Chapter 04.

04
Unary Matrix Operations

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

1. know what unary operations are,
2. find the transpose of a square matrix and its relationship to symmetric matrices,
3. find the trace of a matrix, and
4. find the determinant of a matrix by the cofactor method.
What is the transpose of a matrix?
Let [ A] be a m n matrix. Then [B] is the transpose of the [ A] if b ji = aij for all i and j .
That is, the i th row and the j th column element of [ A] is the j th row and i th column
element of [B] . Note, [B] would be a n m matrix. The transpose of [ A] is denoted by
[ A]T .
Example 1
Find the transpose of
25 20 3 2
[ A] = 5 10 15 25
6 16 7 27
Solution
The transpose of [ A] is
25 5 6
20 10 16

[A]T =
3 15 7

2 25 27
Note, the transpose of a row vector is a column vector and the transpose of a column vector
is a row vector.
Also, note that the transpose of a transpose of a matrix is the matrix itself, that is,

([A] )

T T

04.04.1

= [A] . Also, ( A + B ) = A T + B T ; (cA) = cA T .

T

04.04.2

Chapter 04.04

What is a symmetric matrix?

A square matrix [ A] with real elements where aij = a ji for i = 1,2,..., n and j = 1,2,..., n is
called a symmetric matrix.
symmetric matrix.

This is same as saying that if [ A] = [ A]T , then [ A]T is a

Example 2
Give an example of a symmetric matrix.
Solution

6
21.2 3.2

[ A] = 3.2 21.5 8
6
8
9.3
is a symmetric matrix as a12 = a 21 = 3.2 , a13 = a31 = 6 and a 23 = a32 = 8 .
What is a skew-symmetric matrix?
A n n matrix is skew symmetric if aij = a ji for i = 1,..., n and j = 1,..., n . This is same as

[A] = [A]T .

Example 3
Give an example of a skew-symmetric matrix.
Solution

0 1 2
1 0 5

2 5 0
is skew-symmetric as
a12 = a 21 = 1; a13 = a31 = 2; a 23 = a32 = 5 . Since aii = aii only if aii = 0 , all
the diagonal elements of a skew-symmetric matrix have to be zero.
What is the trace of a matrix?
The trace of a n n matrix [ A] is the sum of the diagonal entries of [ A] , that is,
n

tr[A] = aii
i =1

Example 4
Find the trace of
15 6 7
[ A] = 2 4 2
3 2 6

Unary Matrix Operations

04.04.3

Solution
3

tr[ A] = aii
i =1

= (15) + (4) + (6)

= 17

Example 5
The sales of tires are given by make (rows) and quarters (columns) for Blowout rus store
location A , as shown below.
25 20 3 2
[ A] = 5 10 15 25
6 16 7 27

where the rows represent the sale of Tirestone, Michigan and Copper tires, and the columns
represent the quarter number 1, 2, 3, 4.
Find the total yearly revenue of store A if the prices of tires vary by quarters as follows.
33.25 30.01 35.02 30.05
[B] = 40.19 38.02 41.03 38.23
25.03 22.02 27.03 22.95

where the rows represent the cost of each tire made by Tirestone, Michigan and Copper, and
the columns represent the quarter numbers.
Solution
To find the total tire sales of store A for the whole year, we need to find the sales of each
brand of tire for the whole year and then add to find the total sales. To do so, we need to
rewrite the price matrix so that the quarters are in rows and the brand names are in the
columns, that is, find the transpose of [B] .
[C ] = [ B]T
T

33.25 30.01 35.02 30.05

= 40.19 38.02 41.03 38.23
25.03 22.02 27.03 22.95
33.25 40.19 25.03
30.01 38.02 22.02

=
35.02 41.03 27.03

30.05 38.23 22.95

Recognize now that if we find [ A][C ] , we get
[D] = [A][C ]

04.04.4

Chapter 04.04
33.25
25 20 3 2
30.01
= 5 10 15 25
35.02
6 16 7 27
30.05
1597 1965 1193
= 1743 2152 1325
1736 2169 1311

40.19
38.02
41.03
38.23

25.03
22.02
27.03

22.95

The diagonal elements give the sales of each brand of tire for the whole year,
that is
d11 = $1597 (Tirestone sales)
d 22 = $2152 (Michigan sales)
d 33 = $1311 (Cooper sales)
The total yearly sales of all three brands of tires are
3

d
i =1

ii

= 1597 + 2152 + 1311

= $5060
and this is the trace of the matrix [D] .
Define the determinant of a matrix.

The determinant of a square matrix is a single unique real number corresponding to a matrix.
For a matrix [ A] , determinant is denoted by A or det(A) . So do not use [ A] and A
interchangeably.
For a 2 2 matrix,
a12
a
[ A] = 11

a 21 a 22

det( A) = a11 a 22 a12 a 21

How does one calculate the determinant of any square matrix?
Let [ A] be n n matrix. The minor of entry aij is denoted by M ij and is defined as the
determinant of the (n 1 (n 1) submatrix of [ A] , where the submatrix is obtained by
deleting the i th row and j th column of the matrix [ A] . The determinant is then given by
n

det ( A) = ( 1) aij M ij for any i = 1, 2, , n

i+ j

j =1

or
n

det ( A) = ( 1) aij M ij for any j = 1, 2, , n

i =1

i+ j

Unary Matrix Operations

04.04.5

Coupled that with det ( A) = a11 for a 1 1 matrix [ A] , we can always reduce the determinant
of a matrix to determinants of 1 1 matrices. The number (1) i + j M ij is called the cofactor of
aij and is denoted by cij . The formula for the determinant can then be written as
n

det ( A) = aij Cij for any i = 1, 2, , n

j =1

or
n

det ( A) = aij Cij for any j = 1, 2, , n

i =1

Determinants are not generally calculated using this method as it becomes computationally
intensive for large matrices. For a n n matrix, it requires arithmetic operations proportional
to n!.
Example 6
Find the determinant of
25 5
[ A] = 64 8
144 12
Solution

1
1
1

Method 1:
3

det ( A) = ( 1)

i+ j

j =1

aij M ij for any i = 1, 2, 3

Let us choose i = 1 in the formula

3

det ( A) = ( 1)

1+ j

j =1

a1 j M 1 j

= ( 1) a11 M 11 + ( 1) a12 M 12 + ( 1) a 13 M 13
= a11 M 11 a12 M 12 + a13 M 13
1+1

1+ 2

8 1
12 1
= 4
64 1
M 12 =
144 1
= 80
64 8
M 13 =
144 12
= 384
det( A) = a11 M 11 a12 M 12 + a13 M 13
M 11 =

1+ 3

04.04.6

Chapter 04.04

Also for i = 1 ,

= 25( 4 ) 5( 80) + 1( 384)

= 100 + 400 384
= 84
3

det ( A) = a1 j C1 j
j =1

C11 = ( 1) M 11
= M 11
= 4
1+ 2
C12 = ( 1) M 12
= M 12
= 80
1+ 3
C13 = ( 1) M 13
1+1

= M 13
= 384
det ( A) = a11C11 + a 21C 21 + a31C 31
= (25)( 4 ) + (5)(80) + (1)( 384)
= 100 + 400 384
= 84
Method 2:
3

det ( A) = ( 1)

i+ j

i =1

aij M ij for any j = 1, 2, 3

Let us choose j = 2 in the formula

3

det ( A) = ( 1)

i+2

i =1

ai 2 M i 2

= ( 1) a12 M 12 + ( 1) a22 M 22 + ( 1)
= a12 M 12 + a 22 M 22 a 32 M 32
1+ 2

2+ 2

64 1
144 1
= 80
25 1
M 22 =
144 1
= 119
25 1
M 32 =
64 1
= 39
det( A) = a12 M 12 + a 22 M 22 a32 M 32
M 12 =

3+ 2

a32 M 32

Unary Matrix Operations

04.04.7

= 5(80) + 8(119) 12(39)

= 400 952 + 468
= 84
In terms of cofactors for j = 2 ,
3

det ( A) = ai 2 C i 2
i =1
1+ 2

C12 = ( 1) M 12
= M 12
= 80
2+ 2
C 22 = ( 1) M 22
= M 22
= 119
3+ 2
C 32 = ( 1) M 32

= M 32
= 39
det ( A) = a12C12 + a22C22 + a32C32
= (5)(80) + (8)( 119) + (12)(39)
= 400 952 + 468
= 84
Is there a relationship between det(AB), and det(A) and det(B)?
Yes, if [ A] and [B] are square matrices of same size, then
det( AB) = det( A) det( B)
Are there some other theorems that are important in finding the determinant of a
square matrix?
Theorem 1: If a row or a column in a n n matrix [ A] is zero, then det( A) = 0 .
Theorem 2: Let [ A] be a n n matrix. If a row is proportional to another row, then
det( A) = 0 .
Theorem 3: Let [ A] be a n n matrix. If a column is proportional to another column, then
det( A) = 0 .
Theorem 4: Let [ A] be a n n matrix. If a column or row is multiplied by k to result in
matrix k , then det( B) = k det( A) .
n

Theorem 5: Let [ A] be a n n upper or lower triangular matrix, then det( A) = aii .

i =1

Example 7
What is the determinant of

04.04.8
0
0
[ A] =
0

0
Solution

Chapter 04.04
2
3
4
5

6
7
9
2

3
4
5

Since one of the columns (first column in the above example) of [ A] is a zero, det( A) = 0 .
Example 8
What is the determinant of
2 1 6 4
3 2 7 6

[ A] =
5 4 2 10

9 5 3 18
Solution
det(A) is zero because the fourth column
4
6

10

18
is 2 times the first column
2
3

5

9

Example 9
If the determinant of
25 5 1
[ A] = 64 8 1
144 12 1
is 84 , then what is the determinant of
25 10.5 1
[B] = 64 16.8 1
144 25.2 1
Solution

Since the second column of [B] is 2.1 times the second column of [ A]

Unary Matrix Operations

04.04.9

det( B) = 2.1 det( A)

= (2.1)(84)
= 176.4

Example 10
Given the determinant of
25 5 1
[ A] = 64 8 1
144 12 1
is 84 , what is the determinant of
1
5
25
[B] = 0 4.8 1.56
144 12
1

Solution

Since [B] is simply obtained by subtracting the second row of [ A] by 2.56 times the first
row of [ A] ,
det(B) = det(A)
= 84
Example 11
What is the determinant of
5
1
25

[ A] = 0 4.8 1.56
0
0
0.7

Solution

Since [ A] is an upper triangular matrix

3

det ( A) = aii
i =1

= a11 a22 a33

= 25 (4.8) 0.7
= 84
Key Terms:
Transpose
Symmetric Matrix
Skew-Symmetric Matrix

04.04.10
Trace of Matrix
Determinant

Chapter 04.04