MATH 1003 Calculus and Linear Algebra (Lecture 10)

Albert Ku

HKUST Mathematics Department

Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 1 / 11

Outline

1 Inverse of a Matrix

2 A General Method for Finding Inverse

Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 2 / 11

 Inverse of a Matrix

Identity Matrix

Definition
The identity matrix of order n is given by the following n × n matrix:
 
1 0 ··· 0
 0
 1 ··· 0  
 0 0 ··· 0 
0 0 ··· 1

We denote the identity matrix by I .

Notice that IM = MI = M for any square matrix M
In general, if I is the identity of order n, then IM = M and NI = N
where M is an n × m matrix and N is a p × n matrix.

Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 3 / 11

 Inverse of a Matrix

Inverse of a Matrix

Definition
Let M be a square matrix of order n (i.e., n × n matrix) and I be the
identity matrix of order n. If there exists a matrix M −1 such that

M −1 M = MM −1 = I ,

then M −1 is called the inverse of M.

Theorem
   
a b −1 1 d −b
When M = , then M = where
c d D −c a
D = ad − bc, provided that D 6= 0.

Remark
D is called the determinant of M.
Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 4 / 11
 Inverse of a Matrix

Example
 
2 3
Find the inverse of .
1 1

Solution
By definition, D = 2 × 1 − 1 × 3 = −1 6= 0. By the previous theoerem, we
have  −1  
2 3 1 1 −3
=
1 1 −1 −1 2
 
−1 3
=
1 −2

Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 5 / 11

 Inverse of a Matrix

Remarks
The previous method of finding an inverse only works for 2 × 2
matrices.
For a general n × n matrix (n > 2), we need to find another method
to compute its inverse (if exists).

Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 6 / 11

 A General Method for Finding Inverse

A General Method for Finding Inverse

Theorem
Let M be an n × n matrix and I be the n × n identity matrix. If (M|I ) can
be transformed by row operation(s) into (I |B), then the resulting matrix B
is the inverse of M, that is M −1 = B.

Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 7 / 11

 A General Method for Finding Inverse

Example
Find the inverse of each of the following matrices
 
−5 −2 −2
(a)  2 1 0 
1 0 1
 
2 1 1
(b)  1 1 0 .
1 1 0

Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 8 / 11

 A General Method for Finding Inverse

Solution for (a)

   
−5 −2 −2 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1
R1 ↔R3
 2 1 0 0 1 0  −→  2 1 0 0 1 0 
1 0 1 0 0 1 −5 −2 −2 1 0 0
 
R2 +(−2)R1 →R2 1 0 1 0 0 1
R3 +5R1 →R3 R3 +2R2 →R3
−→  0 1 −2 0 1 −2  −→
0 −2 3 1 0 5
   
1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1
−R3 →R3
 0 1 −2 0 1 −2  −→  0 1 −2 0 1 −2 
0 0 −1 1 2 1 0 0 1 −1 −2 −1
 
R2 +2R3 →R2 1 0 0 1 2 2
R1 +(−1)R3 →R1
−→  0 1 0 −2 −3 −4 
0 0 1 −1 −2 −1
Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 9 / 11
 A General Method for Finding Inverse

   
1 2 2 −5 −2 −2
Therefore,  −2 −3 −4  is the inverse of  2 1 0 .
−1 −2 −1 1 0 1

Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 10 / 11

 A General Method for Finding Inverse

Solution for (b)

   
2 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1
1 ↔R3 
 1 1 0 0 1 0  R−→ 1 1 0 0 1 0 
1 1 0 0 0 1 2 1 1 1 0 0
 
R2 +(−1)R1 →R2 1 1 0 0 0 1
R3 +(−2)R1 →R3
−→  0 0 0 0 1 −1 
0 −1 1 1 0 −2

There is a row of zeroes on the left matrix and hence it is impossible to

transform it into an identity matrix by row operations. No inverse exists.

Albert Ku (HKUST) MATH 1003 11 / 11