COPYRIGHT: NOR HAZIZAH (2021) 20/10/2021

PROPERTIES OF DETERMINANTS
Property Description Example

MAT285 1 All zero

 Zero rows
(column)
If A consists of zero row
(column), then |A| =
0.
=0

2 Repetition If Ri = Rj or Ci = Cj in A,

CHAPTER 1 : MATRICES  Two identical

rows (column)
then |A| = 0. = 0 (R2 = R3)

3 Scalar Multiple If A consists of kRi or

 A row (column) is kCi, then can move k
multiplied by a outside => k|A|
1.5 PROPERTIES OF DETERMINANT scalar

4 Scalar Multiple and If Ri = kRj, then |A| =

Repetition 0.
=> A row (column) is
a multiple of another
row (column)

1 2

PROPERTIES OF DETERMINANTS PROPERTIES OF DETERMINANTS

Property Description Example Property Description Example
5 Switching Ri  Rj 9 Product of two |AB| = |A||B| If |A| = 2 and |B| = -1,
 Interchange of insert (-)Ci  Cj matrices then |AB| = |A||B| = (2)(-1) = -2.
two rows => - |A|
(columns) 10 Power of a matrix |An| = |A|n If |A| = 3, then |A3| = |A|3 = (3)3 =
6 Sum Ri + Rj 27.
 A row (column) is (can be split into
added to another two determinants) 11 A matrix with scalar |kA| = kn|A| If |A|2x2 = 3,
row (column) multiplication where n is the order then |2A| = 22 |A| = 4(3) = 12.
of the matrix
7 Sum and scalar kRi + Rj 12 A triangular matrix |A| = a11 x a22 x a33
multiple (can be split into x…x ann
 A multiple of a two determinants)
row (column) is
added to another
row (column) 13 An inverse matrix |𝐴 | = |A|−1=
1 If |A| = 4, the |A-1| = 1/|A| = 1/4
|A|
8 Transpose of a matrix |AT| = |A| If |A| = -3 , then
|AT|= |A| = -3

3 4

1
COPYRIGHT: NOR HAZIZAH (2021) 20/10/2021

EXAMPLE 12 EXAMPLE 13

As matrix A has 2 repeated columns, i.e. C1 = C3, then

|A| = 0 (property 2)
As matrix B consists of a column which is a multiple to
another column, that is C2 = -2C1, then |B|= 0 (property 4)
As R3 in matrix C is a zero row, then |C| = 0 (property 1)

5 6

EXAMPLE 14 EXAMPLE 15

7 8

2
COPYRIGHT: NOR HAZIZAH (2021) 20/10/2021

EXAMPLE 15 EXAMPLE 16
=0

1 1 1
= =
|(𝐴𝐵) | |(𝐴𝐵)| |𝐴𝐵|

9 10

EXAMPLE 17

EXERCISE
2. C 1.5
3.

11 12