Answer Key Exercise A

2 4
Q-1) Evaluate . Solution:
−1 2
a b
For a 2×2 matrix , the determinant is ad − bc.
c d

2 × 2 − 4 × (−1) = 4 + 4 = 8

Answer: 8

1 2 4
Q-2) Evaluate the determinant A = −1 3 0. Solution:
4 1 0
Using the first row expansion:

1 2 4
3 0 −1 0 −1 3
−1 3 0 =1· −2· +4·
1 0 4 0 4 1
4 1 0

= 1 · (0) − 2 · (0) + 4 · (−1 − 12) = 0 − 0 + 4 × (−13) = −52

Answer: −52

5 4
Q-3) Evaluate the following determinants: i)
−2 3
Solution:

5 × 3 − 4 × (−2) = 15 + 8 = 23

Answer: 23

2 4
ii)
−5 −1
Solution:

2 × (−1) − 4 × (−5) = −2 + 20 = 18

Answer: 18

1
 3 −4 5
iii) 1 1 −2
2 3 1
Solution:
Using the first row expansion:

3 −4 5
1 −2 1 −2 1 1
1 1 −2 = 3 · − (−4) · +5·
3 1 2 1 2 3
2 3 1

= 3 · (1 + 6) + 4 · (1 + 4) + 5 · (3 − 2) = 3 × 7 + 4 × 5 + 5 × 1 = 21 + 20 + 5 = 46

Answer: 46

3 −1 −2
iv) 0 0 −1
3 −5 0
Solution:
Using the second row expansion (since it has two zeros):

3 −1 −2
3 −1
0 0 −1 = −(−1) · = 1 · (−15 + 3) = −12
3 −5
3 −5 0

Answer: −12

2 3 −5
v) 7 1 −2
−3 4 1
Solution:
Using the first row expansion:

2 3 −5
1 −2 7 −2 7 1
7 1 −2 = 2 · −3· + (−5) ·
4 1 −3 1 −3 4
−3 4 1

= 2 · (1 + 8) − 3 · (7 − 6) − 5 · (28 + 3) = 2 × 9 − 3 × 1 − 5 × 31 = 18 − 3 − 155 = −140

Answer: −140

2
 2 3 7
vi) 13 17 5
15 20 12
Solution:
Using the first row expansion:

2 3 7
17 5 13 5 13 17
13 17 5 =2· −3· +7·
20 12 15 12 15 20
15 20 12

= 2·(204−100)−3·(156−75)+7·(260−255) = 2×104−3×81+7×5 = 208−243+35 = 0

Answer: 0

Answer Key
Q-4) Find the determinant of the matrix:

0 1 2
 
−1 0 −3
−2 3 0

Solution:
Using the first row expansion:

0 1 2
0 −3 −1 −3 −1 0
−1 0 −3 = 0 · −1· +2·
3 0 −2 0 −2 3
−2 3 0

= 0 − 1 · (0 − 6) + 2 · (−3 − 0) = 0 + 6 − 6 = 0

Answer: 0

Q-5) Solution:
Using the first row expansion:

2 −1 −2
2 −1 0 −1 0 2
0 2 −1 = 2 · − (−1) · + (−2) ·
−5 0 3 0 3 −5
3 −5 0

3
 = 2 · (0 − 5) + 1 · (0 + 3) − 2 · (0 − 6) = −10 + 3 + 12 = 5

Answer: 5

Q-6) Find the value of the determinant:

0 2 0
 
2 3 4
4 5 6

Solution:
Using the first row expansion (advantageous due to two zeros):

0 2 0
3 4 2 4 2 3
2 3 4 =0· −2· +0·
5 6 4 6 4 5
4 5 6

= 0 − 2 · (12 − 16) + 0 = −2 × (−4) = 8

Answer: 8

Q-7) Evaluate the determinant:

2 3 −2
D= 1 2 3
−2 1 −3

by expanding it along the first column and then the second row.
Solution:
Method 1: Expanding along the first column

2 3 3 −2 3 −2
D =2· −1· + (−2) ·
1 −3 1 −3 2 3

= 2·(−6−3)−1·(−9+2)−2·(9+4) = 2×(−9)−1×(−7)−2×13 = −18+7−26 = −37

Method 2: Expanding along the second row

4
 3 −2 2 −2 2 3
D = −1 · +2· −3·
1 −3 −2 −3 −2 1

= −1·(−9+2)+2·(−6−4)−3·(2+6) = −1×(−7)+2×(−10)−3×8 = 7−20−24 = −37

Answer: −37

Q-8) Write the value of the determinant:

2 −3 5
4 −6 10
6 −9 15

Solution:
Observe that the second and third rows are scalar multiples of the first row:
• Row 2 = 2 × Row 1
• Row 3 = 3 × Row 1
A matrix with linearly dependent rows has a determinant of zero.
Answer: 0
Q - 11

i)
x −7
= x(5x + 1) − (−7)(x) = 5x2 + x + 7x = 5x2 + 8x
x 5x + 1

ii)
√ √
√ √ √ √ √ √
√ 6 √ 5 = 6 · 24 − 5 · 20 = 144 − 100 = 12 − 10 = 2
20 24

iii)
p p+1
= p · p − (p + 1)(p − 1) = p2 − (p2 − 1) = p2 − p2 + 1 = 1
p−1 p

5
iv)
a + ib c + id
= (a+ib)(a−ib)−(c+id)(−c+id) = (a2 +b2 )−[−(c2 +d2 )] = a2 +b2 +c2 +d2 = a2 + b2 + c2 + d
−c + id a − ib

v)
x2 − x + 1 x−1
= (x2 −x+1)(x2 +1)−(x−1)(x+1) = [x4 −x3 +x2 +x2 −x+1]−(x2 −1) = x4 −x3 +2x2 −x+1−
x+1 x2 + 1

vi)
x−1 1
= (x−1)(x2 +x+1)−1(x3 ) = x3 +x2 +x−x2 −x−1−x3 = −1
x3 x2 + x + 1

vii)
x2 + xy + y 2 x+y
x2 − xy + y 2 x−y

Let’s expand:

(x2 + xy + y 2 )(x − y) − (x + y)(x2 − xy + y 2 )

This simplifies to:

(x3 − y 3 ) − (x3 + 2x2 y − y 3 ) = x3 − y 3 − x3 − 2x2 y + y 3 = −2x2 y

−2x2 y

Q-12

6
i)
cos θ − sin θ
= cos θ · cos θ − (− sin θ)(sin θ) = cos2 θ + sin2 θ = 1
sin θ cos θ

ii)
2 cos θ −2 sin θ
= 2 cos θ·cos θ−(−2 sin θ)(sin θ) = 2 cos2 θ+2 sin2 θ = 2(cos2 θ+sin2 θ) = 2
sin θ cos θ

iii)
cos 15◦ sin 15◦
sin 75◦ cos 75◦

Recall:
• sin 75◦ = cos 15◦
• cos 75◦ = sin 15◦
So determinant becomes:

cos 15◦ sin 15◦

iv)
√ √  
sin 60◦ cos 60◦ 3 3 1 1 3 1

= (sin 60)(cos 30)−(cos 60)(− sin 30) = · + · = + = 1
− sin 30◦ cos 30◦ 2 2 2 2 4 4

v)
cos 65◦ sin 65◦
cos 25◦ cos 25◦

This determinant becomes:

cos 65◦ · cos 25◦ − sin 65◦ · cos 25◦ = cos 25◦ (cos 65◦ − sin 65◦ )

But sin 65◦ = cos 25◦ , so:

cos 25◦ (cos 65◦ − cos 25◦ )

Use values:

7
 • cos 65◦ ≈ 0.4226
• cos 25◦ ≈ 0.9063
Then:

0.9063 · (0.4226 − 0.9063) = 0.9063 · (−0.4837) ≈ −0.4385

Or in symbolic form:

cos 25◦ (cos 65◦ − cos 25◦ )