Steven Chai

8-Tues.

Critical Thinking Questions (CTQs)

X

1) Find two 2x2 matrices

that

[ ]

[ ]

y
x

and

[ ]

) can represent

y
x

and

x
y

4 2
2 4

(or just any two matrices in form

Y , with not all

][

4 4 2 = 2 4 + 4 (2) 2 ( 2 ) + 4(4) = 16 20
2
2 4
4 4 + 2(2) 4 ( 2 ) +2(4) 20 16

YX=

][

4 2 +2( 4) 2 ( 2 ) +4 (4) 16 20
4 2
2 4

=
=
2 4
4 2
4 4 +2(2) 2 ( 4 ) +4 (2) 20 16

XY =YX .

Therefore,
2) Suppose

and

XY =YX .

[ ] [ ] [ (( ))
( )
[ ][ ][()

XY = 2
4

BA

[ ]

2 4
4 2

elements equal, such that

And

Y , with not all elements equal, such

XY =YX .

The matrices

x
y

and

is a 2x3 matrix and

is a 3x2 matrix. Are

AB

equal? Explain your reasoning. Include examples.

Matrix multiplication is not commutative. In the above problem,

BA

and

are indeed not equal. Given that

3x2 matrix,

AB

and

BA

AB

is a 2x3 matrix and

and
is a

are indeed unequal. By the Dimensions of a

Product Matrix Property, described by Prentice Hall Mathematics: Algebra

2, If matrix

is an

m n

matrix and matrix

matrix, then the product matrix

substitute

AB

for

XY , then

XY

is an

m p

m p

is an

n p

matrix. If we

is equal to 2x2. However, If we

substitute

BA

for

XY , then

m p

is equal to 3x3. Therefore, even

the dimensions of the product matrices are different! Thus, since the

A B

dimensions of the product matrices of

AB

then the product matrices

Example 1:

3 2 3
2 3 2

A= 1 1 1
1 1 1

BA

and

and

[ ]

[ ]

AB=

2 3
B= 2 3
2 3

are not equal,

cannot be equal.

AB= 3 3
3 3

1 1
B= 1 1
1 1

B A

[ ]

[ ]

2 2 2
BA= 2 2 2
2 2 2

AB BA

Example 2:

A=

12 13 12
BA= 12 13 12
12 13 12

16 24
14 21

AB BA

3) Explain why you want to represent a transformation as a matrix.

You want to represent a transformation as a matrix, because it is easier to
solve for the transformed elements of the matrix. For instance, for all
translations, to translate to the right

units, just add

values of the first row; to translate to left

units, just add

to all of the values of the second row; to translate down

just subtract

to all of the

units, just subtract

from all of the values of the first row. To translate up

units,

from all of the values of the second row. All dilations of

scale factor can be solved by using scalar multiplication of the

preimage by

x . All rotations can be calculated by matrix multiplication:

for rotations of 90 degrees counterclockwise, multiply the coordinates of

all the points of the preimage by

0 1
1 0

; for rotations of 180 degrees,

just multiply by

0 1
1 0

1 0
0 1

; for rotations of 270 degrees, multiply by

; and for rotations of 360 degrees, you can multiply the original

[ ]
1 0
0 1

matrix by

. For reflections as well, matrix multiplication may be

used. A reflection in the y-axis can be represented by multiplying by

1 0
0 1

; a reflection in the x-axis can be represented by multiplying by

the matrix

1 0
0 1

by multiplying by

; a reflection in the line

[ ]
0 1
1 0

y=x

can be represented

; and a reflection in the line

represented by multiplying by

0 1
1 0

y=x

can be

. Thus, solving transformations

with matrices is very easy, and so you would want to represent a

transformation as a matrix.