Matrices and Basic Calculus

for Non-Majors – MT161

Idrissa S. A.
Amour.Idrissa@udsm.ac.tz

Inverse of Matrices
Department of Mathematics - UDSM
December 5, 2022
The inverse of a matrix
An n × n matrix A is called nonsingular (or invertible)
if there exist an n × n matrix B such that

AB = BA = In

The matrix B is called the inverse of A. If there exist

no such matrix B, then A is called singular.
2 3 −1 23
Example 1: Let A = [ ] and B = [ ]. Since
2 2 1 −1
AB = BA = I2 , we conclude that B is the inverse of A
and that A is nonsingular.
Theorem
If a matrix has an inverse, then the inverse is unique
ISA MT161 – 2022/2023 2/9
Proof: Let B and C are two inverses of A, then
BA = AC = In , we have
B = BIn = B(AC ) = (BA)C = In C = C
Notation: If the inverse of A exist we shall denote is by
A−1 . Thus
AA−1 = A−1 A = In
Theorem (Properties of the inverse)
1 If A is a nonsingular matrix, then A−1 is
nonsingular and (A−1 )−1 = A
2 If A and B are nonsingular matrices, then AB is
nonsingular and (AB)−1 = B −1 A−1
3 If A is nonsingular matrix, then (AT )−1 = (A−1 )T
ISA MT161 – 2022/2023 3/9
Proof: We prove 2 and the rest will be an exercise.

(AB)(B −1 A−1 ) = A(BB −1 )A−1 = AIn A−1 = AA−1 = In

and

(B −1 A−1 )(AB) = B −1 (A−1 A)B = B −1 In B = B −1 B = In

Therefore, AB is nonsingular. Since the inverse is

unique, we conclude that

(AB)−1 = B −1 A−1

Theorem Suppose that A and B are n × n matrices,

then AB = In if and only if BA = In . (Prove!)
ISA MT161 – 2022/2023 4/9
Practical method for an inverse
The inverse B = [bij ] of n × n matrix A = [aij ] is
obtained by solving a linear system with unknowns from
the columns of B
⎡a11 a12 . . . a1n ⎤⎥ ⎡⎢b11 b12 . . . b1n ⎤⎥ ⎡⎢1 0 ... 0⎤⎥
⎢
⎢a a . . . a2n ⎥⎥ ⎢⎢b21 b22 . . . b2n ⎥⎥ ⎢⎢0 1 ... 0⎥⎥
⎢ 21 22
⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥=⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⋮
⎢ ⋮ . . . ⋮ ⎥⎥ ⎢⎢ ⋮ ⋮ . . . ⋮ ⎥⎥ ⎢⎢ ⋮ ⋮ ... ⋮ ⎥⎥
⎢an1 an2 . . . ann ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣bn1 bn2 . . . bnn ⎥⎦ ⎢⎣0 0 ... 1⎥⎦
⎣
With Gauss-Jordan reduction, we can solve the
system at once. Because the same coefficient matrix A
applies for all columns of B.
The right hand side is formed by the columns of the In
ISA MT161 – 2022/2023 5/9
Practical method for an inverse

Algorithm:
1 Form the n × 2n matrix [A ∣ In ] obtained by
adjoining matrix In to matrix A.
2 Transform the resulted matrix to reduced row
echelon form by using elementary row operations.
3 Suppose the resulted matrix in rref is [C ∣ D]
1 If C = In , then D = A−1 .
2 If C ≠ In , then C has a row of zeros. In this case A is
singular and has no inverse.

ISA MT161 – 2022/2023 6/9

 ⎡1 1 1⎤
⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎥
Example 2: Find inverse of A = ⎢0 2 3⎥.
⎢ ⎥
⎢5 5 1⎥
⎣ ⎦
The 3 × 6 [A ∣ I 3 is
]
⎡1 1 1 1 0 1⎤
⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎥
[A ∣ I3 ] = ⎢ 0 2 3 0 1 0 ⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎢5 5 1 0 0 1⎥
⎣ ⎦
transforming into rref, we have
⎡ 1 0 0 13 − 1 − 1 ⎤
⎢ 8 2 8 ⎥
⎢ 15 1 3 ⎥
⎢ 0 1 0 −8 2 8 ⎥ = [I3 ∣ A−1 ]
⎢ 5 ⎥
⎢0 0 1
⎣ 4 0 − 41 ⎥⎦

ISA MT161 – 2022/2023 7/9

 ⎡ 13 − 1 − 1 ⎤
⎢ 8 ⎥
⎢ 15 12 83 ⎥
Ô⇒ A = ⎢− 8
−1
⎥
⎢ 5 2 81 ⎥
⎣ 4 0 −4⎦
⎢ ⎥
Theorem: An n × n matrix is nonsingular if and only if
it is row equivalent to In .
Linear systems and inverses If A is an n × n matrix,
the linear system A⃗x = b⃗ is has n equations in n
unknowns. Suppose A is nonsingular, then A−1 exists

x ) = A−1 b⃗
A−1 (A⃗
x = A−1 b⃗ Ô⇒ x⃗ = A−1 b⃗
(A−1 A)⃗
±
In

Thus if A is nonsingular, we have a unique solution.

ISA MT161 – 2022/2023 8/9
Example 3: Find solution for linear system A⃗ ⃗
x = b,
where A is the matrix in example 2 above and
T
b⃗ = [4 7 16] .
Using the inverse of A, we can define solution x⃗ as
⎡ 13 − 1 − 1 ⎤ ⎡ 4 ⎤ ⎡1⎤
⎢ 8 2 8⎥ ⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
−1 ⃗ ⎢ 15 1 3⎥ ⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
x⃗ = A b = ⎢− 8 ⎥ ⎢ 7 ⎥ = ⎢2⎥
⎢ 5 2 18 ⎥ ⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥
⎣ 4 0 − 4 ⎦ ⎣16⎦ ⎣1⎦
⎢ ⎥⎢ ⎥ ⎢ ⎥

⎡1 2 −3⎤
⎢ ⎥
⎢ ⎥
Example 4: Find the inverse of the matrix ⎢1 −2 1⎥
⎢ ⎥
⎢5 −2 −3⎥
⎣ ⎦
if it exists.

ISA MT161 – 2022/2023 9/9