DETERMINANTS

BY 
ANSHUMAN SHARMA 
CLASS XII A
TOPICS
o DETERMINANTS

o PROPERTES OF DETERMINANTS

o AREA OF TRIANGLE 

o MINORS AND COFACTORS

o ADJOINT OF A MATRIX
 DETERMINANTS
• Determinant is the numerical value of the square matrix. So, to
every square matrix A = [aij] of order n, we can associate a number
(real or complex) called determinant of the square matrix A. It is
denoted by det A or |A|.
 Note
(i) Read |A| as determinant A not absolute value of A.
(ii) Determinant gives numerical value but matrix do not give numerical
value.
(iii) A determinant always has an equal number of rows and columns, i.e.
only square matrix have determinants.
DETERMINANT OF A MATRIX OF ORDER TWO
DETERMINANT OF A MATRIX OF ORDER 3 × 3
PROPERTIES OF
DETERMINANTS
 PROPERTY 1
 The value of the determinant remains unchanged

                                                                                                    
                        
 PROPERTY 2
 If any two rows (or columns) of a determinant are interchanged,
then sign of determinant changes.
 PROPERTY 3
If any two rows (or columns) of a determinant are identical (all
  

corresponding elements are same), then value of determinant is

zero. 
 PROPERTY 4
 If each element of a row (or a column) of a determinant is
multiplied by a constant k , then its value gets multiplied by k .
 PROPERTY 5
 5 If some or all elements of a row or column of a determinant are
expressed as sum of two (or more) terms, then the determinant
can be expressed as sum of two (or more) determinants.
 PROPERTY 6
 If, to each element of any row or column of a determinant, the
equimultiples of corresponding elements of other row (or column)
are added, then value of determinant remains the same, i.e., the
value of determinant remain same if we apply the operation Ri  →
Ri  + kRj  or Ci → Ci  + k Cj
AREA OF TRIANGLE 
 MINORS AND COFACTORS
Minor of an element in a matrix is
defined as the determinant obtained
by deleting the row and column in
which that element lies.
 ADJOINT OF A MATRIX
 The adjoint of a square matrix ‘A’ is the transpose of the matrix which
obtained by cofactors of each element of a determinant corresponding
to that given matrix. It is denoted by adj(A).
In general, adjoint of a matrix A = [aij]n×n is a matrix [Aji]n×n, where Aji is
a cofactor of element aji.