Department of Mathematics

Tutorial 1
MAT 291

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Question 1
Let        
4 1 0 0 2 −8 2 9
K = 1 3 2 , L = −2 0 6  , a = 1 , b = 0 .
0 2 5 8 −6 0 4 5
Find the following expressions or give reasons why they are undefined.

(i) K − KT , L − LT , aT + bT
(ii) K + KT + L − LT

Solution:
     
4 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 0
T
(i) K − K = 1 3 2 − 1 3 2 = 0 0 0 ,
0 2 5 0 2 5 0 0 0
     
0 2 −8 0 2 −8 0 0 0
L − LT = −2 0 6  − −2 0 6  = 0 0 0 ,
8 −6 0 8 −6 0 0 0 0

aT + bT = 2
     
1 4 − 9 0 5 = 18 19 ,

(ii)
       
4 1 0 4 1 0 0 2 −8 0 −2 8
T T
K + K + L − L = 1 3 2 + 1 3 2 + −2 0 6 − 2 0 −6
0 2 5 0 2 5 8 −6 0 −8 6 0
 
8 6 −16
= −2 6 16 
16 −8 10

1
Question 2
Show that if A is any square matrix, then T = 12 (A − AT ) is skew-symmetric.

Solution: We want to show T T = −T. Then

 T  T
1 1 T 1 1
TT = (A − AT ) = A − AT ; =
2 2 2 2

1
= [A + (−AT )]T
2

1 T
= [A + (−AT )T ]; (A + B)T = AT + B T
2

1 T
= [A − (AT )T ]; (−1)T = −1
2

1 T
= [A − A]; (AT )T = A
2

1
= − [A − AT ] = −T
2
We have shown that, T T = −T , i.e,T is skew-symmetric.

Question 3
Let    
0 1 1 0 −1
A = 0 −2 , B = 2 3 0 ,
2 3 0 3 4
Find the expressions or give reasons why they are undefined.

(i) The product AB is undefined since A is 3 × 2 and B is 3 × 3 and 2 ̸= 3.

 
  1 2 0  
0 0 2  −2 0 8
(ii) AT BT = 0 3 3 = ,
1 −2 3 −2 −4 6
−1 0 4

(iii) The product AB T is undefined since A is 3 × 2 and B T is 3 × 3 and 2 ̸= 3.

2
Question 4
Show that AAT is symmetric.

Solution: We want to show that (AAT )T = AAT . So,

(AAT )T = (AT )T AT = AAT ; ∵ (AB)T = B T AT and (AT )T = A

We have shown that (AAT )T = AAT , that is AAT is symmetric.

Question 5
Solve by determinants (Cramer’s Rule).

3x + 2y − 2z = 16
4x + 3y + 3z = 2
2x − y + z = 0

Solution:
3 2 −2
D= 4 3 3 = 3(3 + 3) − 2(4 − 6) − 2(−4 − 6) = 42
2 −1 1

16 2 −2
D1 = 2 3 3 = 16(3 + 3) − 2(2 − 0) − 2(−2 − 0) = 96
0 −1 1

3 16 −2
D2 = 4 2 3 = 3(2 − 0) − 16(4 − 6) − 2(0 − 4) = 46
2 0 1

3 2 16
D3 = 4 3 2 = 3(0 + 2) − 2(0 − 4) − 16(−4 − 6) = −146
2 −1 0

Therefore the solution is

96 16 46 23 146 73
x= = , y= = , z=− =−
42 7 42 21 42 21

3
Question 6
Find the values of x that satisfies the equation

x 3+x 2+x 2x + 3 3+x 2+x

C +C2
3 −3 −1 ==1===⇒ 0 −3 −1
2 −2 −2 0 −2 −2

Then,
3
(2x + 3)(6 − 2) = 0 =⇒ 3(2x + 3) = 0 =⇒ x = −
2
Question 7
Solve the equation
x 2 3
2 x+3 6 =0
3 4 x+6
Solution:
x 2 3 x−1 2 3 x−1 2 3
C +C −C3
2 x+3 6 ==1===2===⇒ x−1 x+3 6 =⇒ − x − 1 x+3 6
3 4 x+6 −x + 1 4 x+6 x−1 −4 −x − 6
1 2 3
=⇒ −(x − 1) 1 x+3 6
1 −4 −x − 6
1 2 3
R −R1
==3===⇒ −(x − 1) 0 x+1 3
R2 −R1
0 −6 −x − 9

Then
−(x − 1)[(x + 1)(−x − 9) + 18] = −(x − 1)(−x2 − 9x − x − 9 + 18)
= −(x − 1)(−x2 − 10x + 9) = (x − 1)(x2 + 10x − 9) = 0

Thus
√
p
−10 ± 100 − 4(1)(−9)
x=1 or x= = −5 ± 34
2

4
Question 8
Solve the equation
x+1 x+2 3
2 x+3 x+1 =0
x+3 1 x+2
Solution:
x+1 x+2 3 2x + 6 x+2 3 1 x+2 3
C +C +C3
2 x+3 x + 1 ==1===2===⇒ 2x + 6 x+3 x + 1 ⇒ (2x + 6) 1 x+3 x+1
x+3 1 x+2 2x + 6 1 x+2 1 1 x+2
1 x+2 3
R −R1
==3===⇒ (2x + 6) 0 1 x−2
R2 −R1
0 −x − 1 x−1

Therefore,

(2x + 6)[(x − 1) + (x + 1)(x − 2)] = 0

(2x + 6)(x − 1 + x2 − x − 2) = 0
(2x + 6)(x2 − 3) = 0
√
x = −3, x=± 3

Question 9
Factorize
1 1 1
a b c
a3 b3 c3
Solution:
1 1 1 1 0 0
C −C1
a b c ==3===⇒ a b−a c−a
C −C
a3 b3 c3 2 1 a3 b3 − a3 c3 − a3
Then,

(b − a)(c3 − a3 ) − (c − a)(b3 − a3 ) = (b − a)(c − a)(c2 + ac + a2 ) − (c − a)(b − a)(b2 + ab + a2 )

= (b − a)(c − a)(c2 + ac + a2 − b2 − ab − a2 )
= (b − a)(c − a)(c2 + ac − b2 − ab)
= (b − a)(c − a)[(c − b)(c + b) + a(c − b)]
= (b − a)(c − a)(c − b)(c + b + a)

5
Question 10
Find the inverse of  
−1 1 2
3 −1 1
−1 3 4
Solution: We know that
1
A−1 = [Ajk ]T .
det(A)
Then
det(A) = −1(−4 − 3) − 1(12 + 1) + 2(9 − 1) = 10
The minors of A are:
−1 1 3 1 3 −1
A11 = = −7, A12 = = 13, A13 == = 8,
3 4 −1 4 −1 3

1 2 −1 2 −1 1
A21 = = −2, A22 = = −2, A23 = = −2,
3 4 −1 4 −1 34

1 2 −1 2 −1 1
A31 = = 3, A32 = = −7, A33 = = −2,
−1 1 3 1 3 −1

The cofactors of A are:

C11 = −7, C12 = −13, C13 = 8
C21 = 2, C22 = −2, C23 = 2
C31 = 3, C32 = 7, C33 = −2

Therefore  
−7 −13 8
[Ajk ] =  2 −2 2
3 7 −2
and  
−7 2 3
T
[Ajk ] = −13 −2 7
8 2 −2
And    
−7 2 3 −0.7 0.2 0.3
1 
A−1 = −13 −2 7  = −1.3 −0.2 0.7 
10
8 2 −2 0.8 0.2 −0.2

6
Question 11
Solve the following set of linear equations by matrix method, i.e., find the inverse
and use it to solve Ax = b

2x1 − x2 + 3x3 = 2
x1 + 3x2 − x3 = 11
2x1 − 2x2 + 5x3 = 3

Solution We have     
2 −1 3 x1 2
1 3 −1 x2  = 11
2 −2 5 x3 3
Let  
2 −1 3
A = 1 3 −1 .
2 −2 5
Then
det(A) = 2(15 − 2) + 1(5 + 2) + 3(−2 − 6) = 9.
After calculating the minors and cofactor of A we get that
 
13 −7 −8
[Ajk ] = −1 4 2
−8 5 7

And that  
13 −1 −8
[Ajk ]T = −7 4 5
−8 2 7
So that  
13 −1 −8
1 1
A−1 = [Ajk ]T = −7 4 5
det(A) 9
−8 2 7
Thus, the solution is
        
x1 13 −1 −8 2 −9 −1
1 1
x = x2  = −7 4 5  11 =  45  =  5  .
9 9
x3 −8 2 7 3 27 3

Therefore
x1 = −1, x2 = 5, x3 = 5.

7
Question 12
Use Gauss elimination and back substitution to solve the equation
    
2 3 4 x 1
1 2 3 y  = 1
1 4 5 z 2

Solution:
     
2 3 4 1 1 3/2 2 1/2 1 3/2 2 1/2
R1 /2 R2 −R1
1 2 3 1 ===⇒ 1 2 3 1  =====⇒ 0 1/2 1 1/2
R3 −R1
1 4 5 2 1 4 5 2 0 5/2 3 3/2

   
1 3/2 2 1/2 1 3/2 2 1/2
R2 /(1/2) R3 −(5/2)R2
======⇒ 0 1 2 1  ========⇒ 0 1 2 1 
0 5/2 3 3/2 0 0 −2 −1

 
1 3/2 2 1/2
R3 /−2R2
======⇒ 0 1 2 1 
0 0 1 1/2

Now, back substitution:

1
z=
2
y + 2z = 1 =⇒ y = 0
3 1 1
x + y + 2z = =⇒ x = −
2 2 2

8
Question 13
Find the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the matrix
 
−2 2 −3
2 1 −6
−1 −2 0
Solution: The characteristic equation is
−2 − λ 2 −3
2 1−λ −6 = 0.
−1 −2 −λ
Then,
(−2 − λ)(−λ + λ2 − 12) − 2(−2λ − 6) − 3(−4 + 1 − λ) = 0
2λ − 2λ2 + 24 + λ2 − λ3 + 12λ + 4λ + 12 + 12 − 3 + 3λ = 0
λ3 + λ2 − 21λ + 45 = 0
For λ = 5, the characteristic equation become
125 + 25 − 105 − 45 = 0.
This implies 5 is a root of the equation. By long division you get that, the
eigenvalues are λ1 = 5, and λ2 = −3. To find the eigenvector corresponding
to λ1 = 5, set λ = 5 and get
    
−7 2 −3 x1 0
 2 −4 −6 x2  = 0
−1 −2 −5 x3 0
Then, by row reduction the above matrix reduces to
 
−7 2 −3
0 1 2
0 0 0
This implies
x2 + 2x3 = 0
x2 = −2x3
−7x1 + 2x2 − 3x3 = 0
−7x1 − 7x3 = 0
x1 = −x3
x3 is a free variable. Let x3 = t
Therefore      
−t −1 1
x = −2t = t −2 = t  2 
t 1 −1

9
The eigenvector corresponding to λ1 = 5 is
 
1
 2 .
−1

To find the eigenvector corresponding to λ2 = −3, set λ = −3 to find

   
1 2 −3 1 2 −3
R2 /2
2 4 −6 ======⇒ 1 2 −3
R3 /+R1
−1 −2 3 0 0 0

Therefore,

x1 + 2x2 − 3x3 = 0
x1 + 2x2 = 3x3
x1 = −2x2 + 3x3

x1 and x3 are free variables. Let x2 = k and x3 = s. Then

   
−2 3
x = k  1  + s 0
0 1

The eigenvectors corresponding to λ2 = −3 are

   
−2 3
x1 =  1  and 0
0 1

10