MAT 125

Introduction to Linear Algebra

Triangular, Diagonal, and Symmetric Matrix

Mohammad Mahmud Hasan

Department of Mathematics and Physics

February 22, 2022

Outline:

• Diagonal Matrix
• Triangular Matrix
• Symmetric Matrix
Diagonal Matrix,
Diagonal Matrix: A square matrix in which all the entries off the main diagonal are zero is called a
diagonal matrix. Here are some examples:
2 0 0 0
1 0 0
2 0 0 −1 0 0 0 0
, 0 −1 0 , ,
0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 5
0 0 0 4
A general 𝑛 × 𝑛 diagonal matrix 𝐷 can be written as
𝑑1 0 0 0
0 𝑑2 0 0
𝐷= … … … …
… … … …
0 0 0 𝑑𝑛
A diagonal matrix is invertible if and only if all of its diagonal entries are nonzero; in that case the inverse is
1ൗ 0 0 0
𝑑 1
0 1ൗ 0 0
−1 𝑑
𝐷 = … …2 … …
… … … …
0 0 0 1ൗ
𝑑 𝑛
Diagonal Matrix,
Verification:
1ൗ 0 0 0
𝑑1 0 0 0 𝑑1
1 0 0 0
0 𝑑2 0 0 0 1ൗ 0 0
−1 … … … … 𝑑 0
… 1 …
… 0 0
…
𝐷𝐷 = … …2 … … = =𝐼
… … … … … … … … … … … …
0 0 0 𝑑𝑛 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 1ൗ𝑑
𝑛
Powers of diagonal matrices are easy to compute; we leave it for you to verify that if D is the diagonal matrix and k is a
positive integer, then
𝑑1 𝑘 0 0 0
𝑘 0 𝑑2 𝑘 0 0
𝐷 = … … … …
… … … …
0 0 0 𝑑𝑛 𝑘
Example 1: Inverses and Powers of Diagonal Matrices
1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
1Τ 1Τ
If 𝐴 = 0 −3 0 then 𝐴−1 = 0 −3
5
0 ,𝐴 = 0 −243 0 , 𝐴−5 = 0 −243 0
0 0 2 0 0 1Τ 0 0 32 0 0 1Τ
2 32
Triangular Matrix
Triangular Matrix A square matrix in which all the entries above the main diagonal are zero is called lower
triangular, and a square matrix in which all the entries below the main diagonal are zero is called
upper triangular. A matrix that is either upper triangular or lower triangular is called triangular.

𝑎11 0 0 0 𝑎11 𝑎12 𝑎13 𝑎14

𝑎 𝑎22 0 0 0 𝑎22 𝑎23 𝑎24
Example: 21 , 0 0 𝑎33 𝑎34
𝑎31 𝑎32 𝑎33 0
𝑎41 𝑎42 𝑎43 𝑎44 0 0 0 𝑎44

❑ A square matrix 𝐴 = 𝑎𝑖𝑗 is upper triangular if and only if all entries to the left of the main diagonal are zero; that is,
𝑎𝑖𝑗 = 0 𝑖𝑓 𝑖 > 𝑗
❑ A square matrix 𝐴 = 𝑎𝑖𝑗 is lower triangular if and only if all entries to the right of the main diagonal are zero; that is,
𝑎𝑖𝑗 = 0 𝑖𝑓 𝑖 < 𝑗

❑ A square matrix 𝐴 = 𝑎𝑖𝑗 is lower triangular if and only if the 𝑗th column starts with at least (𝑗 − 1) zeros for every 𝑗.
❑ A square matrix 𝐴 = 𝑎𝑖𝑗 is upper triangular if and only if the 𝑖 th row starts with at least (𝑖 − 1) zeros for every 𝑖.

𝑎31 = 0
𝑎13 = 0
Triangular Matrix
Theorem 1.7.1
a) The transpose of a lower triangular matrix is upper triangular, and the transpose of an upper triangular matrix is
lower triangular.
b) The product of lower triangular matrices is lower triangular, and the product of upper triangular matrices is upper
triangular.
c) A triangular matrix is invertible if and only if its diagonal entries are all nonzero.
d) The inverse of an invertible lower triangular matrix is lower triangular, and the inverse of an invertible upper
triangular matrix is upper triangular.

Proof: Try yourself

1 2 1 2 1 4
=
0 3 0 1 0 3

1 2 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 −2/3
ቤ ቤ = ቤ = ቤ
0 3 0 1 0 1 0 1/3 0 1 0 1/3
Symmetric Matrix
Symmetric Matrix: A square matrix 𝐴 is said to be symmetric if 𝐴 = 𝐴𝑇 .
Example:
1 0 0 0
3 5 −2
2 −3 0 2 0 0
, 5 1 0 ,
−3 1 0 0 3 0
−2 0 2
0 0 0 4
𝑎31 = 𝑎13
A square matrix A is symmetric if and only if
(𝐴)𝑖𝑗 = (𝐴)𝑗𝑖
for all values of 𝑖 and 𝑗

Theorem 1.7.2 If 𝐴 and 𝐵 are symmetric matrices with the same size, and if 𝑘 is any scalar, then:
(a)𝐴𝑇 is symmetric.
(b) 𝐴 + 𝐵 and 𝐴 − 𝐵 are symmetric.
(c) 𝑘𝐴 is symmetric.

Proof: Try yourself

Symmetric Matrix
Theorem 1.7.3 The product of two symmetric matrices is symmetric if and only if the matrices commute.

Proof: Let 𝐴 and 𝐵 be symmetric matrices with the same size. Then 𝐴 = 𝐴𝑇 𝑎𝑛𝑑𝐵 = 𝐵𝑇 .
We know that,
(𝐴𝐵)𝑇 = 𝐵𝑇 𝐴𝑇 = 𝐵𝐴
𝐴𝐵 will be symmetric if
(𝐴𝐵)𝑇 = 𝐴𝐵
That is possible only if
𝑨𝑩 = 𝑩𝑨
Theorem 1.7.4 If 𝐴 is an invertible symmetric matrix, then 𝐴−1 is symmetric.

Proof: Assume that 𝐴 is symmetric and invertible. Then 𝐴 = 𝐴𝑇

From Theorem 1.4.9 If A is invertible then we know that
𝐴−1 𝑇 = 𝐴𝑇 −1
We have
𝐴−1 𝑇 = 𝐴𝑇 −1 = 𝐴−1
Hence 𝐴−1 is symmetric.
Symmetric Matrix

The Product 𝑨𝑨𝑻 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝑨𝑻 𝑨 are symmetric

If 𝐴 is an 𝑚 × 𝑛 matrix, then 𝐴𝑇 is an 𝑛 × 𝑚 matrix, so the products 𝐴𝐴𝑇 and 𝐴𝑇 𝐴 are both square
matrices—the matrix 𝐴𝐴𝑇 has size 𝑚 × 𝑚, and the matrix 𝐴𝑇 𝐴 has size 𝑛 × 𝑛. Then

𝐴𝐴𝑇 𝑇 = 𝐴𝑇 𝑇 𝐴𝑇 = 𝐴𝐴𝑇
Similarly,
𝐴𝑇 𝐴 𝑇 = 𝐴𝑇 𝐴𝑇 𝑇 = 𝐴𝑇 𝐴
Hence 𝐴𝐴𝑇 and 𝐴𝑇 𝐴 are both are symmetric

Theorem 1.7.5 If 𝐴 is an invertible symmetric matrix, then 𝐴𝐴𝑇 and 𝐴𝑇 𝐴 are also invertible.

Proof: As 𝐴 is invertible then 𝐴𝑇 is also invertible. (by theorem 1.4.9)

As product of two invertible matrix is invertible (theorem 1.4.6) then
𝐴𝐴𝑇 and 𝐴𝑇 𝐴 are also invertible.
Homework:

Exercise Set: 1.7

2,5-6, 9-14, 16-28,34,36,44,47, All true false exercise