Sec 5.2 and 5.
3 (Chiang)
Determinants:
A determinant is a real number associated with
every square matrix. If the matrix is not square
then the determinant is not defined.
Determinant of a 1 x 1 matrix
The determinant of a 1 x 1 matrix is the element
itself.
Let A=[ a11 ] , then| A|=a 11
Example: |-5|= -5 and |3| = 3
Note: Not to be confused with the absolute
value symbol.
Determinant of a 2 x 2 matrix
It equals product of entries along the main
diagonal minus the product of entries off the
main diagonal.
a11 a12
| A|=
[ a21 a22]=a11 a22−a12 a21
Determinant of a 3 X 3 matrix by Laplace
Expansion
Minor of an element:
M ij =isthe determinant of the ¿
after deleting the row∧column∈which
the elemnt a ij lies
Cofactor of an element:
C ij= (−1 )i+ j M ij
Example 4: Consider the 3×3 matrix
3 1 −4
[
A= 2 5 6
1 4 8 ]
Find the minors and cofactors of the elements
a 11∧a 32 .
The minor of entry a11 is
M 11= 5 6 =16
| |
4 8
The cofactor of a11 is
C 11=(−1 )1 +1 M 11=M 11 =16
The minor of entry a32 is
M 32= |32 −46 |=26
The cofactor of a32 is
C 32=(−1 )3+2 M 32=−M 32=−26 .
Laplace expansion along the first row:
For a 3 X 3 matrix
det ( A )=a 11 C 11 + a12 C12 +a 13 C13
i.e. determinant is sum of three terms, each of which
is the product of a first-row element and its
corresponding cofactor.
The determinant of n×n matrix by cofactor
expansion along first row, can be defined as
det ( A )=a 11 C 11 + a12 C12 +¿ …+a 1n C 1n .
Example:
1 3 2
Find the determinant of [ ]
A= 4 1 3
2 5 2
By cofactor expansion along Row 1;
det ( A )=1 (−1 )2 1 5 +3 (−1 )3 4 3 +2 (−1 )4 4 1
| | | | | |
3 2 2 2 2 5
¿−13−3 ( 2 ) +2 ( 20−2 ) =−19+36=17
Note:
We can expand along any row/column.
We usually prefer to expand along the
row/column that has the most number of zeros.
Choose any row/column Determinant is
obtained by multiplying every element in that
row/column by its cofactor and adding
Determinants and properties of determinants
A determinant is a real number associated with
every square matrix. If the matrix is not square
then the determinant is not defined.
Properties of determinants:
For any square matrix,
1.The interchange of rows and columns does
not affect the value of the determinant
| A|=| A t|
2.The interchange of any two rows/ columns of
a matrix will alter the sign but not the
numerical value of the determinant.
3.The multiplication of any one row or any one
column by a scalar k will change the value of
the determinant k-fold.
4.If a row or column is a multiple of another
row or column its determinant will be zero.
In particular, if two rows/ columns are
identical the determinant will be zero.
5.The addition/subtraction of a multiple of any
row to another row will not change the
determinant.
6.Determinant of a triangular/ diagonal matrix
is the product of the entries along its main
diagonal.
7.If a row/column consists entirely of zeros the
determinant will be zero.
Examples: Find the determinants by
inspection:
1 3 2
i) [
A= 0 −5 3
0 0 2 ]
Det (A) = 1(-5)(2) = -10 as A is a triangular
matrix
2 0 0
ii) [ ]
B= 0 3 0
0 0 1
Here det(B) = 2(3) (1) = 6 as B is a diagonal
matrix
1 0 2
[ ]
iii ¿ A= 4 0 3
2 0 2
so det (A) = 0. Column 2 consists entirely of
zeros.
1 3 2
iii) [ ]
A= 4 1 3
1 3 2
so det(A) = 0 as rows 1 ans 3 are
identical!
1 3 2
iv) [ ]
A= 4 1 8
2 5 4
Here Column three is a constant multiple of
column 1 so its determinant is zero.
In general for and two square matrices A and B
of the same size,
i)det ( AB )=det ( A ) . det ( B )
ii) det ( A +B ) ≠ det ( A )+ det (B)
A= ( 10 −12 ); B=(−10 23 )
Find the determinant of a 4x4 matrix
3 2 0 1
A= 4
3
9
[ ] 0
0
2
1
2
3
2
1
1
Solution: Pick the row or column with the most
zeros in it. In this case, that is the second
column.
det ( A )=a 12 C12 +a22 C22 +a32 C 32+ a42 C 42 (1)
As a 12=2, a22=0 , a32=0 , a42=2 , using these values det(A) in
(1) becomes
det ( A )=2 C12 +2 C42 (2)
Where
4 1 2
| |
C 12=(−1)1+2 3 2 1
9 3 1
3 0 1
C 42=(−1)
| |
4 +2
4 1 2
3 2 1
Now (2) becomes
4 1 2 3 0 1
det(A)=-2 | |+2| |
3 2 1
9 3 1
4 1 2
3 2 1
(3)
Now, there are two 3x3 determinants left to
find. Expand using first row, we have
4 1 2
| |
3 2 1 =4 (−1)
9 3 1
1+1 2 1
3 1
+1(−1)1+2 3 1 +2(−1)1+3 3 2
| | 9 1 | | 9 3 | |
¿ 4 ( 2−3 ) −1 ( 3−9 ) +2(9−18)
=-4+6-18=-16
3 0 1
and | |
4 1 2 =3(−1)
3 2 1
1+1 1 2
2 1
+ 0(−1)1+2 4 2
| | 3 1 | |+1(−1) |43 12|
1+3
¿ 3 ( 1−4 ) +1(8−3)
=-9+5=-4
4 1 2 3 0 1
Thus | | | |
3 2 1 =−16 , 4 1 2 =−4
9 3 1 3 2 1
(4)
Using (4) in (3), we will obtain the determinant
of given 4×4 matrix A
det(A) = -2 ( -16 ) + 2 ( -4 ) = 32 - 8 = 24
