Determinant of A Matrix
Determinant of A Matrix
Determinant of A Matrix
a b
c d
= ad bc
Before extending this approach to larger matrices, lets summarize some of the properties of this
determinant:
1. If two rows of A are equal (i.e. a = c,b = d) or if a row is expressible as a linear combination
of other rows, then det A=0. The same is true for columns. If det A=0 then the matrix does not
have an inverse (see below).
2. det A = det A
T
3. det(A B) = det A det B = det(B A) for both A and B square.
4. If A is upper or lower triangular, then det A =
n
i=1
a
ii
The determinant of a three by three matrix is
a
11
a
12
a
13
a
21
a
22
a
23
a
31
a
32
a
33
= a
11
(a
22
a
33
a
23
a
32
) a
12
(a
21
a
33
a
23
a
31
) + a
13
(a
21
a
32
a
22
a
31
)
Note the pattern of + and signs.
The general formula is compact, but tedious to compute. Here it is for an n by n matrix A:
det A = a
i1
C
i1
+ a
i2
C
i2
+ + a
in
C
in
1
where C
ij
are referred to as the cofactors and are computed from
C
ij
= (1)
i+j
det M
ij
The term M
ij
is known as the minor matrix and is the matrix you get if you eliminate row
i and column j from matrix A. So to nd the determinant of e.g. a 44 matrix, you end up
calculating a bunch of 3 3 matrix determinants (much easier). Obviously you can apply this
technique recursively (probably using a computer). Note how this general equation applies to the
3 by 3 matrix example given above.
Also note that another way of nding the determinant is to nd its eigenvalues (see next lecture),
though this technique is generally slower.
What use are determinants?
1. The tell you whether or not a matrix can be inverted (see below).
2. They are important in calculating eigenvalues and eigenvectors (see next lecture)
3. They are a measure of the area (or volume) of the shape dened by the rows of the matrix
(treated as vectors). For instance
A =
1 0
0 1
denes a square in the x y plane. This shape has an area of 1, and its determinant also has a
value of 1.
You can show (how?) that a matrix
A =
a c
b d
1 1 2
2 1 1
0 0 1
a
11
a
12
a
21
a
22
is A
1
=
1
det A
a
22
a
12
a
21
a
11
3
If you can nd the inverse, you can nd the solution to A x = b. But if all you want is the
solution to this equation, you dont have to nd the inverse: you can just do Gaussian elimination,
which is simpler.
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