Linear Algebra Commands in MAPLE

Comparing the linalg and LinearAlgebra Packages

linalg Linear Algebra Description

1. General
with(linalg): with(LinearAlgebra): read in the linear algebra package
evalm(a); n/a display the matrix a in matrix form (on
the screen)
type(expr,matrix); type(expr,Matrix); gives true if expr has the form of a ma-
trix
rowdim(a); RowDimension(a); the number of rows of the matrix a
coldim(a); ColumnDimension(a); the number of columns of a
rowdim(a), coldim(a); Dimensions(a); the number of rows and columns
2. Basic matrix operations
a + b; a + b; the sum of the matrices a and b
c ∗ a; c ∗ a; multiplying the matrix a by a scalar c
a & ∗ b; a . b; [note the spaces!] matrix multiplication
∧ ∧
a n; a n; the n-th power of a matrix
∧ ∧
inverse(a); or 1/a; or a (−1); 1/a; or a (−1); the inverse of a matrix
map(f, a); map(f, a); the matrix obtained by applying the
function f to each entry of a
transpose(a); Transpose(a); or a∧ %T ; the transpose of a
det(a); Determinant(a); the determinant of a
trace(a); Trace(a); the trace of a
rank(a); Rank(a); the rank of a
adjoint(a); or adj(a); Adjoint(a); the adjoint matrix (matrix of minors)
of a
3. Constructing matrices
matrix([[a11 , . . . , a1n ], . . .]); Matrix([[a11 , . . . , a1n ], . . .]); or ; build an m × n matrix a = (aij ) by
<< a11 | . . . |a1n > ,. . . , listing its elements
< am1 | . . . |amn >>
matrix(m, n, f ); Matrix(m, n, f ) build an m×n matrix whose ij-th entry
is f (i, j)
matrix(m, n, (i, j) → expr); Matrix(m, n, (i, j) → expr); build an m × n matrix with ij-th entry
expr(i, j)
matrix(list); matrix(list); build a matrix whose i-th row is the i-th
entry in list (a list of lists)
augment(v1 , . . . , vn ); < v1 | . . . |vn >; build a matrix whose j-th column is the
vector vj

la–1
 4. Special matrices
matrix(m, n, 0); ZeroMatrix(m, n); the m × n zero matrix
diag(list) DiagonalMatrix(list); generate a diagonal matrix with list as
the diagonal entries
band([1], n); IdentityMatrix(n); generate an n × n identity matrix
vandermonde(lis); VandermondeMatrix(lis); generate a Vandermonde matrix with
2nd column the list lis
band(list, n) BandMatrix(list); create a tri–diagonal matrix (or an ar-
bitrary band matrix)
JordanBlock(c, n); JordanBlockMatrix([[c, n]]); generate an n × n Jordan block with
eigenvalue c
diag(JordanBlock(c1 , n1 ), . . ., JordanBlockMatrix([[c1 , n1 ], . . ., generate a Jordan matrix with Jordan
JordanBlock(cr , nr ); [cr , nr ]]); blocks (c1 , n1 ), . . . , (cr , nr )
companion(p, x); CompanionMatrix(p, x); generate the n × n companion matrix
associated to a monic polynomial p(x)
of degree n
5. Extracting parts of a matrix
a[i, j]; a[i, j]; the (i, j)-th entry of matrix a
row(a, i); a[i, 1.. − 1]]; or Row(a, i); the i-th row of matrix a
col(a, j); a[1.. − 1, j] or Column(a, j); the j-th column of matrix a
row(a, i1 ..i2 ); seq(a[i, 1.. − 1], i = 11 ..i2 ); the list of rows i1 to i2 of a
col(a, j1 ..i2 ); seq(a[1.. − 1, j], j = j1 ..j2 ); the list of columns j1 to j2 of a
submatrix(a, [i1 , ..., ir ], [j1 , ..., js ]); a[[i1 , . . . , ir ], [j1 , . . . , js ]]; or Sub- the r×s submatrix of a with row indices
matrix(a, [i1 , . . . , ir ], [j1 , . . . , js ]); ik and column indices jk
submatrix(a, i0 ..i1 , j0 ..j1 ); a[i0 ..i1 , j0 ..j1 ]; or the submatrix of a having row and col-
Submatrix(a, i0 ..i1 , j0 ..j1 ); umn indices from i0 to i1 and j0 to j1 ,
respectively
6. Pasting and altering matrices
stackmatrix(a, b, . . .); < a, b, . . . >; join two (or more) matrices vertically
augment(a, b, . . .); < a | b | . . . >; join two (or more) matrices horizontally
matrix(m, n, lis); n/a partition a list lis of mn elements into
an m × n matrix
diag(a1 , a2 , . . .); DiagonalMatrix([a1 , a2 , . . .]); construct a block diagonal matrix using
the (square) matrices a1 , a2 , . . .
extend(a, r, s, c); Matrix(m + r, n + s, [a],fill = c); enlarge the m × n matrix a by r ad-
ditional rows and s additional columns
with the value c
b := evalm(a); b := copy(a); copying the entries of matrix a to b
copyinto(a, b, i, j); b[i..i + m − 1, j..j + n − 1] := a; copy the entries of matrix a into matrix
b at index position (i, j) (b is altered)
a[i, j] := expr; a[i, j] := expr; replace the (i, j)-th entry of matrix a
by the expression expr

la–2
 7. Row and column operations
addrow(a, i1 , i2 , c); RowOperation(a, [i2 , i1 ], c); add c times row i1 to row i2 (thus, the
result is put in row i2 )
addcol(a, j1 , j2 , c); ColumnOperation(a, [j2 , j1 ], c); add c times column j1 to col. j2
mulrow(a, i, c); RowOperation(a, i, c); multiply row i by c
mulcol(a, j, c); ColumnOperation(a, j, c); multiply column j by c
swaprow(a, i1 , i2 ); RowOperation(a, [i1 , i2 ]); interchange rows i1 and i2
swapcol(a, j1 , j2 ); ColumnOperation(a, [j1 , j2 ]); interchange columns j1 and j2
delrows(a, i1 ..i2 ); DeleteRow(a, i1 ..i2 ); delete rows i1 to i2 of a
delcols(a, j1 ..j2 ); DeleteColumn(a, i1 ..i2 ); delete columns j1 to j2 of a
8. Row reduction and solutions of linear systems
linsolve(a, b); LinearSolve(a, b); find the (general) solution of the matrix
equation ax = b
nullspace(a); or kernel(a); NullSpace(a); compute a basis for the nullspace of a
matrix a
gausselim(a); GaussianElimination(a); find an upper triangular matrix row
equivalent to a
backsub(a, b); BackwardsSubstitution(a, b); solve ax = b by back-substitution (if a
is upper triangular)
gaussjord(a); or rref(a); ReducedRowEchelonForm(a); compute the reduced row echelon form
of a
pivot(a, i, j); Pivot(a, i, j); row-reduce a to make j th column = 0,
except for (i, j)th entry
ihermite(a); HermiteForm(a); row-reduce the integer matrix a to an
upper-∆ integer matrix
ismith(a); SmithForm(a); row/column reduce the integer matrix
a to a diagonal integer matrix
9. Eigenvalues, Eigenvectors
charmat(a, x); CharacteristicMatrix(a, x); compute the characteristic matrix Ix −
a (x a variable)
charpoly(a, x); CharacteristicPolynomial(a, x); find the characteristic polynomial of a
minpoly(a, x); MinimalPolynomial(a, x); find the minimal polynomial of a
eigenvals(a); Eigenvalues(a); compute the eigenvalues of a
eigenvects(a); Eigenvectors(a); find the eigenvectors of a
jordan(a); or jordan(a,‘q‘); JordanForm(a); or JordanForm compute the Jordan canonical form J of
(a, output = [’J’,’Q’]); a and the matrix q such that a = qJq −1
frobenius(a); or frobenius(a,‘p‘); FrobeniusForm(a); or Frobenius- compute the Frobenius (or rational)
Form(a, output = [’F ’, ’Q’]); canonical form F of a; find p such that
a = pF p−1
issimilar(a, b); or
IsSimilar(a, b); or IsSimilar(a, b, determine whether a is similar to b; if
issimilar(a, b, ‘q‘);
output = [’query’, ’C’]); so, find the matrix q such that a =
q −1 bq

la–3
 10. Vector operations
vector([a1 , . . . , an ]); Vector([a1 , . . . , an ]); or define a (column) vector by the list
< a1 , . . . , an >; [a1 , . . . , an ]
vector([a1 , . . . , an ]); < a1 | . . . | an >; define a (row) vector by the list
[a1 , . . . , an ]
vectdim(v); Dimension(v); the dimension of a vector
type(expr, vector); type(expr, Vector); gives true if expr has the form of a vec-
tor
vector([op(convert(v, list)),
convert(< v, w >, Vector); direct sum of two vectors v, w
op(convert(w, list)))]);
evalm(v + w); or matadd(v, w); v + w; add two vectors v, w
evalm(c ∗ v); or scalarmul(v, c); c ∗ v; multiply the vector v by scalar c
multiply(a, v); or a . v; multiply the matrix a by the (column)
innerprod(a, v); vector v (on the right)
multiply(v, a); or w . a; multiply the matrix a by the (row) vec-
innerprod(v, a); tor w (on the left)
dotprod(v, w); v . w; the dot (scalar) product of v and w
norm(v, 2); Norm(v); the length or norm ||v|| of a vector v
normalize(v); Normalize(v); divide the vector v by its length
angle(v, w); VectorAngle(v, w); the angle between the vectors v and w
11. Vector spaces
basis(lis); Basis(lis); find a basis of the vector space spanned
by list lis of vectors
intbasis(lis1 , lis2 , . . .); IntersectionBasis([lis1 , lis2 . . .]); find a basis of the intersection of the
spaces spanned by the lists lis1 , lis2 , . . .
sumbasis(lis1 , lis2 , . . .); SumBasis([lis1 , lis2 . . .]); find a basis of the sum/union of the
spaces spanned by the lists lis1 , lis2 , . . .
rowspace(a); colspace(a); RowSpace(a); ColumnSpace(a); find a basis for the row/column space
of the matrix a
rowspan(a); colspan(a); find a spanning set for the row space
(column space) of a, where a has poly-
nomial entries
nullspace(a); or kernel(a); NullSpace(a); compute a basis for the nullspace of a
matrix a
GramSchmidt([v1 , . . . , vn ]); GramSchmidt([v1 , . . . , vn ]); apply the Gram-Schmidt procedure to
the vectors v1 , . . . , vn
12. Miscellaneous
orthog(a); IsOrthogonal(a); test whether a is an orthogonal matrix
leastsqrs(a, b); LeastSquares(a, b); find x such that k ax − b k is minimal
equal(a, b); Equal(a, b); test whether matrices a and b are equal
evalm(subs(x = a, f )); convert(evalm(subs(x = a, f )), evaluate the matrix polynomial f (a)
Matrix); (where f (x) is a polynomial)

la–4