Interpreting Determinants

Gautam Sethi

Suppose we have the following 2 × 2 matrix:

 
a b
G≡ 
c d

Its determinant is written as

 
 
a b 
|G| ≡ 
 ≡a×d−b×c

 c d

To interpret what this number represents, consider the parallelogram OYZX drawn
in the figure below.

1
The vertex O of the parallelogram is the origin, the coordinates of vertex X are (a, b),
the coordinates of vertex Y are (c, d), and the coordinates of vertex Z are (a+c, b+d).
The area of parallelogram OYZX can be computed by summing up the areas of its
constituent parts:

Ar(OY ZX) = Ar(OY T X) + Ar(Y U T ) + Ar(T U ZV ) + Ar(XT V ) (1)

Note that
Ar(Y U T ) = Ar(Y ZS) − (Ar(T U ZV ) + Ar(V ZS)) (2)

and
Ar(XT V ) = Ar(XRZ) − (Ar(T U ZV ) + Ar(U RZ)) (3)

Substituting the expressions from equations (2) and (3) in equation (1) and simpli-
fying,

Ar(OY ZX) = Ar(OY T X)+Ar(Y ZS)+Ar(XRZ)−(Ar(T U ZV )+Ar(V ZS)+Ar(U RZ))

But
Ar(T U ZV ) + Ar(V ZS) + Ar(U RZ) = Ar(T RZS)

Therefore,

Ar(OY ZX) = Ar(OY T X) + Ar(Y ZS) + Ar(XRZ) − Ar(T RZS)

Also note that 4Y ZS ∼

= 4OXP and 4XRZ ∼
= 4OQY . Hence,

Ar(OY ZX) = Ar(OY T X) + Ar(OXP ) + ArOQY ) − Ar(T RZS)

and that
Ar(OY T X) + Ar(OXP ) + ArOQY ) = Ar(OQT P )

Therefore,
Ar(OY ZX) = Ar(OQT P ) − Ar(T RZS)

Thus, the area of the parallelogram OYZX is identical to the difference between the
areas of the rectangles OQTP and TRZS. What are the areas of these rectangles?
Clearly Ar(OQT P ) = a × d and Ar(T RZS) = b × c. Therefore,

Ar(OY ZX) = a × d − b × c

which is exactly the value of the determinant of G!