The University of Sydney

MATH1002 Linear Algebra

Semester 1 Preparatory Exercises for Week 9 2023

Answers are provided below.

Important Ideas and Useful Facts:
(i) The determinant of a 1 × 1 matrix [a] is simply the entry a.
   
a b a b 
(ii) The determinant of a 2 × 2 matrix A = is det(A) =  = ad − bc.
c d c d
(iii) Expanding along any row or down any column of a square matrix A produces the same real number,
called the determinant of A, denoted by det(A) (or det A) or |A|:
If A = [ai,j ] is an n × n matrix, then
n
X n
X
det(A) = ai,k Ci,k = ak,j Ck,j ,
k=1 k=1

where Cij = (−1)i+j det Aij is the (i, j)-cofactor of A, and Aij is the (i, j)-minor of A, defined as the
(n − 1) × (n − 1) matrix obtained from A by removing row i and column j.
(iv) A quick way to remember the signs is the following “checkerboard” pattern
 
+ − + − ···
− + − + · · ·
 
+ − + − · · ·
 
− + − + · · ·
.. .. .. .. . .
 
. . . . .

(v) If A is triangular, in the sense that all entries above or below the diagonal are zero, then det(A) is the
product of the diagonal elements.
(vi) A is invertible if and only if det(A) ̸= 0.
(vii) Multiplicative property of the determinant: For any n × n matrices A and B, we have

det(AB) = det(A) det(B).

(viii) If A is invertible then det(A−1 ) = 1

det(A) .

(ix) Recall that the transpose AT of a matrix A is the matrix obtained by interchanging rows and columns
of A. Since the determinant of a matrix can be computed by expanding along any row or column of
the matrix, taking the transpose of a matrix does not change its determinant. That is,

det AT = det A.

(x) If B is obtained from a matrix A by swapping two rows of A then

det(B) = − det(A).

(xi) If B is obtained from a matrix A by adding a scalar multiple of one row of A to another row of A, then

det(B) = det(A).

(xii) If B is obtained from a matrix A by multiplying a row of A by a scalar µ ∈ R, then

det(B) = µ det(A).

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 (xiii) If A is an n × n matrix, then det(kA) = k n det(A).
(xiv) Let A be an n × n matrix. The system Ax = b has a unique solution if and only if det(A) ̸= 0.

(xv) Let A be a square matrix, x a nonzero column vector, and λ a scalar such that

Ax = λx.

Then λ is called an eigenvalue of A, and x is called an eigenvector of A corresponding to the eigenvalue

λ. An n × n matrix has at most n distinct eigenvalues.

(xvi) A scalar λ is an eigenvalue of a square matrix A if and only if

det(A − λI) = 0.

(xvii) The expression det(A − λI) is a polynomial in λ and is called the characteristic polynomial of A. The
equation det(A − λI) = 0 is called the characteristic equation of A. The eigenvalues of a matrix are
precisely the solutions to its characteristic equation.
(xviii) The characteristic polynomial of an n × n matrix is a degree-n polynomial, and so it has at most n
distinct roots. Therefore, an n × n matrix has at most n distinct eigenvalues.

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Preparatory Exercises:

1. Use elementary row operations to find the following:

   
 2 4 6   −4 3 3 
  
(i)  7 11 6  (ii)  8 7 3 

 −6 −6 12   4 3 3 

2. Let A be a 2 × 2 matrix. Given that det(A) = 2, calculate:

(i) det(AT ); (ii) det(A−1 ); (iii) det(−A); (iv) det(3A); (v) det(A6 )
3. Find Av and Aw, where      
1 4 1 −1
A= , v= , w= .
4 1 1 1
By inspection, write down the two eigenvalues of A.
 
1 0
4. Find the eigenvalues of the matrix A = .
0 2

5. For each of the following matrices A, find the characteristic polynomial det(A − λI) and its roots.
Hence, state the eigenvalues for each of these matrices.
     
1 0 0 −1 −1 3
(i) A = (ii) A = (iii) A =
0 2 −1 0 2 0

3
Answers:

1. (i) 0; (ii) −96.

2. (i) 2; (ii) 12 ; (iii) 2; (iv) 18; (v) 64
   
5 3
3. Av = = 5v and Aw = = −3w. So the eigenvalues of A are 5 and −3.
5 −3

4. The eigenvalues of A are solutions to the equation 0 = det(A − λI) = (1 − λ)(2 − λ), so the eigenvalues
of A are 1 and 2.
5. (i) Characteristic polynomial is det(A − λI) = (λ − 1)(λ − 2). Roots are λ = 1, 2.
(ii) Characteristic polynomial is det(A − λI) = (λ + 1)(λ − 1). Roots are λ = −1, 1.
(iii) Characteristic polynomial is det(A − λI) = (λ + 3)(λ − 2). Roots are λ = −3, 2.

Copyright © Some of these tutorial exercises have been adapted from A First Course in Linear Algebra by David Easdown
and from Linear Algebra: A Modern Introduction, 4th Edition by David Poole.