Exercise 0.1: Computing with matrices: ten direct calculations
For each line, carry out the requested computation, then give the indicated entry or entries of the result. Entry is the one in row and column .
A single rule carries the whole chapter: entry of a product is obtained by running row of against column of , term by term, then adding. Before computing, check the sizes: an times an gives an . For a determinant, it is ; for a , expand along the first row with the signs , , .
- a) and : compute , then give its entries and .
- b) : write the transpose , then give its entries and .
- c) and : compute , then give its entries and .
- d) and : compute , then give its entries and .
- e) and : compute , then give its second and third components.
- f) is the adjacency matrix of a directed graph: compute , then give its entries and .
- g) With the same matrix : compute , then give its entries and .
- h) Compute .
- i) : compute , then give its entries and .
- j) Compute by cofactor expansion along the first row.
Show the solution
Answers
- a) ; and
- b) ; and
- c) ; and
- d) ; and
- e) ; and
- f) ; and
- g) ; and
- h)
- i) ; and
- j)
The move that decides everything: write down the size of the result BEFORE computing, then aim at the requested entry by its row and its column. A product is not computed by multiplying term by term; you run a row against a column.
Term by term: , so . Entries: and . Pitfall: , the double minus sign.
The rows of become the columns: , a matrix. Entries: and . Pitfall: keeping the size and reading in , which gives .
. Entries: and . Pitfall: multiplying term by term, which would give .
A times a gives a . Row 2 of , , against column 1 of , : ; against column 2, : . In full, . Pitfall: believing the result is , which is the size of .
Each row of against : , , . So , second component , third . Pitfall: in the second row.
Each row of is the sum of the rows of picked out by the s of the starting row. Row 1: rows 2 and 3, . Row 2: rows 1 and 3, . Row 3: row 2, . So , entries and . Pitfall: squaring each entry, which gives back .
: row 1 of , , adds up the three rows of , giving ; row 3, , adds up rows 1 and 3, giving . So , entries and . The says that no path of length 3 leads from vertex 3 to vertex 1.
. Pitfall: , losing the sign of the product of two negatives.
. Swap the diagonal entries, change the sign of the off-diagonal entries, divide by : . Entries: and . Pitfall: forgetting to divide by the determinant.
. Pitfall: the minus sign in front of the second term, which turns into ; forgetting it gives .
Check: a product is cross-checked by recomputing another entry the other way, row against column. For the inverse, must give back the identity: row 1 of against column 2 of gives . For a determinant, redo the computation along another row or with the rule of Sarrus.
Tick the exercises you have done or want to review: a free account, no password, keeps your ticks and your right answers from one visit to the next, tells you which chapter to tackle next and lets you ask for the exercise you are missing. Create your space, an email is enough.