The determinant of a matrix For a given matrix A, the determinant detA (like the trace) is a single number (or

or algebraic expression) that depends upon the elements of A. Also like the trace, the determinant is defined only for square matrices. If, for example, A is a 3 3 matrix then its determinant, of order 3, is denoted by detA = |A| = ______ A11 A12 A13 A21 A22 A23 A31 A32 A33 ______ , (1.43) i.e. the round or square brackets are replaced by vertical bars, similar to (large) modulus signs, but not to be confused with them. In order to calculate the value of a general determinant of order n, we first define that of an order-1 determinant.We would not normally refer to an array with only one element as a matrix, but formally it is a 1 1 matrix, and it is useful to think of it as such for the present purposes. The determinant of such a matrix is defined to be the value of its single

entry. Notice that, although when it is written in determinantal form it looks exactly like a modulus sign, |a11|, it must not be treated as such, and, for example, a 1 1 matrix with a single entry 7 has determinant 7, not 7. In order to define the determinant of an n n matrix we will need to introduce the notions of the minor and the cofactor of an element of a matrix. We will then see that we can use the cofactors to write an order-3 determinant as the weighted sum of three order-2 determinants; these, in turn, will each be formally expanded in terms of two order-1 determinants.10 The minor Mij of the element Aij of an N N matrix A is the determinant of the (N 1) (N 1) matrix obtained by removing all the elements of the ith row and j th column of A; the associated cofactor, Cij , is found by multiplying the minor by (1)i+j . The following example illustrates this.