Matrices 1

A matrix is a rectangular array

used to store numbers or
symbols. Entries in the matrix
are known as elements

Matrices are used widely

especially in solving
systems of equations
Some basics
  2 8

A   1 7 
 6 2 
Matrix A contains numerical
elements
 a b 
B 
 c d 
Matrix B contains symbolic
elements
Matrices are usually denoted by
capital letters

Individual elements are denoted

by the corresponding lower case
letter, together with row and
column subscripts
  2 8 Row 1

A   1 7  Row 2

 6 2  Row 3
  2 8

A   1 7 
 6 2 
Column 1 Column 2
  2 8

A   1 7 
 6 2 
Element in Row 3 Column 1 is
a31 = 6
 a b 
B 
 c d 
Element in Row 2, Column 2
is b22 = d
 Order of the matrix is
described by the number of
rows and the number of
columns

If matrix A has m rows and n

columns, then A has order
mxn
  2 8

A   1 7 
 6 2 
Matrix A has order 3 x 2
 2 8 
B 
 8 9 
Matrix B has order 2 x 2
 2 8 
B 
 8 9 
Matrix B is square since the
number of rows equals the
number of columns
 2 8 
B 
 8 9 
Matrix B is square of order 2
 Two matrices are equal when
they have the same order and
all corresponding elements are
identical
  x   1
 y   2
   
 z  3 
Both matrices have order
3 x 1, and are equal if
x = 1, y = 2 and z = 3
Special Matrices
A zero matrix, denoted O, has
all elements equal to zero

There is one zero matrix for

each order
 Identity matrix I is a square
matrix with diagonal elements
(top left to bottom right) equal
to 1, and all other elements
equal to 0
 1 0
I  
 0 1 
Identity matrix of order 2
 1 0 0

I  0 1 0 
0 0 1
Identity matrix of order 3
 Matrix
Operations
Transpose
 The transpose of matrix A is
written as AT, and is obtained
by writing the rows of A as the
columns of A T
If matrix A has order m x n, then
transpose A has order n x m
T
  2 8
 
A   1 7 
 6 2
A has order 3 x 2
 T  2 1 6 
A  
 8 7 2 
AT has order 2 x 3
 2 8 
B 
 8 9 
B has order 2 x 2
 T  2 8 
B  
 8 9 
BT also has order 2 x 2. For
this example BT = B, B is an
example of a symmetric
matrix
Addition and
Subtraction
Two matrices can be added or
subtracted only if they have
the same order

Simply add or subtract

corresponding elements
2 5  7 6  2  7 5   6   9 1
 2 9   9 1     
    2  9 9  1  11 10 

2 5  7 6  2  7 5   6   5 11
 2 9   9 1     
    2  9 9  1   7 8 
 Scalar
Multiplication
Any matrix can be multiplied
by a scalar – multiply each
element by that scalar

The order is unaffected

  4 9 1
X 
 8 7 9 

 4 9 1  4  4 4  9 4  1
4X  4    
 8 7 9   4   8  4  7 4  9 
 16 36 4 
 
 32 28 36 
Scalar multiplication takes
precedence over
addition/subtraction

To evaluate
2A + 3B, work out 2A and 3B
first and then add
 Matrix
Multiplication
There is no sensible intuitive
way to define multiplication of
matrices

The usual definition is based

on the fact that it is useful to
separate coefficients and
variables in linear expressions
 x
2x  5y  2 5   
y

x

4x  2y  7z  4 2 7    y  
 z 
We can define the product of
a row of one matrix and a
column of a second matrix...

...but only when they have the

same number of elements
We can define the product of
a row of one matrix and a
column of a second matrix...

...as the sum of the products

of corresponding elements
 4
2 5  3   2  4  5  3  23
 

6
 
4 2 7   9   4  6  2   9  7  (2)  8
 2
 We can define the product of
the first row of one matrix and
each column of a second
matrix...
...as the sum of the products
of corresponding elements in
each case
 4 8
2 5  3 7  8  15 2  8  5  7  23 51
 
 6 1 4
 
4 2 7   9 2 3 
 2 5 8 
 24  18  14 4  4  35 16  6  56 
 8 35 66 
We can define the product of
all other rows of one matrix
and each column of a second
matrix...
...in the same way each time
 2 5   4 8   23 51   23 51
 4 9   3 7   16  27 32  63    43 95 
       
 6 1 4
 4 2 7   
 1 9 8   9 2 3
  
 2 5 8 
 8 35 66 
 
6  81   16  1  18   40  4  27  64 
 8 35 66 
 
 71 21 95 
We can define the product of
two matrices only if...

...the number of columns in

matrix 1 = the number of rows
in matrix 2
 If matrix A has order m x p
and matrix B has order p x q,
then...

...matrix AB exists and has

order m x q
 1 4 
1 3 7 5 5 8 
   
A  , B 
 2 6 1 8  7 2 
 
 1 10 

A has order 2 x 4 and B has

order 4 x 2. AB exists and has
order 2 x 2
 1 4 
 
 1 3 7 5  5 8   1  15  49  5 4  24   14   50 
AB     
2 6 1 8  7 2 2  30   7   8 8  48  2  80 
 
 1 10 
70 64 
 
 33 138 

BA also exists, but has order

4 x 4. Do not expect AB = BA
even if they both exist
 Order of
Precedence
 Brackets
Powers and Transpose
Matrix Multiply

Scalar Multiply
Add/Subtract
Division
 There is no such thing as
matrix division...

...despite what some software

packages try to tell you
Some More
Facts
For matrices of the same
order

(A + B)T = AT + BT
For square matrices of the
same order

(A + B) = A + AB + BA + B
2 2 2

AB + BA is not always the

same as 2AB
For matrices compatible for
addition/multiplication
ABC = (AB)C = A(BC)

A(B + C) = AB + AC
For matrices compatible for
multiplication

(AB) = B A
T T T