Definition of The Determinant

Properties of the determinants

The adjoint matrix

The Determinants

Mongi BLEL

King Saud University

January 23, 2021

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Table of contents

1 Definition of The Determinant

2 Properties of the determinants

3 The adjoint matrix

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Definition of The Determinant

Definition
If A = (aj,k ) is a square matrix of type n. Denote Aj,k the square
matrix of type n − 1 obtained by deleting the j th −row and the
k th − column of A.
 
1 2 3  
1 2
Example: If A = −1 2 −4, then A2,3 = .
2 −3
2 −3 4

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Definition
 
a b
1 If A = , the determinant of A is defined by:
c d
 
 a b 
|A| = det(A) =   = ad − bc.
c d 
 
a b c
2 If A = d e f , the determinant of A is defined by:
g h i
 
a b c       
e f 
 − b d f 
   d e 
|A| = det(A) = d e f  = a  + c  .
g h i  h i  g i  g h

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Definition
3 If
 
a1,1 a1,2 . . . a1,n
a2,1 a2,2 . . . a2,n 
A= ,
 
..
 . 
an,1 am,2 . . . an,n
the determinant of A is defined by:

|A| = det(A) = a1,1 detA1,1 + . . . + (−1)n+1 a1,n detA1,n

Xn
= (−1)j+1 a1,j detA1,j .
j=1

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Example
 
4 5
1 If A = , the determinant of A is
2 3
 
4 5
|A| = det(A) =   = 4.3 − 5.2 = 2.
2 3
 
1 3 5
2 If A = 2 4 6, the determinant of the matrix A is
0 2 4
 
 1 3 5       
 = 1 4 6
     2 6   2 4 
|A| = det(A) =  2 4 6   2 4
−3 
  0 4 +5  0 2
  

 0 2 4 

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Example

 
1 3 5
3 If A = 2 4 6 , the determinant of the matrix A is
0 2 4
 
1 3 5      
  4 6 2 6 2 4
|A| = det(A) = 2 4 6 = 1  −3
0 4 + 5 0 2 = 0.
  
0 2 4 2 4

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Definition
If A is a square matrix of order n, the determinant detAj,k is called
the minor of the entry aj,k or the (j, k)th minor of A and the
number Cj,k = (−1)j+k detAj,k is called the cofactor of the entry
aj,k or the (j, k)th cofactor of the matrix A.

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Remark
1 If A is a square matrix of order n, the determinant of the

matrix A is equal to
n
X
detA = a1,j C1,j .
j=1

2 By rearranging the boundaries we conclude to

n
X n
X
detA = a1,j C1,j = ak,j Ck,j
j=1 j=1
Xn
= ak,j Ck,j .
k=1

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

The Sarrus’s Theorem

If n = 3 and the matrix
 
a1,1 a1,2 a1,3
A = a2,1 a2,2 a2,3 
a3,1 a3,2 a3,3

a1,1 a1,2 a1,3 a1,1 a1,2

a2,1~ a2,2~
= a ~
2,3 a2,1 a2,2
= =
a3,1 a3,2 a3,3 a3,1
= =
~ =
~ ~ a3,2

detA = a1,1 (a2,2 · a3,3 − a2,3 · a3,2 )

−a1,2 (a2,1 · a3,3 − a2,3 · a3,1 )
+a1,3 (a2,1 · a3,2 − a2,2 · a3,1

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Example

 
3 −4 0
If A = 0 7 6,
2 −6 1

3 −4 0 3 −4
detA = 0 7 6 0 7
2 −6 1 2 −6
= 3 · 7 · 1 + (−4) · 6 · 2 − (−6) · 6 · 3 = 81.

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Properties of the Determinants

Theorem
1 If A is a square matrix, detAT = detA.
2 If a square matrix A contains a zero row or column, then its
determinant is 0.
3 If the matrix A = (aj,k )1≤j,k≤n is upper (lower) triangular,
then its determinant is equal to:

a1,1 . . . an,n .

4 If a square matrix A contains a row which is a multiple of a

different row, then its determinant is 0.

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Theorem
5 If a matrix B is obtained by multiplying a row of a matrix A

by a number c, then |B| = c|A| (i.e. |c.Rj A| = c|A|).

6 If a matrix B is obtained by interchanging two rows of a
matrix A, then detB = −detA (i.e. |Rj,k A| = −|A|).
7 If a matrix B is obtained by adding a multiple of a row to
another row of a matrix A, then detB = detA. (i.e.
|cRj,k A| = |A|).

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Example
   
1 3 2 2 1 3 2 1 
  
2 3 3 1 (−2)R1,2 ,(−3)R1,3 0 −3 −1 −1

3 = 
0 −6 −2 −1

 3 4 2 (−1)R1,4  
1 1 1 1 0 −2 −1 0 
 
3 1 1
 
= − 6 2 1
2 1 0
 
3 1 1
(−1)R1,2  
= − 3 1 0
2 1 0
 
3 1 
= −   = −1.
2 1 

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Example
   
1
 −2 5 −2 −1 1 −2
 5 −2 −1 

−2 3 −1 1 0  0 −1 9 −3 −2
 2R1,2 ,−3R1,3 
3 −3 2 0 −1 = 0 3 −13 6 2 
 −1R1,4 ,−1R1,5 
1
 −1 2 1 −4 0 1
 −3 3 −3
1 −2 4 −3 1  0 0 −1 −1 2 
 
−1 9 −3 −2

 3 −13 6 2 
= 
1
 −3 3 −3
0 −1 −1 2 
 
−1 9 −3 −2
 
3R1,2 ,1R1,3  0 14 −3 −4
=  
0
 6 0 −5 

 0 −1 −1 2 

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

 
14 −3 −4
 
= 6
 0 −5
1 1 −2
 
 14 6 1 

= −3 0 1 

−4 −5 −2
 
 14 6 1
(−1)R1,2 ,2R1,3 
= −17 −6 0
 
 24 7 0
 
−17 −6
=  |
 24 7
 
1R1,2 −17 −6
= 
 7

1
= 42 − 17 = 25.
Mongi BLEL The Determinants
 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Example
   
1 1 1 1  1 1 1 1 
  
1 −1 2 1  −2
 = 0 1 0 


1 0 1 1 
 
0
 −1 0 0 
1 2 1 −2 0 1 0 −3
 
1 1 1 

= 0 1 0 
0 0 −3
 
1 1 
=  = −3.
0 −3

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Example

1 a a2  a2
   
1 a 
   
1 b b 2  = 0 b − a (b − a)(b + a)
   
1 c c 2  0 c − a (c − a)(c + a)
 
1 b + a 
= (b − a)(c − a) 
 
1 c + a
= (b − a)(c − a)(c − b).

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Theorem
If A and B are in Mn (R), then

det(AB) = detA detB.

Theorem
A square matrix A is invertible if and only if detA 6= 0.

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Remarks

1 If A is a square matrix of order n, then |cA| = c n |A|.

2 Let A be a square matrix and B a row echelon form of A.
Then there is a finite elementary matrices E1 , . . . , Em such
that E1 . . . Em A = B.
Moreover

det(E1 ) . . . det(Em )det(A) = det(B).

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

The adjoint matrix

Definition
Let A be a square matrix. The adjoint matrix associated to the
matrix A is adj(A) = (Cj,k )T , where (Cj,k ) is the cofactor matrix
of A.

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Theorem
Let A be a square matrix of order n, then

(adj(A))A = A(adj(A)) = (detA)In .

Theorem
If A is an invertible matrix, then
1
A−1 = adj(A).
detA
1
detA−1 = .
detA

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Example
   
2 −1 1 1
1 n = 2, A = , detA = 5, adj(A) = and
3 1 −3 2
 
1 1 1
A−1 = .
5 −3 2
 
2 1 0
2 n = 3, A =  1 −2 3, detA = −13
−1 0 2
 T  
−4 −5 −2 −4 −2 3
adj(A) = −2 4 −1 = −5 4 −6
3 −6 −5 −2 −1 −5
 
4 2 −3
1 
and A−1 = 5 −4 6 .
13
2 1 5

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Example
 
3 1 1 1
1 3 1 1
1 1 3 1, detA = −24
n = 4, A = 
3 

1 1 1 3
 
−20 −4 −4 −4
 −4 −20 −4 −4 
adj(A) = 
 −4 −4 −20 −4 ,


−4 −4 −4 −20
 
5 1 1 1
1 1 5 1 1
and A−1 =  
6 1 1 5 1
1 1 1 5

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Exercises

 
1 −4 3
Let A be the following matrix A = 0 2 −1.
1 −2 3
1 Find the matrix adj(A) and the determinant of the matrix A.
2 Find the inverse of the matrix A if it exists.

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Example

Let A, B be matrices of size (3, 3) such that A is not invertible and

|B| = 2.
Find Aadj(A) + 2B −1 .


Aadj(A) + 2B −1  = 8 = 4.
 
|B|

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Exercises

Let Aand B be the

 following
 matrices: 
2 0 1 3 −1 −1
A= 0 2 1 B=
   2 0 −1
2 −1 0 −2 1 4
2
Find the number a such that A − AB + aI3 = 0 and find the inverse
matrix of A.

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

 
3 1 2
If adj(A) =  0 3 2, find the matrix A.
−1 2 1
We have Aadj(A) = I3 , then A = |A|(adj(A))−1 and
|A| |adj(A)| = |A|3 , then |adj(A)| = |A|2 . Therefore
A = |adj(A)|(adj(A))−1 .
p
 
−1 3 −4
|adj(A)| = 1, the |A| = 1 and A = −2 5 −6
3 −7 9

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Exercises

1 Prove that if a matrix A ∈ Mn (R), n ≥ 2 has an inverse, then

adj(adj(A)) = (detA)n−2 A.

2 Prove that a matrix A has an inverse if and only if the matrix

adj(A) has an inverse.

Mongi BLEL The Determinants

 Definition of The Determinant
Properties of the determinants
The adjoint matrix

Solution

1 From the relation Aadj(A) = |A|In we conclude that

|adj(A)| = |A|n−1 and (adj(A))−1 = |A|1
A if |A| =6 0.
1
If the matrix A has an inverse, then A−1 = adj(A).
|A|
Let B = adj(A), then Badj(B) = |B|In = |A|n−1 In and
adj(B) = |A|n−1 B −1 = |A|n−2 A.
adj(adj(A) = (detA)n−2 A.
2 From the relation Aadj(A) = |A|In we conclude that if the
matrix A has an inverse then the matrix adj(A) has an inverse.
Also from the same relation, if the matrix adj(A) has an
inverse and the matrix A do not has an inverse, then
Aadj(A) = 0 and Aadj(A)(adj(A))−1 = 0.
Then A = 0 this is absurd, because if A = 0 then adj(A) = 0.

Mongi BLEL The Determinants