Math 2030

SOLUTION
Assignment 7
(1) (Poole Section 4.2 Q2) Compute the determinant of the following matrix in two different ways:
(a) using cofactor expansion along the first row, and
(b) using cofactor expansion down the first column.
 
0 1 −1
 2 3 −2
−1 3 0

 
0 1 −1
det  2 3 −2 = 0 det A1,1 − 1 det A1,2 + (−1) det A1,3
−1 3 0
= −(2 · 0 − (−1)(−2)) + (−1)(2 · 3 − (−1)(3))
=2−9
= −7

 
0 1 −1
det  2 3 −2 = 0 det A1,1 − 2 det A2,1 + (−1) det A3,1
−1 3 0
= −2(1 · 0 − 3(−1)) + (−1)((1)(−2) − 3(−1))
= −6 − 1
= −7

(2) (Poole Section 4.2 Q14, Q11) Compute the determinants of the following matrices using co-
factor expansion along
 any row or column that seems convenient.
2 0 3 −1
1 0 2 2 
(a) 
0 −1 1 4 


2 0 1 −3
 
2 0 3 −1
1 0 2 2
det 
0 −1
 = −(−1) det A3,2
1 4
2 0 1 −3
 
2 3 −1
= det 1 2 2 
2 1 −3
= 2(−6 − 2) − 3(−3 − 4) − (1 − 4)
= −16 + 21 + 3
=8
 
a b 0
(b) 0 a b
a 0 b
2
 
a b 0 · ¸ · ¸
a b 0 b
det 0 a b = a det
  − b det
0 b a b
a 0 b
= a(ab) − b(−ab)
= a2 b + ab2
(3) (Poole Section 4.2 Q27, Q32, Q26) Evaluate the determinant of the following matrices by
inspection
 usingproperties of determinants. Explain your reasoning.
3 1 0
(a) 0 −2 5
0 0 4
This is upper triangular so the determinant is the product of the diagonal entries; 3(−2)(4) =
−24.
 
1 0 0 0
0 0 1 0
(b) 
0 1 0 0


0 0 0 1
After one row swap the matrix reduces the identity matrix. So, the determinant of this
matrix is the
  negative of the determinant of I4 . So the determinant is −1.
1 1 1
(c) 3 0 −2
2 2 2
This matrix has a zero row in its REF. Thus it is not invertible and so the determinant
is 0.