Chapter Two: Matrix Algebra and its Applications

Matrix Concept
Matrix is a rectangular array of real numbers arranged in m rows and n columns. like sets, it is
symbolized by a bold face capital letter enclosed by Brackets or parentheses as:

[ ]
a11 a12 … … .. a1 n
A= a21 a22 … … .. a2 n where amn are real numbers
a m 1 am 2 … … ... amn

Each number appearing in the array is said to be an element or component of the matrix.
Element of a matrix are designated using a lower-case form of the same letter used to
symbolize the matrix itself. These letters are subscripted as a mn, to give the row & column
location of the element with in the array. The first subscript always refers to the raw location
of the element; the second subscript always refers to its column location. Thus, component a 12
is the component located at the intersection of the first raw and second column.
Dimensions and Types of Matrix
The number of rows, m, and the number of columns, n, of the array give its order, or its
dimensions, mxn (read “m by n”)

[ ]
1 7
A= 5 3 this is a 3 x 2 matrix
4 2

Some of the above matrix elements are the followings: a 11 = 1, a12= 7, a21 = 5, a22 = 3, a31=4
and a32=2

[ ]
1 5 9
B= 2 6 10 this is a 3 x 3 matrix
3 7 11

Some of the above matrix elements are the followings: a 11 = 1, a12= 5, a21 = 2, a22 = 6, a31=3
and a32=11

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 Types of matrices
Based on their dimension (order) or size, matrices are classified in to different ways. The
following are some of the matrices types:
1. Row Matrix is a matrix which has only one row and two or more columns. It is a 1 x n
matrix.
e.g. W =[ −3 0 1 ] is 1x3 row matrix
2. Column Matrix is a vector matrix which has only one column and two or more rows. It

[]
2
5
is a mx1 matrix. e.g. B= is a 4 x 1 column matrix
7
0

3. Square Matrix is a matrix that has the same number of rows and columns

3. Null (zero) matrix - is a matrix that has zero for every entry. It is generally denoted by Omn.
In matrix operations it is used in much the same way that the number zero is used in regular
algebra. Thus, the sum of a zero matrix and any matrix gives that given matrix and the product of
a zero matrix and any matrix equals that zero matrix.

o=
[ 00 0 0
0 0 ]
4. Identity matrix - a square matrix in which all of the primary diagonal entries are ones and
all of the off diagonal entries are zeros

I=
[10 01]

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 [ ]
1 0 0
I= 0 1 0
0 0 1

4. Scalar matrix - is a square matrix where elements on the primary diagonal are the same
and the rest zeros.

[ ]
−3 0 0 0
0 −3 0 0
Example
0 0 −3 0
0 0 0 −3
5. Diagonal matrix- a square matrix where elements on the primary diagonal are

[ ]
1 0 0
consecutive and others zeros. Example: 0 −3 0
0 0 2
Equality of matrices
Equal matrices -two matrices A & B, are said to be equal only if they are of the same
dimensions and if each element in A is identical to its corresponding element in B; that is, if
and only if aij = bij for every pair of subscripts i and j. If A = B, then B = A; or if A≠B, then B
≠A

Even though they contain the same set of numerical values, A and C are not equal because
their corresponding elements are not equal; that is, a11 ≠ C11 and so on.
Example: consider the two matrices below.

A= [ 2y 3x ] B= [ 24 33]
If A = B, find x an y

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 x = 3, y = 4 since corresponding elements of equal matrices have to be equal

Matrix Operations and Techniques

Algebra - is a part of mathematics that deals with operations (+, -, x÷). Thus, matrix algebra is
mathematical operation performed on the matrix. As well, it is also called as matrix operation
(the application of mathematical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division in matrices).
Matrix Addition and subtraction
Two matrices of the same dimensions are said to conformable for addition. The addition is
performed by adding corresponding elements from the two matrices and entering the reset in
the same row-column position of a new matrix.
Examples:

A=
[ 12 34]
B=
[ 8 12
10 −6 ]
a. Find A+B
b. Find B – A

Matrix Multiplication
a. Matrix Multiplication by a Constant (Scalar Multiplication)
A matrix can be multiplied by a constant by multiplying each component in the matrix by a
constant. The result is a new matrix of the same dimensions as the original matrix.
Example:

[] [][ ]
6 6 12
If A = 5 find 2A 2 A=2 5 = 10
7 7 14

b. Multiplication of Two Matrices

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 Two matrices meet the requirements of multiplication of the number of columns of the first are equal
to the number of rows of the second. If the matrix A is of order mxn i.e it has m rows and n columns,
then matrix B must be of order nxp where n is the number of rows and p is the number of columns.
Then the product of AB is another matrix C = AXB of order mxp (number of rows of A and number of
columns of B)

Example

[ ]
0 1 2
If A= [ 1 3 5
5 −1 −1 ]
and B= 5 2 1
−1 2 1
find A × B

[ 0+15−5
0−5+ 1
1+6+ 10 2+3+ 5
5−2−2 10−1−1 ]
AB=
[−410 17 10
1 8 ]
Matrix Determinant
It is also possible to find the invers of a matrix using determinate method.
Determinant of a matrix is a number which determines either the matrix has an inverse or not.
2 x 2 matrix determinant
For any matrix which has 2 x 2 dimension, the determinant is calculated as follows. First, we
have to assign a, b, c, d for each element in the matrix as
Then, determinant of the matrix is denoted by det (A) or /A/ and calculated by ad – bc

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Example 1: Find the determinant of the matrix A and B, if

Det (A) = 18. Since the

determinant of this matrix is different from zero this matrix has an inverse.

2.4 Inverse of matrix

If A is a square matrix of order n, then a square matrix of its inverse (A -1) of the same order n
is said to be the inverse of A, if and only if AA-1 = I = A A. -1

Two square matrices are inverse of each other if their product is the identity matrix: I = AA -1
= A A.
-1

Not all matrices have an inverse. In order for a matrix to have an inverse, the matrix must,
first of all, be a square matrix. Still not all square matrices have inverse. If a matrix has an
inverse, it is said to be INEVITABLE or NON-SINGULAR. A matrix that doesn’t have an
inverse is said to be SINGULAR.
Inverse of 2 x 2 matrix

If A = [ ac bd ] the inverse of matrix A (A-1) is found by the formula:

−1
A =
1
[d −b
|detA| −c a ]
Where detA = determinant of A (Ad-bc)

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 Example: find the inverse of matrix A below:

A= [ 31 24]
Solution

[ ]
2 1
detA = 12-10 = 10
−1
A =
1
[
4 −2
10 −1 3
=
5
−1 ] 5
3
10 10
Matrix Applications
The inverse of the matrix is an important instrument in order to solve linear equations and find
the values of variables in the equation
Solving Systems of Linear Equations
Systems of linear equations can be solved using matrix
i. Inverse method
ii. Cramer’s rule – using determinants
Inverse Method
The inverse of the matrix is an important instrument in order to solve linear equations and
find the values of variables in the equation. The following two examples illustrates how to
solve linear equations using the inverse of a matrix.
a 1 x +by= p
cx +dy =q

[ ] [ ] [ qp]
−1
x a b
=
y c d
Example: solve the following equations
x−3 y=3
x +2=8
Solution
Step 1: change the equations into matrix form

[ 11 −32 ] [ xy ]=[ 38]

Step 2 : find the inverse of the square matrix
Det = 2+3 = 5

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 [
1 2 3
5 −1 1 ]
Step 3: multiply the inverse of the matrix by the right-hand side matrix

[ xy ]= 15 [−12 31] × [ 38]

[ xy ]= 15 [−3+8
6 +24
]
[ xy ]= 15 [ 305]
[ xy ]=[ 61]
Hence x = 2, y = 1 is the solution of the simultaneous equations.
iii. Cramer’s rule
In business decision making from many of the variables, only a few of the variables are actually
needed. For instance, if we have the following equations

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