ILOCOS SUR POLYTECHNIC STATE COLLEGE

SOUTH CLUSTER CAMPUS- TAGUDIN

TAGUDIN, ILOCOS SUR

TOPIC: TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS

SUBJECT: ADVANCED ALGEBRA ANT TRIGONOMETRY
REPORTER: RABABETH L. ESTRADA

COFACTOR EXPANSION

Consider an n-square matrix A= [aij]. Let Mij denote the (n-1)- square
submatrix of A obtained by deleting its ith row and jth colun. The
determinant |Mij| is called the minor of the element aij of A, and we
define the cofactor of aij, denoted by Aij, to be the signed minor:

Aij = (-1)i+j |Mij|

THEOREM: Let A = [aij] be an n x n matrix. For each i = 1,…, n,

· det(A) = ai1Ai1 + … + ainAin (expansion of det(A) along the i-th row)
· det(A) = a1iA1i + … + aniAni (expansion of det(A) along the i-th column)

Finding the determinant of a 2×2 matrix is easy: Just do the criss-cross

multiplication, and subtract:

The process for 3×3 matrices, while a bit messier, is still pretty
straightforward: You add repeats of the first and second columns to the
end of the determinant, multiply along all the diagonals, and add and
subtract according to the rule:

But for 4×4's and bigger determinants, you have to drop back down to the
smaller 2×2 and 3×3determinants by using things called "minors" and
"cofactors".

A "minor" is the determinant of the square matrix formed by deleting one

row and one column from some larger square matrix. Since there are lots
of rows and columns in the original matrix, you can make lots of minors
from it. These minors are labelled according to the row and column you
deleted. So if you were to go, say, to the a24 entry from some matrix A and
cross out the row and column that pass through that entry (that is, if you
remove the second row and the fourth column of the matrix), the
determinant of the new (and smaller) matrix is called "the minor M24".

cross out all entries sharing a

the matrix A the minor M2,4
row or column with entry a24

Once you find a minor Mij you take the subscript on the name of the
minor (the "ij" part) and add the two numbers i and j. Whatever result you
get from this addition, make this value the power on –1, so you get "+1" or
"–1", depending on whether i + j is even or odd. Then multiply this on the
minor
Mij. This gives you the "cofactor" Aij. That is:

(–1)i+j Mij = Aij

To find the determinant of the matrix A, you have to pick a row or a

column of the matrix, find all the cofactors for that row or column,
multiply each cofactor by its matrix entry, and then add all the values
you've gotten.

The resulting sum is the value of the determinant of the matrix A.

Find the determinant of the following matrix by expanding (a) along the
first row and (b) along the third column. (c) Compare the results of each
expansion.

(a) To expand along the first row, find the minors and then the
cofactors of the first-row entries: a11, a12, a13, and a14.

M11 M12 M13 M14

M11 = 0 M12 = 0 M13 = 3 M14 = 0

A11 = (–1)1+1M11 A12 = (–1)1+2M12 A13 = (–1)1+3M13 A14 = (–1)1+4M14
= (–1)2(0) = (–1)3(0) = (–1)4(3) = (–1)5(0)
=0 =0 =3 =0

So the determinant of this matrix is:

det(A)= a11A11 + a12A12 + a13A13 + a14A14

=1(0)+3(0)+(–2)(3)+1(0)
= –6

(b) To expand along the third column, find the minors and then the
cofactors of the third-column entries: a13, a23, a33, and a43.

M13 M23 M33 M43

det(A)= a13A13
=(–2)(3)
= –6

(c) Comparison: The value of the determinant is the same in each

expansion.

In the example above, we expanded by taking the 4-by-4 matrix down

to 3-by-3 determinants. But technically, you're "supposed" to go down
to 2-by-2 determinants when you "expand" by this method. That is, the
above cofactor "should" have been computed using many more steps.
Suppose you'd gone across the first row again. The first cofactor "should"
have been computed like this:

a11-entry selected minor M11

By crossing out a row and column, a new matrix is formed. Call this new
matrix "C". To find the determinant of C, expand along the first row.

c11 c12 c13

C11 C12 C13

 = (–1)2[0 – 0] = (–1)3[3 – (2)] = (–1)4[0 – 0]
= (1)[0] = 0 = (–1)[1] = –1 = (1)[0] = 0

Then the value of det(C) is given by:

(1)(0) + (0)(–1) + (–1)(0) = 0 + 0 + 0 = 0

And then:

A11 = (–1)2det(C) = (1)(0) = 0

Using this methodology, all determinants can be boiled down to finding 2-

by-2 determinants. But since you know how to find 3-by-3 determinants,
there is no need to go all the way down to 2-by-2's (unless the
instructions specifically require that you do).

As you can see from the previous example, having a "zero-rich" row or
column in your determinant can make your life a lot easier. Since you'll
get the same value, no matter which row or column you use for your
expansion, you can pick a zero-rich target and cut down on the number
of computations you need to do. Of course, not all matrices have a zero-
rich row or column. But there is a rule that can help:

If you add a multiple of one row (or column) to another row (or
column), the value of the determinant will not change.

In other words, you can do row operations on determinants, creating a

row (or column) with lots of zeroes, and you'll still get the right answer.
(You can also just multiply rows -- without the adding -- or switch rows,
but those operations will change the determinant's value. The changes
are annoying to keep track of, so try only to do the row-addition
operation.)

Here's an example...

Find the following determinant by expanding along the row or column of

your choice:

No particular row or column looks any better (easier) to expand

along than the others. Do some row- (and column-) operations first,
to get some more zeroes in the determinant.
 Then the value of the determinant is –15.

You can do the other row operations that you're used to, but they change
the value of the determinant. The rules are:

If you interchange (switch) two rows (or columns) of a matrix A to

get B,
then det(A) = –det(B).

If you multiply a row (or column) of A by some value "k" to get B,

then det(A) = (1/k)det(B).

In other words, if you multiply a row (or column) without adding it to

another row (or column), then you have to keep track of that multiplier,
and divide it off in the end. And if you switch two rows (or columns), you
have to change the sign on the answer in the end.

The trouble with these rules is that it's easy to lose track of whatever you
multiplied by and how many times you've switched rows, which is why try
to stay away from those operations. But if you're careful, these other
operations can be handy. Returning to that last determinant (above), look
at these row switches:
Two row switches, so two sign changes, which takes it right back to the
original sign. And now, expanding down the first column, we have:

By manipulating the determinant into triangular form, the value of the

determinant turned out to be the product of the values on the diagonal
(times the two sign changes, which didn't actually change anything).