MATH211 LAB Problem Set 2: Matrix Arithmetic

Problem 1. Here are some matrices:

         
1 2 3 3 −1 2 1 2 −1 2 2
A= , B= , C= , D= , E=
2 1 7 −3 2 1 3 1 2 −3 3
Find, if possible, -3A, 3B-A, AC, CB, AE, EA. If it is not possible explain why.

1
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   
1 1   1 1 −3
1 −1 −2
Problem 2. Let A=−2 −1, B= , and C=−1 2 0 . Find,
2 1 −2
1 2 −3 −1 0
if possible, all products of 2 matrices that you can.
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Problem 3. Consider the following matrices

       
1 −2 0 −1
C1 = 2 , C2 = −4 , C3 = 1 , B = 1 
      
1 −2 1 2
Determine whether the matrix B can be written as a linear combination of the
matrices C1 , C2 , C3 and if so give a specific linear combination using the matrices
above.
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Problem 4. Find your own examples of 2 ×2 matrices, A, B, and C such that A 6=

0, B6=C, but AB = AC.
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Problem 5. Explain that if AB = AC and A−1 exists, then B=C.

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Problem 6. Give an example of matrices A,B such that neither A nor B equals zero
but AB=0.
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Problem 7. Using the inverse of the matrix, find the solution to the systems
         
1 0 3 x 1 1 0 3 x 2
1 2 3 4
   y = 2 ,
   2 2 3 4
   y = 1
 
1 0 2 z 3 1 0 2 z 0
         
1 0 3 x 1 1 0 3 x 3
3 2 3 4
   y = 0 ,
   4 2 3 4
   y = −1
 
1 0 2 z 1 1 0 2 z −2
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Problem 8. Now use A−1 from above to give the solution in terms of a, b, and c to
the system
    
1 0 3 x a
2 3 4 y  =  b .
1 0 2 z c
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Problem 9. Show that if A is an invertible n×n matrix, then so is AT and (AT )−1
= (A−1 )T .
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Problem 10. Show (AB)−1 = B−1 A−1 by verifying that AB(B−1 A−1 ) = I and B−1 A−1 (AB)
= I.
Hint: If A−1 exists for an n×n matrix, then it is unique. So if there is a matrix B
such that BA = I and AB = I then B = A−1 .
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Problem 11. Show that (ABC)−1 = C−1 B−1 A−1 by verifying that (ABC)(C−1 B−1 A−1 )
= I and (C−1 B−1 A−1 )(ABC) = I.
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0 5
Problem 12. Express A = as the product of three elementary matrices.
1 3
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−2 1 0 3 0 1
Problem 13. Let A = and B = .
−3 3 1 2 −1 0
Find an invertible matrix U so that B = UA, and then express U as a product of
elementary matrices.