Lecture 4: Determinants

Elif Tan

Ankara University

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 1 / 13

Determinants

De…nition (Permutation)
Let S = f1, 2, ..., n g be a set of integers, arranged in ascending order. A
rearrangement j1 j2 ...jn of the elements of S is called a permutation of S.

The set of all permutations of S =: Sn

The number permutations of Sn = n!

De…nition (Inversion)
A permutation j1 j2 ...jn is aid to have an inversion if a larger integer, jr ,
precedes a smaller one, js .

If the total number of inversions is even)a permutation is called even.

If the total number of inversions is odd)a permutation is called odd.
There exists n! n!
2 even and 2 odd permutations in Sn .

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 2 / 13

Determinants

De…nition (Determinant)
Let A = [aij ] be an n n matrix. The determinant function is de…ned by

det (A) = ∑ ( ) a1j1 a2j2 . . . anjn .

j1 j2 ...jn 2S n

(If the permutation j1 j2 ...jn is even, then the sign is taken +, otherwise )

Example
a11 a12
Let A = and S2 = f12, 21g .
a21 a22

det (A) = ∑ ( ) a1j1 a2j2 = a11 a22 a12 a21 .

j 1 j 2 2S 2

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 3 / 13

Properties of determinants

Theorem
Let A be an n n matrix.
1 det Ari $rj = det (A)
2 det (Akri !ri ) = k det (A)
3 det Akri +rj !rj = det (A)
4 det (A) = det AT
5 If two rows(columns) of A are equal) det (A) = 0
6 If A consists a zero row(column)) det (A) = 0
7 If A is upper(lower) triangular matrix) det (A) = a11 a22 ...ann
(det (In ) = 1)
8 det (AB ) = det (A) det (B )

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 4 / 13

Properties of determinants

Theorem
If A is an n n nonsingular matrix, det (A) 6= 0.

Corollary
1 Ax = b has a unique solution, det (A) 6 = 0.

2 Ax = 0 has a nontrivial solution, det (A) = 0.

3 If A is n n nonsingular matrix, det A 1 = det1(A ) .

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 5 / 13

Cofactor Expansion

Now we show an another method to evaluate the determinant of an n n

matrix A.
De…nition (Minor)
Let A = [aij ] be an n n matrix. The minor of aij is de…ned as det (Mij ) ,
where Mij is (n 1) (n 1) submatrix of A obtained by deleting the
i-th row and j-th column of A.

De…nition (Cofactor)
Let A = [aij ] be an n n matrix. The cofactor of aij is de…ned as
Aij = ( 1)i +j det (Mij ) .

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 6 / 13

Cofactor Expansion

Theorem
Let A = [aij ] be an n n matrix. Then
n
det (A) = ∑ aij Aij (expansion of det (A) along the i-th row)
j =1
n
det (A) = ∑ aij Aij (expansion of det (A) along the j-th column)
i =1

Remark: It is useful to expand along the row (column) which has more
zero.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 7 / 13

Cofactor Expansion

Example
2 3
1 2 3
Let A = 4 2 1 3 5 . If we expand det (A) along the 1st row, we get
1 1 1

det (A) = a11 A11 + a12 A12 + a13 A13

1 3 2 3
= 1 ( 1 )1 +1 + 2 ( 1 )1 +2
1 1 1 1
2 1
+ 3 ( 1 )1 +3
1 1
= 21.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 8 / 13

Applications of determinants: Finding inverse of a matrix
Now we show another method for …nding inverse of a nonsingular matrix.

De…nition (Adjoint)
Let A = [aij ] be an n n matrix. The adjoint of A is de…ned as
2 3
A11 A21 An1
6 A12 A22 An2 7
6 7
adj (A) = 6 . . .. 7
4 .. .. . 5
A1n A2n Ann

where Aji is the cofactor of aji .

Theorem
If A = [aij ] be an n n matrix and det (A) 6= 0, then
A 1 = det1(A ) adj (A) .

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 9 / 13

Applications of determinants: Finding inverse of a matrix

Example
2 3
1 2 3
4
Consider the matrix A = 2 1 3 5 . Find A 1, if it exists.
1 1 1

Solution: Since det (A) = 21 6= 0, the matrix A has an inverse.

If we evaluate the matrix adj (A), we have

1 1
A = adj (A)
det (A)
2 3 2 2 5 9
3
A11 A21 A31 21 21 21
14
= A12 A22 A32 5 = 4 5
21
2
21
9
21
5.
21 3 3 3
A13 A23 A33 21 21 21

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 10 / 13

Applications of determinants: Cramer’s rule

Theorem
Consider the linear system of n equations in n unknowns,

a11 x1 + a12 x2 + ... + a1n xn = b1

a21 x1 + a22 x2 + ... + a2n xn = b1
..
.
an1 x1 + an2 x2 + ... + ann xn = bn .

Let A be the coe¢ cient matrix of given linear system. If det (A) 6= 0, then
the linear system has a unique solution as

det (A1 ) det (A2 ) det (An )

x1 = , x2 = , . . . , xn = ,
det (A) det (A) det (A)

where Ai is the matrix otained from A by replacing i-th column of A by b.

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 11 / 13

Applications of determinants: Cramer’s rule

Example
Consider the linear system

x1 + 2x2 + 3x3 = 5
2x1 + x2 3x3 = 1
x1 x2 + x3 = 3.

Since det (A) = 21 6= 0, the linear system has unique solution, and the
solutions can be obtained by using Cramer’s rule as:

5 2 3
1 1 3
det (A1 ) 3 1 1
x1 = = = 2,
det (A) 21

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 12 / 13

Applications of determinants: Cramer’s rule

Example

1 5 3
2 1 3
det (A2 ) 1 3 1
x2 = = = 0,
det (A) 21
1 2 5
2 1 1
det (A3 ) 1 1 3
x3 = = = 1.
det (A) 21

Elif Tan (Ankara University) Lecture 4 13 / 13