BHATACHARYA MATHEMATICAL ACADEMY

Topic-JEE (main) entrance exam

CHAP- DETERMINANTS

POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. Determinant of order 3

| |
a1 a2 a3
We define: b1 b2 b3
c1 c 2 c 3
= a1 | |
b2 b3
c2 c3
- a2 | |
b1 b3
c1 c 2
+ a3 | |
b1 b2
c1 c 2

Note: We can expand the above determinants with respect to any row or column in the similar fashion. The
sign convention for that is as follows:

¿
+¿−¿+¿−¿+¿−¿+¿−¿+¿
¿

Usually we expand with respect to that row or column which has most number of zeroes.

2. Properties of Determinants

We assume the following properties without proof. They are true for determinants of any finite order. Also,
if property holds for rows, then it also holds for columns.

1) If all rows of a determinant are changed into columns, its value remains the same.

2) If only two rows (or columns) of a determinant are interchanged, its value changes in sign only.

3) If any two rows (or columns) of a determinant are identical (i.e., have the same elements in the same
order), its value is zero.

Note: The value of a determinant is also zero if all elements of a row (or a column) are zero.

4) If all element of a row (or column) of a determinant have a common factor k, then k can be taken out as
a factor of the determinant.

5) If each element of a row (or column) is multiplied by a non-zero number k and these products are added
to the corresponding elements of some other row (or column), then the value of the determinant remains
the same.

6) If each element of a row (or column) of a determinant is expressed as a sum of two terms, then the
determinant can be expressed as a sum of determinants.

Notations: 1) Interchanging ith row and jth column is written as: Ri ⟷ Rj

2) Multiplying elements of jth row by k and adding to the corresponding elements of ith row is written as:

Ri + k Rj.

3. Simultaneous Equations [Crammer’s Rule]

1) Two Equations in Two Variables

If a1x+b1y= c1, a2x + b2y= c2 and

D= | |
a 1 b1
a 2 b2
≠ 0,

Dx = | |
c1 b1
c2 b2
, Dy= | |
a1 c1
a2 c2
,

Dx Dy
Then : x= and y=
D D

2) Three Equations in three Variables If