having three columns.
Column matrix or column vector
A matrix with only one column is called column matrix or column vector. Equivalently a matrix of order

of the form [ ] is called a column matrix or column vector.

Rectangular Matrix
If the number of rows and columns of a matrix A is not equal i.e. then matrix is called rectangular
matrix.

For example; [ ] is rectangular matrix because number of rows and columns are not equal.

Square Matrix
If number of rows and columns of a matrix A is equal i.e. then the matrix of order is called a
square matrix of order n or m.

The diagonal of matrix A is called Principal diagonal or leading diagonal or main diagonal.
Diagonal Matrix

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Addition and subtraction of Matrices

Let [ ] [ ] be two matrices of same order then [ ] i.e. add or subtract the
corresponding elements of both the matrices.

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Multiplication of Matrices
Two matrices A and B are said to be conformable for multiplication if:
For AB:
For BA:

Transpose of a Matrix
Let [ ] be an matrix. The transpose of A denoted by is an matrix obtained by
interchanging rows and columns of A. Thus [ ].

Note: For any two matrices A and B of same order:

(i) ( ) ( ) ( ) and hence ( ) .
Inverse of a Matrix
For two matrices A and B of order 2 if then A and B are said to be multiplicative inverses of
each other and write .
Note: (i) For square matrix A if A is non – singular then the inverse of A is given by: | |

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 2. Matrices and Determinants

(ii) Inverse of non – singular matrices exists,

(iii) The concept of an inverse is defined for square matrices only,
(iv) If a square matrix A has inverse then
(v) In the product , A is said to be pre – multiplied by B and B is post multiplied.
Properties of Matrix Addition, Scalar Multiplication and Matrix Multiplication

Note: Multiplication of matrices is not commutative (in general). The property holds if:
(a) A and B are inverse of each other,
(b) One of A and B is Identity or Null matrix.
Minor of an element of a matrix or its determinant

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Cofactor of an element

Note: If is even then and if is Odd.

Determinant of a square matrix of order
The determinant | | of a matrix is defined to be the sum of the products of each element of a row or
column and its cofactor.

| | can also be obtained by using the following diagram. Downward arrows represent multiplication of
entries having +ve sign and upward having – ve sign.

Properties of determinants
1. If any Row or Column of a determinant is zero its value will be ZERO. For example;

| | ( ) and | | ( )

2. If any two Rows or Columns of a determinant are IDENTICAL (same) its value will be ZERO.

For example | | ( ) and | | ( )

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3. For any square matrix A, determinants of and are IDENTICAL, i.e. | | | |

4. Interchanging any two Rows or Columns of a determinant changes the sign of determinant. e.g.

| | . Now interchanging ( )| | | |

5. Let A be a square matrix of order and is any non zero scalar then | | | |

For example; [ ] | | . (A is determinant)

Now multiplying A by k,

[ ] [ ] | | ( ) | |

6. If any Row or Column of determinant |A| is multiplied by a non-zero scalar k, the resultant
determinant is | | For example;

Let | | | |

Now multiplying by k; | | ( ) | |

7. Adding/Subtracting the scalar multiple of one Row (Column) with/from the other Row (Column)
does not alter the value of determinant. For example;

| |

Now multiplying by 2 and add it with ( )

| | | | | |
( ) ( )
8. If any Row or Column of a determinant is the sum/difference of two terms then it can be written in
the sum/difference of two determinants. For example;

| | | | .

Now | | | | ( ) ( )

Hence | | | | | |

9. Adjoint of a square matrix of order

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Elementary Row (Column) Operations on a Matrix (ERO, ECO)

The following three operations performed on matrices are called ERO (ECO):
i. Interchanging of any two Rows (Columns) [ ]
ii. Multiplication of any Row (Column) by a non – zero scalar, [ ]
iii. Addition of any multiple of one Row(Column) to another Row(Column). [ ]

Echelon form of a Matrix

A matrix of order is said to be in row echelon form (or an echelon form) if:
i. In each successive non – zero row, the number of zeros before the first non – zero entry (called
the leading or pivot element or entry) of a row increases row by row,
ii. Every non – zero row precedes every zero row (if there is any).

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Note: In order to reduce a matrix to echelon or reduced echelon form, we use elementary row operation.
Rank of a Matrix
The number of non – zero rows in echelon form of a matrix A is called its rank denoted by R(A).
Non – homogeneous and Homogeneous equations in three variables
i. The equation is a non – homogeneous
equation in three variables,
ii. The equation is called homogeneous equation in
three variables (i.e. d = 0).
System of non – homogeneous equations in three variables

The system ( ) is called system of non – homogeneous equations in three variables.

In order to solve this system by means of matrices, first write the system in matrix form as;

[ ][ ] [ ]

A: coefficient Matrix, X and B: column vectors. Solution of the above system exists if A is non – singular
( | | ) otherwise solution does not exist. Pre multiplying AX = B by ;

Note: (i) A system of linear equations is said to be consistent if the system has only one (i.e. unique)
solution or it has infinitely many solutions.
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(ii) The system is said to be inconsistent if it has no solution.

Solution of homogeneous system of linear equations

Notes: (i) A system AX = 0 has trivial solution (i.e. zero solution) if A is non – singular i.e. | |

(ii) A system AX = 0 has non – trivial solution if A is singular i.e. | |

(iii) The matrix | is called augmented matrix.

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