Complementary Mathematics: Algebra

Fall Semester 2020/2021

Teaching assistant: Olga Bychkova
Date: 26/10/2020

Exercise Session #3
Singularity. Inverse of a square matrix. Matrix equations. Systems of linear
equations. Gauss-Jordan method of elimination. Determinant of a square
matrix. (Semi-) positive definiteness.

Definition 1. A square n × n matrix A is called non-singular or invertible if there is an

n × n matrix B such that
AB = In = BA.
Any matrix B with the above property is called an inverse of A. If A does not have an
inverse, it is called singular.
 
1 2 −1
Problem 1. For matrix A = 2 5 1  determine:
0 1 −1
(a) AT
(b) A2
(c) A−1
Remark 1. If the matrix has a full rank (i.e. rank = size of the matrix), it’s called regular
(or non-singular).
     
1 1 1 −1 0 −1 1 1 0
Problem 2. Let A = 2 2 2, B =  1 1 0 , and C = 0 1 1. Solve the
2 −1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1
following matrix equation:
AX − C = BX.

Problem 3. Find a general solution to the system of linear equations:


 x + y + 4z = 2
2y + 5z = 4
3x + 2y + 4z = −7


Definition 2.
(a) The determinant of a 2 × 2 matrix is

a11 a12
= a11 a22 − a12 a21 .
a21 a22

(b) The determinant of a 3 × 3 matrix is

a11 a12 a13

a21 a22 a23 = a11 a22 a33 + a21 a32 a13 + a12 a23 a31 − a13 a22 a31 − a12 a21 a33 − a23 a32 a11 .
a31 a32 a33

1
(c) The determinant of a 4 × 4 matrix is

a11 a12 a13 a14

a21 a22 a23 a24
=
a31 a32 a33 a34
a41 a42 a43 a44

a22 a23 a24 a21 a23 a24 a21 a22 a24 a21 a22 a23
= a11 a32 a33 a34 − a12 a31 a33 a34 + a13 a31 a32 a34 − a14 a31 a32 a33 .
a42 a43 a44 a41 a43 a44 a41 a42 a44 a41 a42 a43

Remark 2.
(a) If det(A) 6= 0, A is non-singular.
   
a11 a12 −1 1 a22 −a12
(b) If A = ,A = .
a21 a22 det(A) −a21 a11
Problem 4. Compute the determinants of the following matrices:
 
2 1
(a)
3 1
 
2 2 1
(b)  3 −1 0
−2 0 5
 
3 0 2 −1
1 2 0 −2
(c) 
4 0 6 −3


5 0 2 0
 
1 −1 2 3
2 2 0 2
(d) 
4 1 −1 −1


1 2 3 0
Definition 3. A minor of a symmetric n × n matrix A of order k is principal (denoted
by ∆k ) if it is obtained by deleting n − k rows and the n − k columns with the same
numbers. The leading principal minor of A of order k (denoted by Dk ) is the minor of
order k obtained by deleting the last n − k rows and columns.
Theorem 1. Let A be a symmetric n × n matrix. Then we have:
• A is positive definite ⇐⇒ Dk > 0 for all leading principal minors
• A is negative definite ⇐⇒ (−1)k Dk > 0 for all leading principal minors
• A is positive semi-definite ⇐⇒ ∆k ≥ 0 for all principal minors
• A is negative semi-definite ⇐⇒ (−1)k ∆k ≥ 0 for all principal minors
Problem 5. Determine the definiteness of the following matrices:
 
1 4 6
(a) A = 4
 2 1
6 1 6

2
  
3 0 3
(b) B = 0 1 −2
3 −2 8
 
−2 1
(c) C=
1 −2
 
2 0 2
(d) D = 0 4 4
2 4 6
 
−2 1 −1
(e) E =  1 −2 −1
−1 −1 −2