Lecture 5

Properties of Determinants
In this topic, state the properties of determinants.
i. If each element in any row or each element in any column of a square matrix
A is zero, then det(A) = 0.
Proof: Let each element of ith row of the matrix A be zero, then by expanding
the determinant by ith row, we have

det(A) = ai1 Ci1 + ai2 Ci2 + · · · + ain Cin = 0Ci1 + 0Ci2 + · · · + 0Cin = 0

Similarly, if each element of jth column of the matrix A is zero, then expanding
by jth column, we have

det(A) = a1j C1j + a2j C2j + · · · + anj Cnj = 0C1j + 0C2j + · · · + 0Cnj = 0

ii. If any two rows (or columns) of a square matrix A are interchanged, the
determinant of the resulting matrix is −|A|.
Proof: In order to prove this property, we consider a matrix of order 3 and then
we shall 
generalize it for
 any square matrix.
 
a11 a12 a13 a11 a12 a13 
 
   
Let A = a21 a22 a23  , then |A| = a21 a22 a23 . Expanding by first row, we
   
   
 
a31 a32 a33 a31 a32 a33 
have
     
a22 a23  a21 a23  a21 a22 
     
det(A) = a11 

 − a12 
 
 + a13 
  
a32 a33  a31 a33  a31 a32 


1
 Interchanging first and second rows, we have
 
a21 a22 a23 
 
 
a11 a12 a13 
 
 
 
a31 a32 a33 

Expanding this determinant by second row, we have

 
a21 a22 a23 
       
a22 a23  a21 a23  a21 a22 
       
a11 a12 a13  = −a11   + a12   − a13 
  
a a a a a a
      
   32 33   31 33   31 32 
a31 a32 a33 
      
a22 a23  a21 a23  a21 a22 
     
= − a11 
 
 − a12 
 
 + a13 
   = −|A|

a32 a33  a31 a33  a31 a32 

iii. If two rows (or columns) in a square matrix are identical, then the value
of the determinant is zero.
Proof: Let first and second rows of a square matrix A be identical, then their
interchange will no effect on the matrix, and by the previous property,

|A| = −|A|

⇒ |A| + |A| = 0

⇒ 2|A| = 0

⇒ |A| = 0

iv. If each of the elements of one row (or column) of a square matrix is multi-
plied by k, then the determinant of the resulting matrix is k times the determi-
nant of the original matrix.
Proof: Let each element of first row of a square matrix A be multiplied by k,

2
then by expanding the determinant of the resulting matrix by first row, we have
 
 ka11 ka12 · · · ka1n 
 
 
 ka21 ka22 · · · ka2n 
 
 .. .. .. 
 
 . . . 
 
kan1 kan2 · · · kann 
 

= ka11 C11 + ka12 C12 + · · · + ka1n C1n

= k(a11 C11 + a12 C12 + · · · + a1n C1n )

 
 a11 a12 · · · a1n 
 
 
 a21 a22 · · · a2n 
 
= k  . .. .. 

 .. . . 
 
an1 an2 · · · ann 
 

Similar interpretation can be made for any row or column.

v. If each element of a row (or column) of a square matrix is written as the

sum of two terms, then the determinant of the resulting matrix can be written
as the sum of two determinants.
Proof: Expanding the following determinant by first row, we have
 
a11 + b11 a12 + b12 · · · a1n + b1n 
 
 
 a21 a22 ··· a2n 
 
.. .. ..
 
 
 . . . 
 
···
 
 an1 an2 ann 

3
 = (a11 + b11 )C11 + (a12 + b12 )C12 + · · · + (a1n + b1n )C1n

= (a11 C11 + a12 C12 + · · · + a1n C1n ) + (b11 C11 + b12 C12 + · · · + b1n C1n )

   
 a11 a12 · · · a1n   b11 b12 · · · b1n 
   
   
 a21 a22 · · · a2n   a21 a22 · · · a2n 
   
= .

.. ..  +  ..
 
.. .. 

 .. . .   . . . 
   
an1 an2 · · · ann  an1 an2 · · · ann 
   

Similar interpretation can be made for any row or column.

vi. If each element of one row (or column) of a square matrix is multiplied
by a real number k and the resulting product is added to the corresponding el-
ement in another row (or column) in the matrix, then the determinant of the
resulting matrixis equal to the determinant
 of the original matrix.
a a · · · a1n
 11 12 
 a21 a22 · · · a2n 
 
Proof: Let A =  .. .. .. ,

 . . . 
 
an1 an2 · · · ann
 
a11 + kan1 a12 + kan2 · · · a1n + kann
 
a21 a22 ··· a2n
 
 
then R1 + kRn ⇒  
.. .. ..

. . .

 
 
an1 an2 ··· ann
Expanding
 the determinant of the last matrix  by first row, we have
a11 + kan1 a12 + kan2 · · · a1n + kann 
 
 
a21 a22 ··· a2n
 
 
.. .. ..
 
. . .
 
 
 
···
 
 an1 an2 ann 

= (a11 + kan1 )C11 + (a12 + kan2 )C12 + · · · + (a1n + kann )C1n

4
= (a11 C11 + a12 C12 + · · · + a1n C1n ) + (kan1 C11 + kan2 C12 + · · · + kann C1n )
= (a11 C11 + a12 C12 + · · · + a1n C1n ) + k(an1 C11 + an2 C12 + · · · + ann C1n )
   
 a11 a12 · · · a1n  an1 an2 · · · ann 
   
   
 a21 a22 · · · a2n   a21 a22 · · · a2n 
   
= .

.. ..  + k  ..
 
.. .. 

 .. . .   . . . 
   
an1 an2 · · · ann  an1 an2 · · · ann 
   

Since the first and last rows of the second determinant are identical, soits value
will be zero, i.e.
   
a11 + kan1 a12 + kan2 · · · a1n + kann   a11 a12 · · · a1n 
   
   
a21 a22 ··· a2n   a21 a22 · · · a2n 
   

=
.. .. ..   .. .. ..  + 0
 

 . . .   . . . 
   
··· an1 an2 · · · ann 
   
 an1 an2 ann  

   
a11 + kan1 a12 + kan2 · · · a1n + kann   a11 a12 · · · a1n 
   
   
a21 a22 ··· a2n   a21 a22 · · · a2n 
   

=
.. .. ..   .. .. .. 
 

 . . .   . . . 
   
···  an1 an2 · · · ann 
   
 an1 an2 ann
vii. The value of the determinant of a matrix is unchanged if its rows are in-
terchanged by its columns, i.e., |At | = |A|.
   
a11 a12 · · · a1n  a11 a21 · · · an1 
 
   
 a21 a22 · · · a2n  a12 a22 · · · an2 
   
t
 t
Proof: Let  . .. ..  , then A =  .. .. ..  Expanding |A |
   
 .. . .   . . . 
   
an1 an2 · · · ann a1n a2n · · · ann 
 

by first column, we have

|At | = a11 C11 + a12 C12 + · · · + a1n C1n = |A|

5
viii. If A is an n × n triangular matrix (upper triangular, lower triangular,
or diagonal), then determinant of A is the product of the entries on the main
diagonal; that is, |A| = a11 a22 · · · ann .
Proof: We prove this property for a square matrix of order 3 for convenience
and then we shall generalize the result for any square matrix.
 For this let a be
a a12 a13
 11 
an upper triangular matrix of order 3, i.e.,  0 a22 a23 , then expanding
 
 
0 0 a33
|A| by first column, we have
 
a11 a12 a13 
   
a22 a23 
   
|A| =  0 a22 a23  = a11   − 0 + 0 = a11 (a22 a33 − 0) = a11 a22 a33
 
0

  a33 
0 0
 
a33 

This shows that the value of the determinant of an upper triangular matrix is
the product of principal diagonal elements. Similar interpretation can be made
for a lower triangular matrix. This result also holds for any order upper or low-
er triangular or diagonal
 matrix.   
x a bc  1 ax a2 
   
   
Example 1: Show that y b ca = 1 by b .
2
   
   
ab 1 c2 
   
x c cz
   
x a bc  ax a2 abc aR1 ,
   
   
1 
Solution: y b ca = by b2
abc , bR2 ,
  
 abc 
 
 

x
  2 
c ab  cz c abc cR3 ,

     
x a bc  ax a2 1 1 a2 ax
     
     
abc   1
⇒ y b ca = abc  by b2 1 , abc C1 = − 1 b2 by  , C13
   
    
c2 1 1 c2
     
x c ab  cz cz 

6
    
1 2  1 2 
ax a ax a
 
   
= (−1)(−1) 1 by b2  , C23 by = 1
b2 
   
   
1
 2  1
 2 
cz c cz c
 
b −1 2
 
 
Example 2: Show that 2 b 0 = b3 + 8.
 
 
1 2
 
b
Solution: Expanding by R1 , we have
 
b −1 2
 
 
2 b 0
 
 
1 2
 
b

= b(b2 − 0) − (−1)(2b − 0) + 2(4 − b)

= b3 + 2b + 8 − 2b

= b3 + 8
 
a + 2b a + 3b a + 4b
 
 
Example 3: Show that a + 3b a + 4b a + 5b = 0.
 
 
a + 4b a + 5b a + 6b
 
 
a + 2b a + 3b a + 4b
 
 
Solution: a + 3b a + 4b a + 5b
 
 
a + 4b a + 5b a + 6b
 
 
a + 2b b 2b
 
  C −C ,
 2 1
= a + 3b b 2b ,

  C −C
 3 1
a + 4b 2b

b
 
a + 2b b 2b
 
 
 1
= 2 a + 3b b 2b , 2 C3

 
a + 4b 2b
 
b

7
=0 ∵ C2 = C3
Adjoint and Inverse of a Matrix
Adjoint of a Matrix: Let A = [aij ] be an n × n matrix. The adjoint of a matrix
A is the n × n matrix whose (i, j) entry is the cofactor Cji of aji . The adjoint of a
matrix A is denoted by Adj A. Thus,
 
C11 C21 · · · Cn1
 
 C12 C22 · · · Cn2 
 
adjA =  .

.. .. 

 .. . . 
 
C1n C2n · · · Cnn

In other words, if Cij is the cofactor of any element aij in a matrix A of order n,
then the matrix formed with these cofactors placed in a transposed position is
said to be the adjoint or adjugate of A. Thus,

 t  
C C12 · · · C1n C C21 · · · Cn1
 11   11 
 C21 C22 · · · C2n   C12 C22 · · · Cn2 
   
t
adjA = [Cij ] = 
 .. .. ..  =  ..
 
.. .. 

 . . .   . . . 
   
Cn1 Cn2 · · · Cnn C1n C2n · · · Cnn

 
3 −2 1
 
Example 1: Find adj A, if A = 5 6 2
 
 
1 0 −3
Solution: We first find the cofactors of A as follows
   
6 2 5 2
   
1+1   = −18, C12 = (−1)1+2 
C11 = (−1)   = 17,
0 −3 1 −3
  
   
5 6 −2 1
   
C13 = (−1)1+3   = −6, C21 = (−1)2+1   = −6,
1 0 0 −3
  

8
    
3 1 3 −2
   
2+2  2+3
C22 = (−1)   = −10, C23 = (−1)   = −2,
1 −3 1 0
  
   
−2 1 3 1
   
3+1  3+2 
C31 = (−1)   = −10, C32 = (−1) 
  = −1,
6 2 5 2

 
3 −2
 
3+3 
C33 = (−1)   = 28
5 6

Hence
   
C C21 C31 −18 −6 −10
 11   
t
adjA = [Cij ] = C12 C22 C32  =  17 −10 −1 
   
   
C13 C23 C33 −6 −2 28

In the following we state a theorem without proof, as its proof is beyond the
scope of this book, with the help of which the inverse of non-singular matrix
can be obtained.
Theorem 1: If a square matrix A is non-singular matrix, then

1
A−1 = (adjA)
|A|
 
3 −2 1
 
Example 2: If possible find the inverse of A = 5 6 2 .
 
 
1 0 −3
 
3 −2 1 
       
6 2  5 2  5 6
       
Solution: Here |A| = 5 6 2  = 3  − (−2)  +1
       
0 −3 1 −3 1 0
  
1 0 −3
 

= 3(−18) + 2(−15 − 2) − 6 = −54 − 34 − 6 = −94 6= 0

Here shows that A is non-singular matrix, i.e., its inverse can be found. We have

9
already found the adjoint of A in example-1, so

   
18 6 10 9 3 5
94 94 94 47 47 47
1    
A−1 = (adjA) = − 17 10 1  = − 94
   17 5 1 
|A|  94 94 94 47 94

  
6 2
94 94
− 28
94
3
47
1
47
14
− 47

Practice Exercise
 
 0 1 −3  
  
 x 1 
 
(i) Solve x 2 −6  =   for x.
  
   3 1 − x
 3 1 x − 5
 
   
a b c   e b h
   
   
(ii) Show that d e f  =  d a g .
   
   
   
g h k  f c k 
 
a + l a a 
 
 
(iii) Show that  a a+l a  = l2 (3a + l).
 
 
a + l
 
 a a
 
a + λ b c 
 
 
(iv) Show that  a b+λ c  = λ2 (a + b + c + λ).
 
 
c + λ
 
 a b
 
 b −1 a
 
 
(v) Show that a b 0 = a3 + b3 .
 
 
1 a b 
 

(vi) If possible, find the inverse of each of the following matrices by ad-
joint method.

10
      
4 2 2 3 2 7 3 1 7
     
(a)  3 3 2 (b)  1 5 1 (c) 6 2 1
     
     
2 4 2 4 1 2 9 1 2
 
1 2 −3
 
(d)  0 −2 0 
 
 
−2 −2 2
 
4 λ 3
 
(vii) For what value of λ the matrix 7 3 6 is singular?
 
 
2 3 1
 
1 1 1
 
 
(viii) Show that  a b c  = (a − b)(b − c)(c − a).
 
 
 2 2 2
a b c 

11