Linear Algebra Workbook

Table of Contents

Determinants .............................................................................................................................2
Determinants .........................................................................................................................2
Rules of Determinants ...........................................................................................................3
More Rules of Determinants..................................................................................................7
Cramer's rule ..........................................................................................................................8
The Adjoint Matrix .................................................................................................................9
Geometrical Applications of Determinants .........................................................................11
 Linear Algebra Workbook

Determinants

Determinants
Questions:
Evaluate the following determinants:
a b 5 2 4 −1.5
1) 2) 3)
c d −7 3 2 −1

1 0 2 2 1 1 2 1 1
4) 4 1 8 5) 0 2 −1 6) 3 −2 5
2 0 3 1 0 0 0 2 0

1 0 0 0 1 0 2 5 4 0 0 5
1 2 0 0 −2 0 −6 0 1 7 2 4
7) 8) 9)
1 2 3 0 5 3 −7 4 4 0 0 0
1 2 3 4 2 0 5 44 1 4 −1 1

1 9 8 3 4 4 0 7 5 0
3 0 −5 0 2 0 0 3 0 0
10) 2 −4 1 0 3 11) −7 2 1 5 9
4 1 7 0 2 3 0 4 2 −1
0 0 1 0 0 −5 0 −8 −3 2

Answer Key:
1) ad − bc 2) 29 3) -1 4) -1
5) -3 6) -14 7) 24 8) 234
9) -300 10) 9 11) 6
 Linear Algebra Workbook

Rules of Determinants
Questions:
1) Evaluate the following 4  4 determinants [3 of them] by using row operations:
1 3 0 2 1 3 3 −4 1 −1 −3 0
− 2 −5 7 4 0 1 2 −5 1 0 2 4
a. b. c.
3 5 2 1 2 5 4 −3 −1 2 8 5
2 2 2 −1 −1 −2 −1 −1 3 − 1 −2 3

Evaluate the following 5  5 determinants [3 of them] by using row operations:

1 3 0 2 1 3 3 −4 1 −1 −3 0
− 2 −5 7 4 0 1 2 −5 1 0 2 4
d. e. f.
3 5 2 1 2 5 4 −3 −1 2 8 5
2 2 2 −1 −1 −2 −1 −1 3 − 1 −2 3

Evaluate the following determinants:

2 5 − 3 −1 −1 2 3 0 2 5 4 1
3 0 1 −3 3 4 3 0 6 12 10 3
2) 3) 4)
− 6 0 −4 9 5 4 6 6 6 −2 −4 0
6 15 −7 −2 3 4 7 3 −6 7 7 0

5) Prove (without computing) that the following three determinants are all zero:
1 0 2 1 2 3 12 15 18
a. 7 0 12 b. 4 5 6 c. 13 16 19
3 0 2 5 7 9 14 17 20
 Linear Algebra Workbook

6) Prove (without computing) that the following three determinants are all zero:
y+z z+x y+x a a+x a+ y
a. x y z b. b b + x b + y
1 1 1 c c+x c+ y

3 −1 4 5 0 1 −12
−14 4 1 −4 1 8 4
sin 2 x cos 2 x 1 3 5 −2 0 −4 1 −3
c. 2
sin y cos y 1 2 d. −4 2 1 1 0 6 −6
sin 2 z cos 2 z 1 −21 2 3 4 5 6 1
2 −5 7 −4 2.5 −1 −1.5
−11 2 −6 9 −1 3 4

a b c
Given that: d e f = 4 , evaluate the following determinants:
g h i

a g +d 2d 2a − 3d 2d g + 4a 0 g + 3d 3a a + 3d
7) b h+e 2e 8) 2b − 3e 2e h + 4b 0 h + 3e 3b b + 3e
9)
c i+ f 2f 2c − 3 f 2f i + 4c 0 i+3f 3c c + 3 f
1 0 0 0

Evaluate the following determinants:

1 1 1 k
1
x2 x3 1 k 1 
2 1 x
1 a a  1 1
1 y y2 y3
10) 1 b b 2 11) 12) det 1 1 k 1 1 
1 z z2 z3  
1 c c2 1 k 1 1 1 
1 t t2 t3  k 1 1 1 1 
 Linear Algebra Workbook

( )
Evaluate the determinant det ( A) , where A = aij is the n  n matrix, given by:

1 i = j =1 j i = j +1
0 
 i = j 1 14) aij = n i = 1, j = n
13) aij =  0
j i j  otherwise
− j i j
1 i + j = n +1 a i= j
15) aij =  16) aij = 
0 otherwise b otherwise

Evaluate the following determinants:

1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
1 3 3 3 3 3 3 
1 1 1 1  
1 1 
2 
3 6 6 6 6 6
 2 2  
1 3 6 9 9 9 9
17) . det 1 2 3 3 . 18) det  
  1 3 6 9 12 12 12 
   
1 2 3 n  1 3 6 9 12 15 15 
 
 
1 3 6 9 12 15 3( n − 1) 

( )
19) Evaluate the determinant det ( An n ) , where An  n = aij is the n  n matrix, given by:
a i= j
b i = j +1

aij = 
c j = i +1
0 otherwise

a b c d e a b c d e
f g h i j f g h i j
20) Evaluate the following: k l m n o + k l m n o
p q r s t p q r s t
2a + 1 −2b 1 x y −a − 1 3b c − 1 d − x e − y
Linear Algebra Workbook

Answer Key:
1) a. 0 b. 0 c. 3 d. 24 e. 44 f.104
2) 120
3) 114
4) 6
5) Proved as shown in the video.
6) Proved as shown in the video.
7) -8
8) 16
9) -36

10) (b − a )( c − a )( c − b )
11) ( y − x )( z − x )(t − x )( z − y )(t − y )(t − z )
( k − 1) ( k + 4 )
4
12)

13) 1 2  3  4  ...  n = n!

( −1)
n −1
14) n!
n ( n+1)
15) ( −1) 2

16)  a + ( n − 1) b  ( a − b )
n −1

17) 1

18) 2  3n−2 1
19) Dn = −1 + 2n +1

20) 0
Linear Algebra Workbook

More Rules of Determinants

Questions:
1) Given that A and B are 3  3 matrices satisfying | A | = 4, | B | = 2 .
Evaluate the following determinants:

a. ABA−1 BT b. 4A2 B 3 c. − A−2 BT A3 d. −2 A2 AT adjB

2) Given: ( PQ)−1 APQ = B . Prove: | A | = | B | .

3) Let A and B be invertible matrices of order 4, such that 2 AB + 3I = 0 , | A | = 2 .

Compute | B | .

4) Let A and B be invertible matrices of order 3, such that A + 3B = 0 , B 2 − 2 A−1 = 0 .

Compute: | A |, | B | .

adj ( Ann ) =| A |n −1
1
5) Prove: | A −1 | =
| A|
6) Let A be an antisymmetric matrix of odd order. Prove that | A | = 0 .

7) Given: A , B are matrices of order n , B is invertible, | A | = 128 , 2 AB = BT A2 . Find n .

1 
8) Given: det ( Ann ) = 2, det ( Bnn ) = 13 . Compute: det  B − n A2 n  .
3 

Answer Key:
1) a. 4 b. 213 c. -8 d. −211
2) Proved as shown in the video.
81
3) B =
32
2  2
4) y = − = B , x = −27   −  = 18 = A
3  3
5)-6) Proved as shown in the video.
7) n=7
8) 4n
 Linear Algebra Workbook

Cramer's rule
Questions:
Solve, using Cramer’s Rule, the systems:
 x + 2 z + 5t = 8
x + z = 3  −2 x − 6 y = − 8
x + 2 y = 5  
1)  2) 4 x + y + 8 z = 21 3) 
3 x + 4 y = 11 2 x + 3z = 8 5 x + 3 y − 7 z + 4t = 5
  2 x + 5 y + 44 z = 51

kx + y + z + t + r = 1
x + ky + z + t + r = 1
4) Consider the following system of equations: x + y + kz + t + r = 1 .
x + y + z + kt + r = 1
x + y + z + t + kr = 1

a. For which values of k does the system have a unique solution?

1
b. For which value of k does the system have a unique solution with x = ?
2
1
c. Is there a value of k such that the system has a unique solution with x = ?
5
d. Prove that if the system has a unique solution, then x = y = z = t = r .

Answer Key:
1) x = 1, y = 2
2) x = 1, y = 1, z = 2
3) x = 1, y = 1, z = 1, t = 1
4) a. The system has a unique solution only if k  1 , k  −4
b. k = −2
c. No value of k
d. Proved as shown in the video
Linear Algebra Workbook

The Adjoint Matrix

Questions:
1 2 
1) Given the 2  2 matrix A =   . Compute adj ( A) and use it to compute A−1 .
3 4 

2 1 1 
2) Given the 3  3 matrix A =  0 2 −1 . Compute adj ( A) and use it to compute A−1 .
 
 5 2 3 

1 0 1 0
0 1 0 0 
3) Given the 4  4 matrix A =  . Compute adj ( A) and use it to compute A−1
1 0 1 1
 
0 0 1 1

 −9 26 −1 14 10 
 13 −7 87 4 0 
 
4) Given the 5  5 matrix A =  71 35 3 0 0  .
 
 17 2 0 0 0
 2 0 0 0 0 

( )1,5 .
Compute ad ( A)1,5 , and use it to compute A−1

5) Solve the following:

a. Let A be a square matrix with det ( A) = 1 . Prove that if all the elements of A are
integers, then the elements of A−1 are integers too.
b. Let A be an invertible lower-triangular matrix.
Prove that A−1 is also lower-triangular.
c. Prove that if A is invertible then so are adj ( A) and AT .
d. If matrices A, B are invertible but C, D aren’t, which of these is invertible:
i. C + D ii. A + B iii. AD iv. CD v. AB
Linear Algebra Workbook

6) Find the values of k for which the following matrix is non-invertible:

 4 0 7 5 0
 0 0 3k 0 0 

 −7 k 2 2 4k k 9+ k
 
 3 0 4 2 −1
 −5 0 −8 −3 2 

Answer Key:
 −2 1
1) 1.5 − 0.5
 
2) 1
3) -1
1
4)
2
5) a-c. Solution in the recording. d. AB
6) The matrix is non-invertible if and only if k = 0 .
Linear Algebra Workbook

Geometrical Applications of Determinants

Questions:
1) Answer the following:
a. Compute the area of the parallelograms whose vertices are given below:

i. ( 0,0) , (5, 2) , ( 6,5) , (11,6 ) ii. ( −1,0) , ( 0,5) , (1, −4 ) , ( 2,1)

b. Compute the volume of the tetrahedron with vertices:

( 0,0,0) , (1,0, −2) , (1, 2, 4) , (7,1,0)

c. Find the equation of the plane passing through the points:

(3,3, −2) , ( −1,3,1) , (1,1, −1)

d. Compute the area of the triangle with vertices: (1, 2) , ( 3, 4 ) , ( 5,8) .

Answer Key:
1) a. i. 13; ii. 14
b. 22
c. 3x − y + 4z + 2 = 0
d. 2