Lecture Note Determinant

Chapter 2

Determinant
1 Definition
a a12 
Let A =  11  then the determinant of the matrix A which is denoted by
 a21 a22 
det ( A ) or A is defined by det ( A ) = a11a22 − a21a12 .

Example 1
 5 6
Find the determinant of A =  
 −1 2 
Solution
5 6
det ( A) = = ( 5 )( 2 ) − ( −1)( 6 ) = 16
−1 2

 a11 a12 a13 

The determinant of A =  a21 a22 a23  is defined by
 a31 a32 a33 
a11 a12 a13
det ( A ) = a21 a22 a23 = a11a22 a33 + a12 a23a31 + a13a32 a21
a31 a32 a33
− a31a22 a13 − a21a12 a33 − a11a23a32
Example 2
 2 1 3
Find the determinant of  3 2 1
 0 1 2 
Solution
2 1 3
3 2 1 = ( 2 )( 2 )( 2 ) + (1)(1)( 0 ) + ( 3)(1)( 3 ) − ( 0 )( 2 )( 3 ) − ( 3 )(1)( 2 ) − ( 2 )(1)(1)
0 1 2
= 8+0+9−0−6−2 = 9

2 Cofactor Expansions
Definition 1

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Lecture Note Determinant

Let A =  aij  be an n  n matrix. Let M ij be the ( n − 1)  ( n − 1) sub-matrix of A obtained

by deleting the ith row and jth column of A. The determinant det ( M ij ) is called the
minor of aij .
Definition2
Let A =  aij  be an n  n matrix. The cofactor Aij of aij is defined
as Aij = ( −1) det ( M ij ) .
i+ j

Example 1
 3 −1 2 
Let A =  4 5 6 
7 1 2 
Then
4 6 3 −1
det ( M 12 ) = = 8 − 32 = −34 det ( M 23 ) = = 3 + 7 = 10
7 2 7 1
and
−1 2
det ( M 31 ) = = −6 − 10 = −16
5 6
Also,
A12 = ( −1) det ( M 12 ) = ( −1)( −34 ) = 34
1+ 2

A23 = ( −1) det ( M 23 ) = ( −1)(10 ) = −10

2+3

and
A31 = ( −1) det ( M 31 ) = (1)( −16 ) = −16
3+1

If we think of the sign ( −1) as being located in position ( i, j ) of an n  n matrix, then

i+ j

the signs form a checkerboard pattern that has a + in (1,1) position.

The patterns for n = 3 and n = 4 are as follows:
+ − + −
+ − +  −
− + −  + − + 
  + − + −
 + − +   
− + − +
n=3
n=4
Definition3
Let A =  aij  be an n  n matrix. Then the expansion of det ( A ) along the ith row is
defined by
det ( A ) = A = ai1 Ai1 + ai 2 Ai 2 + + ain Ain
and the expansion of det ( A ) along the jth column is defined by
det ( A ) = A = a1 j A1 j + a2 j A2 j + + anj Anj
Example 2

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Lecture Note Determinant

1 2 −2
Evaluate the determinant 3 0 −1
2 1 4
By the expansion along row 2, we obtain
1 2 −2
3 0 −1 = 3  A21 + 0  A22 + ( −1)  A23
2 1 4
2 −2 2 +3 1 2
= 3  ( −1) + ( −1)  ( −1)
2 +1

1 4 2 1
= ( −3) 10 − 3
= −33
Example 3
1 2 −3 4
−4 2 1 3
Evaluate the determinant (Ans: 48).
3 0 0 −3
2 0 −2 3
3 Adjoint Matrix
Definition
Let A =  aij  be an n  n matrix. The n  n matrix adjA called the adjoint of A is the
matrix whose ( i, j ) th entry is the cofactor Aji of a ji . Thus
 A11 A21 An1 
A A22 An 2 
adjA =  12
 
 
 A1n A2 n Ann 
Example 1
3 −2 1

Let A = 5 6 2  . Find the adjoint of A.
 1 0 −3
Solution
We first compute the cofactors of A. We have
1+1 6 2 1+ 2 5 2 1+ 3 5 6
A11 = ( −1) = −18 A12 = ( −1) = 17 A13 = ( −1) = −6
0 −3 1 −3 1 0
2 +1 −2 1 2+ 2 3 1
A21 = ( −1) = −6 A22 = ( −1) = −10
0 −3 1 −3
2+3 3 −2
A23 = ( −1) = −2
1 0

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Lecture Note Determinant

−2 1 3+ 2 3 1
A31 = ( −1) = −10 A32 = ( −1)
3+1
= −1
6 2 5 2
3 −2
A33 = ( −1)
3+ 3
= 28
5 6
Then
 −18 −6 −10 
adjA =  17 −10 −1
 −6 −2 28
Remark

i. If A =  aij  is an n  n matrix, then A ( adjA ) = ( adjA ) A = det ( A ) I n .

Example 2
4 2 2
Let be a matrix A =  0 1 2  . Then the determinant of A is
 1 0 3
1 2 2 2 2 2
det ( A) = 4 −0 + = 12 + 2 = 14
0 3 0 3 1 2
And the cofactors of A are
1+1 1 2 1+ 2 0 2 1+ 3 0 1
A11 = ( −1) = 3 A12 = ( −1) = 2 A13 = ( −1) = −1
0 3 1 3 1 0
2 +1 2 2 2+ 2 4 2 2+3 4 2
A21 = ( −1) = −6 A22 = ( −1) = 10 A23 = ( −1) =2
0 3 1 3 1 0
3+1 2 2 3+ 2 4 2 3+ 3 4 2
A31 = ( −1) = 2 A32 = ( −1) = −8 A33 = ( −1) =4
1 2 0 2 0 1
Then
 3 −6 2 
adjA =  2 10 −8
 −1 2 4 
Therefore

 4 2 2   3 −6 2   3 −6 2   4 2 2  14 0 0 
A ( adjA ) =  0 1 2   2 10 −8 =  2 10 −8  0 1 2  =  0 14 0 
 1 0 3  −1 2 4   −1 2 4   1 0 3  0 0 14 
 1 0 0
= 14 0 1 0  = det ( A ) I 3
0 0 1

ii. If A is a square matrix whose determinant is different from zero, the inverse
of A can be found by the formula

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Lecture Note Determinant

1
A−1 = ( adjA)
det ( A )

Example 3
4 2 2
The inverse of A =  0 1 2  is
 1 0 3
 3 3 1
 −
 3 −6 2   14 7 7

A−1 =  2 10 −8 = 
1 1 5 4
−
14  7 7 7
 −1 2 4   
− 1 1 2
 7 7 7 

iii. The value of a determinant remains unchanged if we add a multiple of a

row (column) to another.

Example 4
1 2 −1 3 1 2 −1 3
−7 7 −5
2 −3 5 1 0 −7 7 −5
= = (1) 8 −1 2
−2 4 1 −4 0 8 −1 2
−2 1 −1
3 4 −2 8 0 −2 1 −1
−7 7 −5
−1 2 8 2 8 −1
= 8 −1 2 = ( −7 ) −7 −5
1 −1 −2 −1 −2 1
−2 1 −1
= −7 ( −1) − 7 ( −4 ) − 5 ( 6 ) = 5
Example 5
4 1 3 6 2
0 −1 1 3 2
Evaluate 8 3 4 9 0 (Answer: -140)
8 2 4 6 4
3 0 −1 5 2

4 Some More Remarks on Determinants

i. If A is a square matrix then det ( A) = det ( AT ) .
Example 1
 1 0 3  1 0 2
A =  0 3 2  and A = 0 3 −1
  T

 2 −1 1  3 2 1
det ( A ) = −13 and det ( AT ) = −13

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Lecture Note Determinant

ii. A is a square matrix. If we multiply a row or a column of a matrix by a real

number u, the determinant of the matrix obtained equals the product of u and
determinant of A .
Example 2
a b
= ad − bc
c d
ua ub
= uad − ubc = u ( ad − bc )
c d
ua b
= uad − ubc = u ( ad − bc )
uc d

iii. If A is a square matrix with two identical rows of columns, then det ( A ) = 0 .
iv. If A is a square matrix with a zero row or zero column, then det A = 0 .
v. If A is a triangular matrix (upper triangular or lower triangular) then the
determinant of A is the product of the main diagonal elements.
vi. If A−1 exists, then det ( A−1 ) =
1
det A
vii. If A and B are n  n , det ( AB ) = ( det A )( det B )
Example 3
Let
 1 4 3 2 
A=  and B =  
 −1 2   1 0
then
1 4 3 2
det A = = 6 and det B = = −2
−1 2 1 0
and
( det A)( det B ) = 6  ( −2 ) = −12
 1 4  3 2   7 2 
AB =   = 
 −1 2   1 0   −1 −2 
7 2
det ( AB ) = = −12
−1 −2

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Lecture Note Determinant

Exercises
1. Evaluate the determinants
1 3 0
−2 7 15 −2
a. (Ans: 11) b. (Ans: 20) c. 2 4 −1 (Ans: 18)
−3 5 −5 2
−5 7 2
3 −5 7 7 9 15 2 −1 3
d. 1 9 0 (Ans: 229) e. 4 8 3 (Ans:-30) f. 7 2 −3 (Ans: 171)
−2 1 3 2 4 0 1 4 6
2 1 3 3 2 3 −1 2 1
g. 4 5 5 (Ans: 22) h. 2 6 4 (Ans: -2) i. 4 0 7 (Ans: 30)
−1 3 1 1 1 1 1 0 −2
4 5 3 1
2 0 1 5
j. (Ans: -1155)
−4 2 6 3
−3 1 −4 0
 2 1 3

2. Let A =  −1 2 0  .
 3 −2 1
a. Find adjA b. Compute det A c. A(adjA) = (adjA) A = det( A) I 3
 6 2 8
3. Like problem 2. for the matrix A =  −3 4 1
 4 −4 5
1
4. Use the formula A−1 = ( adjA) to find the inverse of each of the following
det ( A )
matrices if exists.
4 2 2 4 0 0 4 1 2

A = 0 1 2  
B =  0 −3 0   
C =  0 −3 3
 1 0 3  0 0 2   0 0 2 

5. The characteristic equation of a square matrix A is the equation A −  I = 0 .

 3 2
Given the matrix A =   , the characteristic equation is
 −1 4 
3− 2
A − I = =  2 − 7 + 14
−1 4 − 
It can be shown that a square matrix always satisfies its characteristic equation.
So, in this case A2 − 7 A + 14 I = 0 .Find the characteristic equation and
demonstrate that the matrix satisfies the equation

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Lecture Note Determinant

 2 1 −1  −2 1 −1
 2 1
A= 

A =  0 1 0  A =  0 1 5
 −3 −1  −1 0 1  −1 5 2 
6. The equation of line passing through the points ( x1 , y1 ) and ( x2 , y2 ) can be determined
by
x y 1
x1 y1 1 = 0
x2 y2 1
Find the equation of a line passing through
a. ( 0, 0 ) and ( 5,3) b. ( 0, 0 ) and ( −2, 2 ) c. ( −1, 0 ) and ( 5, − 3)
d. ( 4,1) and ( −2, 2 ) e. ( −4,3) and ( 2,1) f. ( 0, 7 ) and ( 2, − 7 )
 1   5 
g.  − , − 3  and  − ,1
 2   2 

7. The area of a triangle with vertices ( x1 , y1 ) , ( x2 , y2 ) and ( x3 , y3 ) is the absolute value

of
x1 y1 1
1
x2 y2 1
2
x3 y3 1
Find the area of the triangle with the given vertices
a. ( 0, 0 ) , ( 3,1) , (1,5 ) b. ( −2, − 3) , ( 2, − 3) , ( 0, 4 )
c. ( −1, 2 ) , ( −3,1) , (1, − 5 ) d. ( −1, − 2 ) , ( −3,1) , ( 4, − 5 )
e. (1, − 2 ) , ( −3, 2 ) , ( 4, − 3) f. (1,1) , ( −3,3) , ( 4, − 3)
g. ( 5, − 1) , ( −3,3) , ( 4, − 3)

8. Show that
1 x x2
1 y y 2 = ( y − x )( z − x )( z − y )
1 z z2

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