rows and columns.

[2][3] For example, the dimension of the matrix below is 2 × 3 (read "two by

three"), because there are two rows and three columns:
Provided that they have the same size (each matrix has the same number of rows and the
same number of columns as the other), two matrices can be added or subtracted element by
element (see conformable matrix). The rule for matrix multiplication, however, is that two
matrices can be multiplied only when the number of columns in the first equals the number
of rows in the second (i.e., the inner dimensions are the same, n for an (m×n)-matrix times
an (n×p)-matrix, resulting in an (m×p)-matrix). There is no product the other way round, a
first hint that matrix multiplication is not commutative. Any matrix can be multiplied element-
wise by a scalar from its associated field.
The individual items in an m×n matrix A, often denoted by ai,j, where i and j usually vary from
1 to m and n, respectively, are called its elements or entries.[4] For conveniently expressing
an element of the results of matrix operations the indices of the element are often attached to
the parenthesized or bracketed matrix expression; e.g., (AB)i,j refers to an element of a
matrix product. In the context of abstract index notation this ambiguously refers also to the
whole matrix product.
A major application of matrices is to represent linear transformations, that is, generalizations
of linear functions such as f(x) = 4x. For example, the rotation of vectors in three-
dimensional space is a linear transformation, which can be represented by a rotation
matrix R: if v is a column vector (a matrix with only one column) describing the position of a
point in space, the product Rv is a column vector describing the position of that point after a
rotation. The product of two transformation matrices is a matrix that represents
the composition of two transformations. Another application of matrices is in the solution
of systems of linear equations. If the matrix is square, it is possible to deduce some of its
properties by computing its determinant. For example, a square matrix has an inverse if and
only if its determinant is not zero. Insight into the geometry of a linear transformation is
obtainable (along with other information) from the matrix's eigenvalues and eigenvectors.
Applications of matrices are found in most scientific fields. In every branch of physics,
including classical mechanics, optics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and quantum
electrodynamics, they are used to study physical phenomena, such as the motion of rigid
bodies. In computer graphics, they are used to manipulate 3D models and project them onto
a 2-dimensional screen. In probability theory and statistics, stochastic matrices are used to
describe sets of probabilities; for instance, they are used within the PageRank algorithm that
ranks the pages in a Google search.[5] Matrix calculus generalizes classical analytical notions
such as derivatives and exponentials to higher dimensions. Matrices are used
in economics to describe systems of economic relationships.
A major branch of numerical analysis is devoted to the development of efficient algorithms
for matrix computations, a subject that is centuries old and is today an expanding area of
research. Matrix decomposition methods simplify computations, both theoretically and
practically. Algorithms that are tailored to particular matrix structures, such as sparse
matrices and near-diagonal matrices, expedite computations in finite element method and
other computations. Infinite matrices occur in planetary theory and in atomic theory. A simple
example of an infinite matrix is the matrix representing the derivative operator, which acts on
the Taylor series of a function
Matrices are commonly written in box brackets or parentheses:
The specifics of symbolic matrix notation vary widely, with some prevailing trends. Matrices
are usually symbolized using upper-case letters (such as A in the examples above), while
the corresponding lower-case letters, with two subscript indices (for example, a11, or a1,1),
represent the entries. In addition to using upper-case letters to symbolize matrices, many
authors use a special typographical style, commonly boldface upright (non-italic), to further
distinguish matrices from other mathematical objects. An alternative notation involves the
use of a double-underline with the variable name, with or without boldface style, (for
example, ).
The entry in the i-th row and j-th column of a matrix A is sometimes referred to as the i,j, (i,j),
or (i,j)th entry of the matrix, and most commonly denoted as ai,j, or aij. Alternative notations for
that entry are A[i,j] or Ai,j. For example, the (1,3) entry of the following matrix A is 5 (also
denoted a13, a1,3, A[1,3] or A1,3):
Sometimes, the entries of a matrix can be defined by a formula such as ai,j = f(i, j). For
example, each of the entries of the following matrix A is determined by aij = i − j.
In this case, the matrix itself is sometimes defined by that formula, within square
brackets or double parentheses. For example, the matrix above is defined as A =
[i−j], or A = ((i−j)). If matrix size is m × n, the above-mentioned formula f(i, j) is valid
for any i = 1, ..., m and any j = 1, ..., n. This can be either specified separately, or
using m × n as a subscript. For instance, the matrix A above is 3 × 4 and can be
defined as A = [i − j] (i = 1, 2, 3; j = 1, ..., 4), or A = [i − j]3×4.
Some programming languages utilize doubly subscripted arrays (or arrays of arrays)
to represent an m-×-n matrix. Some programming languages start the numbering of
array indexes at zero, in which case the entries of an m-by-n matrix are indexed by 0
≤ i ≤ m − 1 and 0 ≤ j ≤ n − 1.[9] This article follows the more common convention in
mathematical writing where enumeration starts from 1.
An asterisk is occasionally used to refer to whole rows or columns in a matrix. For
example, ai,∗ refers to the ith row of A, and a∗,j refers to the jth column of A. The set of
all m-by-n matrices is denoted (m, n).

Basic operations[edit]
External video

 How to organize, add and multiply

matrices - Bill Shillito, TED ED[10]

There are a number of basic operations that can be applied to modify matrices,
called matrix addition, scalar multiplication, transposition, matrix multiplication, row
operations, and submatrix.[11]

Addition, scalar multiplication, and transposition[edit]

Main articles: Matrix addition, Scalar multiplication, and Transpose