matrix

The rank of a general M N matrix is an important concept, particularly in the solution of sets of simultaneous linear equations, as discussed in the next section, and we now consider it in some detail. Like the trace and determinant, the rank of matrix A is a single number (or algebraic expression) that depends on the elements of A. Unlike the trace and determinant, however, the rank of a matrix can be defined even when A is not square. As we shall see, there are two equivalent definitions of the rank of a general matrix. Firstly, the rank of a matrix may be defined in terms of the linear independence of vectors. Suppose that the columns of an M N matrix are interpreted as the components in a given basis of N (M-component) vectors v1, v2, . . . , vN, as follows: A= v1 v2 . . . vN . Then the rank of A, denoted by rank A or by R(A), is defined as the number of linearly independent vectors in the set v1, v2, . . . , vN, and equals the dimension of the vector space spanned by those vectors. Alternatively, we may consider the rows of A to contain the components in a given basis of theM (N-component) vectors w1,w2, . . . ,wM as follows: A= w1 w2 ... wM

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It may then be shown14 that the rank ofAis also equal to the number of linearly independent vectors in the set w1,w2, . . . ,wM. From this definition it should be clear that the rank of A is unaffected by the exchange of two rows (or two columns) or by the multiplication of a row (or column) by a constant. Furthermore, suppose that a constant multiple of one row (column) is added to another row (column): for example, we might replace the row wi by wi + cwj . This also has no effect on the number of linearly independent rows and so leaves the rank of A unchanged. We may use these properties to evaluate the rank of a given matrix.