Properties of Determinant: Let A be a n n matrix.

(a) det( A) = det( AT ) (b) If two rows (or columns) of A are equal, then det( A) = 0 . (c) If a row (or column) of A consists entirely of 0, then det( A) = 0 Example:
1 3 1 1 0 0

Let A1 = , A2 = 2 2, A3 = 1 3 . Then, 2 4
A1 = 1 2 1 2 3 4 =1 4 3 2 = = 2 1 3 2 4
T = A1 property

(a)

A2 = A3 =

1 2 0 3

=1 2 2 1 = 0 property

(b)

0 1

= 0 3 0 1 = 0 property

(c)

(d) If B result from the matrix A by interchanging two rows (or columns) of A, then det( B ) = det( A) . (e) If B results from A by multiplying a row (or column) of A by a real number c, row i ( B ) = c row i ( A) (or col i ( B ) = c col i ( A)), for some i, then det( B ) = c det( A) . (f) If B results from A by adding c row s ( A) (or c col s ( A)) to row r ( A) (or col r ( A)) , i.e., row r ( B ) = row r ( A) + c row s ( A) (or col r ( B) = col r ( A) + c col s ( A) ), then det( B ) = det( A) Example: Let
1 A = 4 7 2 5 8 3 4 , B = 1 6 7 9 5 2 8 6 3 9

Since B results from A by interchanging the first two rows of A,

1

A = B

o e ty p pr r

() d

Example: Let
1 A = 4 7 2 5 8 3 2 , B = 8 6 9 14
r p r po e ty

2 5 8
() e

3 6 . 9

B =2 A

since col 1 ( B ) = 2 col 1 ( A)

Example: Let
1 A = 4 7 2 5 8 3 1 , B = 6 6 7 9
o ety p pr r

2 9 8
() f

3 12 . 9

A =B

since row 2 ( B ) = row 2 ( A) + 2 row1 ( A) (g) If a matrix A = [aij ] is upper triangular (or lower triangular), then det( A) = a11 a 22 a nn . (h) det( AB ) = det( A) det( B ).
1 If A is nonsingular, then det( A ) =

1 . det( A)

(i). det( cA ) = c n det( A) Example: Let

1 A = 0 0 19 2 0 45 34 . 3

det( A) =1 2 3 = 6 property (g)

Example:

Let
1 0 A = 0 0 2 4 0 0 34 98 2 0 xy 76 . 78 1

Then,
1 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 34 98 2 0 xy 76 78 1

A =

=1 4 2 1 =8 .

property (g)
Example: Let
1 A = 2 3 0 , B = 1 4 0 . 3

det( A) = 1 4 3 2 = 2, det( B ) = 0.

Thus,
det( AB ) = det( A) det( B ) = 2 0 = 0 property (h) .

and
det( A1 ) = 1 1 = property (h) . det( A) 2

Example: Let
1 A22 = 2 3 100 , 100 A = 200 4 300 400

det(100 A) = 100 2 det( A) = 10000 (2) = 20000 .

property (i)
Example: Let

a A = d g

b e h

c f if det( A) = . 7 i

Compute (i) det ( 2 A) [solution] (i)

(ii)

a b c

g h i

d e f

det ( 2 A)

] = det(12 A) = 2
(a) ]

1 1 1 = 3 = det( A) 2 (7) 56

(ii)
a b c g h i d a e =g f d b e h b h e c i f

[property

a = d 1 g

c f [interchang i

ing the 2nd and 3rd row s

= det( A) = 7

(j) For

n n square matrices P, Q, and X,

P X 0 Q = P Q =det( P ) d Q ) et(

and
0 I P Q = P =det( P ) ,

where I is an identity matrix. Example: Let

1 3 A = 0 0 2 4 0 0 34 98 2 0 24 76 0 1

Then,
1 3 0 0 2 4 0 0 34 98 2 0 24 76 0 1 1 3 22 40 0 1 = ( 4 2 3)( 2 1 0 0 ) = 2 = . 2 4

A =

property (j) Efficient method to compute determinant:

To calculate the determinant of a complex matrix A, a more efficient method is to transform the matrix into a upper triangular matrix or a lower triangular matrix via elementary row operations. Then, the determinant of A is the product of the diagonal elements of the upper triangular matrix. Example:

(1) 1 0 2 1 (2) 2 1 1 0 (3) 1 0 0 3 (4) 1 0 2 1

(1) 1 ( 2) 0 ( 4 )=2* ( 4 )+ ( 3) (3) 0 ( 4) 0 0 1 0 0 2 3 2 0 1

( 2)= ( 2) 2*(1) (3)= (3) (1) ( 4)= ( 4)+ (1)

(1) 1 0 2 1 (2) 0 1 3 2 (3) 0 0 2 2 (4) 0 0 4 2

2 =1 ( 1) (2) 6 =12 2 6

Note:
det( A + B ) is not necessarily equal to det( A) + det( B ) . For example,

1 A=B = 0

0 2 det( A + B ) = 0 1

0 = 4 2 = 1 +1 = det( A) + det( B ) . 2