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DIPLOMA COURSE IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PART 3

DBM 230: QUANTITATIVE TECHNIQUES
TOPIC ONE: MATHEMATICAL METHODS
MATRIX ALGEBRA
A matrix is a rectangular array of numbers, variables or elements. The members in the array are
known as the elements of the matrix.
A matrix is usually represented by capital letters such as A, B, P or Q, and its elements are often
enclosed in square or round brackets. The elements are separated by blank spaces and not by
commas.
The size of a matrix is defined by the number of its rows (m) and column (n).The term
dimension of a matrix is used to refer to the number of rows and columns it has and an element
is located by the number of the row and column which is occupies.
The size of a matrix is called its ‘order’. The order is specified as:
(number of rows) × (number of columns)
a b c
a b d e f 
For example =   and B =  
c d g h i 
 
are (2 x 2) and (3 x 3) matrices since A has 2 rows and 2 columns and B has 3 rows and 3
columns.
Types of matrices
Row matrix – is a matrix which has only one row.
For example (2, 2), (2, 3, -2, 5)
Column matrix – this is a matrix which has only one column.

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Square matrix – this is a matrix in which the number of rows is equal to the number of columns.
For example

Diagonal matrix – this is a square matrix that has zeros everywhere except on the main diagonal
- That is the diagonal running from the upper left to the lower right.

Identity matrix – this is a square matrix with the leading diagonal elements all equal to one and
all other elements equal to zero i.e. it is a diagonal matrix whose diagonal matrix is equal to one.
PS: If you multiply a matrix by an identity matrix, you will get the same matrix regardless if you
pre multiply or post-multiply.

Zero or null matrix – this is a square matrix where every element is zero.
Note:

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 a) When null matrix is added or subtracted from another matrix that matrix remains unchanged.
b) Pre or post-multiplying a matrix with a null matrix results in another matrix.

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Sub matrix
The sub matrix of the matrix A is another matrix obtained from A by deleting selected row(s)
and/or column(s) of the matrix A.
7 9 8
e.g, if A =  2 3 6 
1 5 0
 

 2 3 6 7 9
then A1 =   and A 2 =  
1 5 0  1 5
are both sub matrices of A
Scalar matrix – is a diagonal matrix whose diagonal elements are equal.

Triangular matrix – is a square matrix whose element a ij is equal to zero. Whenever i<j, it is
called a lower triangular matrix, whenever i>j, it is called an upper triangular matrix.

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Transpose of a Matrix - A matrix which is formed by turning all the rows of a given matrix into
columns and vice-versa. The transpose of matrix A is written AT.

OPERATIONS OF MATRICES

Matrix addition and subtraction

We can add any number of matrices (or subtract one matrix from another) if they are of the same
sizes. Addition is carried out by adding together corresponding elements in the matrices.
Similarly subtraction is carried out by subtracting the corresponding elements of two matrices as
shown in the following example
Example: Given A and B, calculate A + B and A – B
 6 1 10 5   12 4 7 3 
   
A=  3 4 2 5  B =  0 4 10 4 
 9 13 6 0   7 3 7 9 
   

 6 1 10 5  12 4 7 3   18 3 3 8 
A + B =  3 4 2 5  +  0 4 10 4  =  3 0 12 9 
 9 13 6 0   7 3 7 9   2 10 1 9 
     

 6 1 10 5  12 4 7 3   6 5 17 2
     
A-B=  3 4 2 5  -  0 4 10 4  =  3 8 8 1 
 9 13 6 0   7 3 7 9   16 16 13 9 
     

Multiplication of two matrices

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 The main rule is that, for it to be possible to multiply two matrices, the number of columns in the

first matrix should equal to the number of rows in the second. For instance, 2×2 and 2×1 can be

multiplied as the number of columns in the first matrix is equal to the number of rows in the
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second. This will give 2×1 matrix. Rule:

Illustration

A = 3×2 while B = 3 × 4 hence C = 3×4

The general method of multiplication is that the elements in row m of the first matrix are
multiplied by the corresponding elements in columns n of the second matrix and the products
obtained are then added giving a single number.

Determinant of a matrix

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 The determinant of a matrix A is denoted det (A), det A, or | A |, is a scalar/number obtained by
conducting a specific operations on the elements of a matrix. ONLY square matrices have
determinants.

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| 6 a 2×2 matrix: Illustration

For a 3×3 matrix.

There are two methods to get a determinant:
a) Artistic method
b) Co-factor method/ Laplace method

Artistic method
Note: It only works for a 3×3 matrix and cannot be extended to a 4×4 matrix or higher order
matrix.
The following steps are followed:
1) Rewrite the first two columns of the matrix to the right of the original matrix.
2) Locate the elements of the three primary diagonal P1, P2 and P3 and those of the
secondary diagonal S1, S2 and S3.
3) Multiply the elements of each primary and each secondary diagonal.
4) The determinant equals the sum of the products for these three primary diagonals minus
the product of these three secondary diagonals.
Illustration:

Given A, compute its determinant.

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