3.

1 Introduction to Determinants

Notation: A ij is the matrix obtained from matrix A by deleting the

ith row and jth column of A.

EXAMPLE:

1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
A= A 23 =
9 10 11 12
13 14 15 16

a b
Recall that det = ad − bc and we let deta  = a.
c d

For n ≥ 2, the determinant of an n × n matrix A = a ij  is given

by

det A = a 11 det A 11 − a 12 det A 12 + ⋯ + −1  1+n a 1n det A 1n

n
= ∑−1  1+j a 1j det A 1j
j=1

1
 1 2 0
EXAMPLE: Compute the determinant of A = 3 −1 2
2 0 1
Solution
−1 2 3 2 3 −1
det A = 1 det − 2 det + 0 det
0 1 2 1 2 0

= ______________________________ = ______

3 2 3 2
Common notation: det = .
2 1 2 1

So
1 2 0
−1 2 3 2 3 −1
3 −1 2 =1 −2 +0
0 1 2 1 2 0
2 0 1

The i, j-cofactor of A is the number C ij where

C ij = −1  i+j det A ij .

1 2 0
3 −1 2 = 1C 11 + 2C 12 + 0C 13
2 0 1

(cofactor expansion across row 1)

2
THEOREM 1 The determinant of an n × n matrix A can be
computed by a cofactor expansion across any row or down any
column:

det A = a i1 C i1 + a i2 C i2 + ⋯ + a in C in (expansion across row i)

det A = a 1j C 1j + a 2j C 2j + ⋯ + a nj C nj (expansion down

column j)

Use a matrix of signs to determine −1  i+j

+ − + ⋯
− + − ⋯
+ − + ⋯
⋮ ⋮ ⋮ ⋱

1 2 0
EXAMPLE: Compute the determinant of A = 3 −1 2
2 0 1
using cofactor expansion down column 3.

Solution
1 2 0
3 −1 1 2 1 2
3 −1 2 =0 −2 +1 = 1.
2 0 2 0 3 −1
2 0 1

3
 1 2 3 4
0 2 1 5
EXAMPLE: Compute the determinant of A =
0 0 2 1
0 0 3 5

Solution
1 2 3 4
0 2 1 5
0 0 2 1
0 0 3 5

2 1 5 2 3 4 2 3 4 2 3 4
=1 0 2 1 −0 0 2 1 +0 2 1 5 −0 2 1 5
0 3 5 0 3 5 0 3 5 0 2 1

2 1
= 1⋅2 = 14
3 5

Method of cofactor expansion is not practical for large matrices -

see Numerical Note on page 190.

4
Triangular Matrices:

∗ ∗ ⋯ ∗ ∗ ∗ 0 0 0 0
0 ∗ ⋯ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ 0 0 0
0 0 ⋱ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ⋱ 0 0
0 0 0 ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ⋯ ∗ 0
0 0 0 0 ∗ ∗ ∗ ⋯ ∗ ∗
(upper triangular) (lower triangular)

THEOREM 2: If A is a triangular matrix, then det A is the product

of the main diagonal entries of A.

EXAMPLE:
2 3 4 5
0 1 2 3
= _____________________ = − 24
0 0 −3 5
0 0 0 4

5
3.2 Properties of Determinants

THEOREM 3 Let A be a square matrix.

a. If a multiple of one row of A is added to another row of A
to produce a matrix B, then det A = det B.
b. If two rows of A are interchanged to produce B, then
det B = − det A.
c. If one row of A is multiplied by k to produce B, then
det B = k ⋅ det A.

1 2 3 4
0 5 0 0
EXAMPLE: Compute .
2 7 6 10
2 9 7 11
Solution
1 2 3 4
1 3 4 1 3 4
0 5 0 0
= 5 2 6 10 =5 0 0 2
2 7 6 10
2 7 11 2 7 11
2 9 7 11

1 3 4 1 3 4
=5 0 0 2 = −5 0 1 3 = _________ = ____.
0 1 3 0 0 2

6
 ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗
Theorem 3(c) indicates that −2k 5k 4k = k −2 5 4 .
∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗ ∗

2 4 6
EXAMPLE: Compute 5 6 7
7 6 10

Solution
2 4 6 1 2 3 1 2 3
5 6 7 =2 5 6 7 = 2 0 −4 −8
7 6 10 7 6 10 0 −8 −11

1 2 3 1 2 3
= 2−4 0 1 2 = 2−4 0 1 2
0 −8 −11 0 0 5

= 2−4115 = − 40

7
 2 3 0 1
4 7 0 3
EXAMPLE: Compute using a combination of
7 9 −2 4
1 2 0 4
row reduction and cofactor expansion.

2 3 0 1
2 3 1 2 3 1
4 7 0 3
Solution = −2 4 7 3 = −2 0 1 1
7 9 −2 4
1 2 4 1 2 4
1 2 0 4

2 3 1 1 2 4 1 2 4
=2 1 2 4 = −2 2 3 1 = −2 0 −1 −7
0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1

1 2 4
= −2 0 −1 −7 = −21 −1 −6  = − 12.
0 0 −6

8
 ■ ∗ ∗ ⋯ ∗
0 ■ ∗ ⋯ ∗
Suppose A has been reduced to U = 0 0 ■ ⋯ ∗ by
0 0 0 ⋱ ⋮
0 0 0 0 ■
row replacements and row interchanges, then
product of
−1  r
when A is invertible
det A = pivots in U
0 when A is not invertible

THEOREM 4 A square matrix is invertible if and only if

det A ≠ 0.

THEOREM 5 If A is an n × n matrix, then det A T = det A.

Partial proof (2 × 2 case)

a b
det = ad − bc and
c d

T
a b a c
det = det = ad − bc
c d b d

a b a c
⇒ det = det .
c d b d

9
(3 × 3 case)
a b c
e f d f d e
det d e f =a −b +c
h i g i g h
g h i

a d g
e h d g d g
det b e h =a −b +c
f i f i e h
c f i

a b c a d g
⇒ det d e f = det b e h .
g h i c f i

Implications of Theorem 5?
Theorem 3 still holds if the word row is replaced

with ___________________.

10
THEOREM 6 (Multiplicative Property)
For n × n matrices A and B, detAB  = det A det B .

EXAMPLE: Compute det A 3 if det A = 5.

Solution: det A 3 = detAAA  = det A det A det A 

= ______________ = ________.

EXAMPLE: For n × n matrices A and B, show that A is singular if

det B ≠ 0 and det AB = 0.

Solution: Since
det A det B  = det AB = 0

and
det B ≠ 0,

then det A = 0. Therefore A is singular.

11