Matrix Topics - Notes and Formulas
1. Inverse of a Matrix by Elementary Transformation
The inverse of a square matrix A exists if and only if A is non-singular (det(A) is not equal to 0). It
can be found using the Gauss-Jordan Method, which involves:
1. Forming the augmented matrix [A | I], where I is the identity matrix of the same order as A.
2. Using row operations to transform [A | I] into [I | A^-1].
3. A^-1 is obtained when the left part of the augmented matrix becomes the identity matrix.
2. Rank of a Matrix
The rank of a matrix A is the maximum number of linearly independent rows or columns in A. It can
be determined using:
- Normal Form: Reduce the matrix to its normal form (or reduced row echelon form) using row
operations.
- Echelon Form: Transform the matrix into an upper triangular form where the leading coefficient of
each non-zero row is 1, and all rows below each leading 1 contain zeros.
3. System of Equations
A system of linear equations can be written as AX = B, where A is the coefficient matrix, X is the
variable matrix, and B is the constant matrix. Solutions can be found using methods like:
- Gauss Elimination Method
- Gauss-Jordan Method
- Matrix Inversion Method
4. Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
For a square matrix A, a non-zero vector v is called an eigenvector if it satisfies the equation:
A * v = lambda * v, where lambda is a scalar known as the eigenvalue corresponding to v.
To find eigenvalues, solve the characteristic equation det(A - lambda*I) = 0, where I is the identity
matrix of the same order as A.
5. Cayley-Hamilton Theorem
The Cayley-Hamilton theorem states that every square matrix A satisfies its own characteristic
equation. If the characteristic equation of A is det(A - lambda*I) = 0, then A satisfies this equation as:
p(A) = 0, where p(lambda) is the characteristic polynomial.
6. Diagonalization of a Matrix
A square matrix A is diagonalizable if it can be written as A = P * D * P^-1, where D is a diagonal
matrix and P is a matrix of linearly independent eigenvectors of A.
Steps to diagonalize a matrix:
1. Find the eigenvalues of A.
2. Find the corresponding eigenvectors.
3. Form the matrix P using the eigenvectors as columns.
4. Construct D as a diagonal matrix with eigenvalues along the diagonal.
