Linear Algebra through Matrices; Lecture 04B, 05 April

Department of Mathematics and Statistics Indian Institute of Technology - Kanpur

Elementary Matrices and RREF

1 Elementary Matrices
During solving a linear system, we have observed that we need to make row operations. We define
them now.

Definition 1.1. A matrix E ∈ Mn (C) is called an elementary matrix if it is obtained by applying

exactly one elementary row operation to the identity matrix In . They are of the form Ei (c), Eij (c)
and Eij , where c 6= 0, and they, respectively, correspond to multiplying the i-th row by c, replacing
the i-th row by i-th row plus c times the j-th row and interchanging the i-th and j-th rows.

Notation Operations on Elementary Row Opera- Elementary Matrix

Equations tions for n=3
 
1 0 0
 
E2 (c), c 6= 0 Multiply the 2-th A[2, :] ← cA[2, :] 0
 c 0
row by c 0 0 1
 
1 0 0
 
E21 (c), c 6= 0 Replace 2-nd row by A[2, :] ← A[2, :] + cA[1, :] c
 1 0
2-nd row plus c-times 0 0 1
1-st row
 
1 0 0
 
E23 Interchange 2-nd and Interchange A[2, :] and A[3, :] 0 0 1
 
3-rd rows 0 1 0
 
1 2 5
 
Example 1.2. Let A = 
0 .
−1 0
−1 1 0
   
1 0 0 1 2 5
   
1. Then E2 (5) = 0 5 0 and E2 (5)A =  0 −5
  
.
0
0 0 1 −1 1 0
   
1 −5 0 1 7 5
   
2. Then E12 (−5) = 
0 1 0 and E12 (−5)A =  0
 
.
−1 0
0 0 1 −1 1 0
 2

   
0 0 1 −1 1 0
   
3. Then E13 =
0 1 0 and E13 A =  0 −1 0.
  
1 0 0 1 2 5

When we solve a linear system, we multiply them on the left as different equations correspond to
different rows of the augmented matrix.
If we multiply these elementary matrices on the right then they correspond to column transforma-
tions. Note the change in the idea of Eij (c)!!   
1 10 5 1 −3 5 5 2 1
     
AE2 (5) =  0 −5 0, AE12 (−5) =  0 −1
  
 and AE13
0 =
0 −1 0 .

−1 5 0 −1 6 0 0 1 −1
Further, we observe
 that     
1 0 0 1 5 0 0 0 1
−1 −1 −1
     
(E2 (5)) = 0 1/5 0, (E12 (−5)) = 0 1
  
 and (E13 ) = E13
0 =
0 1 0.

0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

Is every elementary matrix (of arbitrary size n × n) invertible ? Think about it.

2 Row Reduced Echelon Form (RREF)

Definition 2.1. Two matrices A and B are said to be row equivalent if one can be obtained from
the other by a finite number of elementary row operations (elementary matrices being multiplied
on the left). That is, there exist elementary matrices E1 , . . . , Ek such that A = E1 E2 · · · Ek B or
there exist elementary matrices F1 , . . . , Ft such that B = F1 F2 · · · Ft A.

Note that A = E1 E2 · · · Ek B ⇔ Ek−1 Ek−1

−1
· · · E1−1 A = B. So, t = k, Ft = E1−1 and so on.
Now, let us try to understand the row-reduced echelon form . So, recall the row echelon form of a
matrix.
A matrix is in row echelon form (REF) (ladder like/staircase)

1. if the zero rows are at the bottom;

2. if the pivot of the (i + 1)-th row, if it exists, comes to the right of the pivot of the i-th row.

3. if the entries below the pivot in a pivotal column are 0.

Definition 2.2. A matrix C is said to be in row-reduced echelon form (RREF) or A is said

to be a row-reduced echelon matrix if

1. C is already in echelon form,

2. the pivot of each non-zero row is 1,

 3

3. every other entry in each pivotal column is zero.

Example 2.3. 1. The following matricesare in RREF. 
    1 0 0 5  
0 1 0 −2 0 1 3 0   1 1 0 0 0
    0 1 0 6  
, 0 0 0 1 ,  0
 and  0
.
0 0 1 1    0 0 1 0
 0 1 2 
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
 
0 0 0 0
Note that if we look at the pivotal rows and columns then I2 is present in the first two matrices
and I3 is there in the next two. Also, the subscripts 2 and 3 correspond to the number of
pivots.
2. The
 following matrices
  are not inRREF
 (determinethe rule(s) that fail).
0 3 3 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 3 1
     
, 0 ,
0 0 0 1  0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .
   
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0
Even though, we have two pivots in examples 1 and 3, the matrix " I2#doesn’t appear as a
3 0
submatrix in pivotal rows and columns. In the first one, we have as a submatrix and
0 1
" #
1 1
in the third the corresponding submatrix is .
0 1

Important: Thus, observe that if A is in RREF and has r pivots then the matrix Ir is seating
inside the RREF as a submatrix.
So, look at the above examples and note that the matrices which are in RREF, have the above
property. For the matrices which are NOT in RREF, this property doesn’t hold.