Determinant of a matrix

Matrix determinant

Each square matrix has a certain characteristic number called a determinant.

The determinant of a square matrix A of degree 𝑛 is a polynomial of variables 𝑎𝑖𝑗 assigned to this
matrix. If the elements of matrix A are numbers then the determinant of this matrix is a number.

Notation:
Determinant detA of a matrix A is defined inductively as follows:
1. For 𝑛 = 1, 𝐴 = 𝑎11 determinant is 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝐴 = 𝑎11
2. For 𝑛 > 1 determinant is defined as formula:
𝑛 𝑛
∗ 1+𝑖 𝑎 𝐴
𝑑𝑒𝑡𝐴 = ෍ 𝑎1𝑖 𝐴1𝑖 = ෍ −1 1𝑖 1𝑖
𝑖=1 𝑖=1

This formula is called the expansion of the determinant of matrix A with respect to the elements of
the first row.
𝐴∗𝑖𝑗 = −1 𝑖+𝑗
𝐴𝑖𝑗 is the algebraic complement of an element 𝑎𝑖𝑗 of a matrix A
𝐴𝑖𝑗 is a sub-determinant (minor) of degree 𝑛 − 1 of matrix A, obtained by deleting elements of
𝑖 −th row and 𝑗 −th column of matrix A.

Point 2 of the definition above is also called Laplace expansion.

𝑎11 𝑎12
𝑎21 𝑎22

Sarrus schema:
𝑎11 𝑎12 𝑎13
𝑎21 𝑎22 𝑎23
𝑎31 𝑎32 𝑎33
Example: Calculate determinant

2 5
6 4
Example: Calculate determinant
3 4 2
1 5 0
2 1 3
Applying the Laplace expansion to the second degree matrix we get:

𝑎11 𝑎12
𝑑𝑒𝑡𝐴 = 𝑎 𝑎22
21
∗ ∗
= 𝑎11 𝐴11 + 𝑎12 𝐴12
= 𝑎11 −1 1+1 𝐴 + 𝑎12 −1 1+2 𝐴
11 12

= 𝑎11 𝐴11 − 𝑎12 𝐴12

= 𝑎11 𝑎22 − 𝑎12 𝑎21
= 𝑎11 𝑎22 − 𝑎12 𝑎21
Example with Laplace expansion:

2 5
6 4
In an analogous manner calculated determinant of the third degree:

𝑎11 𝑎12 𝑎13

𝑑𝑒𝑡𝐴 = 𝑎21 𝑎22 𝑎23
𝑎31 𝑎32 𝑎33

∗ ∗ ∗
= 𝑎11 𝐴11 + 𝑎12 𝐴12 + 𝑎13 𝐴13

1+1 1+2 1+3

= 𝑎11 −1 𝐴11 + 𝑎12 −1 𝐴12 + 𝑎13 −1 𝐴13

= 𝑎11 𝐴11 − 𝑎12 𝐴12 + 𝑎13 𝐴13

𝑎22 𝑎23 𝑎21 𝑎23 𝑎21 𝑎22

= 𝑎11 𝑎 𝑎33 − 𝑎12 𝑎 𝑎33 + 𝑎13 𝑎 𝑎32
32 31 31

= 𝑎11 𝑎22 𝑎33 + 𝑎12 𝑎23 𝑎31 + 𝑎13 𝑎21 𝑎32 − 𝑎11 𝑎23 𝑎32 − 𝑎12 𝑎21 𝑎33 − 𝑎13 𝑎22 𝑎31
Example with Laplace expansion :
3 4 2
1 5 0
2 1 3