Rapid Revision Sheet

Determinants
By Pankaj Baluja

1. In the following, each question has one or more than one correct answers. Indicate the
correct answer(s)
x 1 x  2 x  
(a) x  2 x  3 x    0, where , , v are in AP, is
x3 x4 xv

(A) An equation whose all roots are real (B) An identity in x

(C) An equation with only one real root (D) None of these
(b) If w is a non real cube root of unity then a root of the equation
x 1 w w2
w x  w2 1  0 is
w2 1 xw

(A) x  1 (B) x  w
(C) x  w2 (D) x  0
2. In the following, each statement is incomplete. Fill in the blank so that each resulting
statement is correct.
(1)n a (1)n 1 b (1)n 1 c (1)n 1 a a  1 a  1
(a) The value of a  1 1b 1  c  (1)n b 1  b b  1 is equal to ____
a 1 b 1 1c (1)n  2 c 1  c 1  c

x a a
(b) The sum of the roots of the equation a x a  0 in x is____
a a x
3. If a,b,c are any three terms of an AP in order (not necessarily consecutive) whose common
a b c
2 2
difference is positive then prove that a b c2  0 .
1 1 1
4. Without breaking a determinant at any stage, prove that
ab  c ab c ab c a c b
bca bca bca  4 b a c .
c ab c ab c ab c b a

sin(a  x) sin(a  y) sin(a  z)

5. Prove that sin(b  x) sin(b  y) sin(b  z)  0 for all a,b and c and x, y, z.
sin(c  x) sin(c  y) sin(c  z)
6. If the number of positive integral solutions of x  y  z  r,(4  3) be denoted by Pr then find

Pr Pr 1 Pr  2
the value of Pr 1 Pr  2 Pr  3 .
Pr  2 Pr  3 Pr  4

7. If a,b and c be the p th , qth and r th terms of an HP respectively, prove that the systemof
equations

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 Rapid Revision Sheet
Determinants
By Pankaj Baluja

bc  x  ca  y  ab  z  0
px  qy  rz  0
xyz  0
has infinite number of solutions.
8. Prove that the system of equations in x and y cannot have a solution for any .
1
cos 2   x  sin 2  y  sin 
2
1
sin 2  x  sin2   y  cos   0
2
sin   x  cos   y  0
9. Without breaking determinants at any stage, find   R such that the determinant
4i 8  i 4  3i
8  i 16i i
4  i i 8i
has purely imaginary value.
10. Let L1  15x  18y  1, L 2  12x  10y  3 and L 3  6x  66y  11. Prove that there are nonzero
constants , , v such that L1  L 2  vL 3  0. Also find all possible real values of the triplet
(, , v).

Answers
1. (a) B (b) D 2. (a) 0 (b) 0
6. –1 9. 3
10. (2k, 3k,k) where k  R

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