Lecture 5.

The Inverse of a Matrix

 The Inverse of a Matrix
• Recall that the multiplicative inverse of a number such as 5 is 1/5 or 5−1 . This
inverse satisfies the equations
5−1 · 5 = 1 and 5 · 5−1 = 1
 The Inverse of a Matrix
• Recall that the multiplicative inverse of a number such as 5 is 1/5 or 5−1 . This
inverse satisfies the equations
5−1 · 5 = 1 and 5 · 5−1 = 1
• The matrix generalization requires both equations and avoid the slanted-line
notation (for division) because matrix multiplication is not commutative.
Furthermore, a full generalization is possible only if the matrices involved are
square.
 The Inverse of a Matrix
• Recall that the multiplicative inverse of a number such as 5 is 1/5 or 5−1 . This
inverse satisfies the equations
5−1 · 5 = 1 and 5 · 5−1 = 1
• The matrix generalization requires both equations and avoid the slanted-line
notation (for division) because matrix multiplication is not commutative.
Furthermore, a full generalization is possible only if the matrices involved are
square.
• An n × n matrix A is said to be invertible if there is an n × n matrix C such that

CA = In and AC = In .
In this case, C is the inverse of A and denoted by A−1 . That is, it satisfies
A−1 A = In and AA−1 = In .
 The Inverse of a Matrix
• Recall that the multiplicative inverse of a number such as 5 is 1/5 or 5−1 . This
inverse satisfies the equations
5−1 · 5 = 1 and 5 · 5−1 = 1
• The matrix generalization requires both equations and avoid the slanted-line
notation (for division) because matrix multiplication is not commutative.
Furthermore, a full generalization is possible only if the matrices involved are
square.
• An n × n matrix A is said to be invertible if there is an n × n matrix C such that

CA = In and AC = In .
In this case, C is the inverse of A and denoted by A−1 . That is, it satisfies
A−1 A = In and AA−1 = In .
• An invertible matrix is called a nonsingular matrix. A matrix that is not invertible
is called a singular matrix.
    
2 5 −7 −5
Example 5.1. Let A = and C = . Show that C = A−1 .
−3 −7 3 2
    
2 5 −7 −5
Example 5.1. Let A = and C = . Show that C = A−1 .
−3 −7 3 2
Example 5.2. Let A be the 2 matrix
 
1 2
A= .
3 6

Show that A has no inverse.

 Algorithm for Finding A−1
• Algorithm. Let A be an n × n matrix. Set up the augmented matrix [A|In ]. Use
elementary row operations to convert [A|In ] into its row equivalent matrix [In |B]:
[A|In ] ⇔ [In |B].
Then, B = A−1 .
 Algorithm for Finding A−1
• Algorithm. Let A be an n × n matrix. Set up the augmented matrix [A|In ]. Use
elementary row operations to convert [A|In ] into its row equivalent matrix [In |B]:
[A|In ] ⇔ [In |B].
Then, B = A−1 .
• Let Ri and Rj represent the i-th and j-th rows of an (m × n) matrix A. The
following operations are called elementary row operations.
 Algorithm for Finding A−1
• Algorithm. Let A be an n × n matrix. Set up the augmented matrix [A|In ]. Use
elementary row operations to convert [A|In ] into its row equivalent matrix [In |B]:
[A|In ] ⇔ [In |B].
Then, B = A−1 .
• Let Ri and Rj represent the i-th and j-th rows of an (m × n) matrix A. The
following operations are called elementary row operations.
1 Interchange two rows. We indicate that two rows Ri and Rj are interchanged by
writing:
Ri ↔ Rj
 Algorithm for Finding A−1
• Algorithm. Let A be an n × n matrix. Set up the augmented matrix [A|In ]. Use
elementary row operations to convert [A|In ] into its row equivalent matrix [In |B]:
[A|In ] ⇔ [In |B].
Then, B = A−1 .
• Let Ri and Rj represent the i-th and j-th rows of an (m × n) matrix A. The
following operations are called elementary row operations.
1 Interchange two rows. We indicate that two rows Ri and Rj are interchanged by
writing:
Ri ↔ Rj
2 Replace a row by a nonzero multiple of itself. We indicate that the row Ri is
replaced by kRi (where k ̸= 0) by writing
kRi → Ri
 Algorithm for Finding A−1
• Algorithm. Let A be an n × n matrix. Set up the augmented matrix [A|In ]. Use
elementary row operations to convert [A|In ] into its row equivalent matrix [In |B]:
[A|In ] ⇔ [In |B].
Then, B = A−1 .
• Let Ri and Rj represent the i-th and j-th rows of an (m × n) matrix A. The
following operations are called elementary row operations.
1 Interchange two rows. We indicate that two rows Ri and Rj are interchanged by
writing:
Ri ↔ Rj
2 Replace a row by a nonzero multiple of itself. We indicate that the row Ri is
replaced by kRi (where k ̸= 0) by writing
kRi → Ri
3 Replace a row by the sum of a nonzero multiple of another row and itself. We
indicate that Rj is replaced by the sum of kRi and Rj (where k ̸= 0) by writing
kRi + Rj → Rj
Recall
[A|In ] ⇔ [In |A−1 ].
 
0 1 2
Example 5.3. Find the inverse of the matrix, if it exists. A =  1 0 3 
4 −3 8
 [A|In ] ⇔ [In |A−1 ].
Practice 5.4. Find the inverse of the matrix, if it exists.
 
1 0 0 0  
  −2 −7 −9
1 3  1 1 0 0  , (c) D =  2
(a) B = , (b) C =  5 6 
2 6  1 1 1 0 
1 3 4
1 1 1 1
A specialinverse formula
 of 2 × 2 matrices:
a11 a12
Let A = . If d = a11 a22 − a21 a12 ̸= 0, then
a21 a22
 
−1 1 a22 −a12
A = .
d −a21 a11

 
2 4
Use the inverse formula of 2 × 2 matrices to find A−1 of the matrix A = .
3 1
Example 5.5. Let A and B the 2 × 2 matrices
   
1 3 3 −2
A= and B = .
2 4 1 −1

1 Compute AB, (AB)−1 , A−1 B −1 , and B −1 A−1 . What do you observe?

2 Calculate (2A)−1 . What is the relationship between (2A)−1 and A−1 ?
3 Compute (AT )−1 and (A−1 )T . What do you see?
 Properties of Matrix Inverse

Theorem 5.6 Let A and B be invertible (n × n) matrices and α a nonzero constant.

Then,
(a) A−1 is unique.
(b) A−1 is nonsingular and (A−1 )−1 = A.
(c) AB is nonsingular and (AB)−1 = B −1 A−1 .
(d) (Ak )−1 = (A−1 )k .
(e) (αA)−1 = α1 A−1 .
(f) (AT )−1 = (A−1 )T
 Row-Echelon Form
Through a systematic procedure of row operations, we can simplify an augmented
matrix and carry it to row-echelon form or reduced row-echelon form, defined below. In
the following, the term leading entry refers to the first nonzero entry of a row when
scanning the row from left to right.
Definition 5.7 An augmented matrix is in row-echelon form if
1 All rows having only zero entries are at the bottom.
2 The leading entry (that is, the left-most nonzero entry) of every nonzero row,
called the pivot, is on the right of the leading entry of every row above.
Remark: Some texts add the condition that the leading entry must be 1 while others
require this only in reduced row echelon form.
 Reduced Row-Echelon Form

Definition 5.7 An augmented matrix is in reduced row-echelon form if

1 It is in row echelon form.
2 The leading entry in each nonzero row is 1.
3 Each column containing a leading 1 has zeros in all its other entries.
Example 5.8
The following augmented matrices are not in row-echelon form (and therefore also not
in reduced row-echelon form).
Example 5.8
The following augmented matrices are not in row-echelon form (and therefore also not
in reduced row-echelon form).

Example 5.9 The following augmented matrices are in row-echelon form, but not in
reduced row-echelon form.
Example 5.10
The following augmented matrices are in reduced row-echelon form.

1
We will study this concept later.
Example 5.10
The following augmented matrices are in reduced row-echelon form.

One way in which the row-echelon form of a matrix is useful is in identifying the pivot
positions and pivot columns of the matrix.
Definition 5.11 A pivot position in a matrix is the location of a leading entry in the
row-echelon form of a matrix. A pivot column is a column that contains a pivot
position.
Definition 5.12. The rank of a matrix is equal to the number of linearly
independent 1 rows (or columns) in it. Technically, the rank is the number of pivot
columns (equivalently, the number of leading entries.)
1
We will study this concept later.