Algebra II Problem Set II

UNIVERSITY IBN TOFAIL

Algebra II

Problem Set II

Exercise 1:
 
0 1 1
Let A be the matrix in M3 (R) defined by A = 1 0 1.
1 1 0

1. Calculate A2 as a function of A and I3 (the identity matrix of M3 (R)), and deduce

that A is invertible and calculate its inverse.

2. Calculate A−1 using the cofactor method.

1
Algebra II Problem Set II

Correction

1) Compute A2 :
     
0 1 1 0 1 1 2 1 1
A2 = A · A = 1 0 1 · 1 0 1 = 1 2 1 .
1 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 2

Observe that A2 = A + 2I3 , where I3 is the identity matrix. Rearranging:

1
A2 − A − 2I3 = 0 ⇒ A(A − I3 ) = 2I3 ⇒ A−1 = (A − I3 ).
2
Compute A−1 :
   
−1 1 1 −1 1 1
1
A − I3 =  1 −1 1  ⇒ A−1 =  1 −1 1  .
2
1 1 −1 1 1 −1

2) Compute the determinant of A:

det(A) = 0 · (0 · 0 − 1 · 1) − 1 · (1 · 0 − 1 · 1) + 1 · (1 · 1 − 0 · 1) = 0 + 1 + 1 = 2.

Compute the adjugate matrix (transpose of the cofactor matrix):

 
−1 1 1
adj(A) =  1 −1 1  .
1 1 −1

Then:  
−1 1 1
1 1
A−1 = · adj(A) =  1 −1 1  .
det(A) 2
1 1 −1
This matches the result from part 1.

Exercise 2:
Show that:

1. For any matrix A ∈ Mm,n (R), the product A ·t (A) is a symmetric square matrix.

2. If A is a symmetric or antisymmetric matrix, then A2 is symmetric.

3. Any square symmetric matrix can be written as the sum of a symmetric matrix and
an antisymmetric matrix.

2
Algebra II Problem Set II

Correction

1. Symmetry of A · A⊤ : Let A ∈ Mm,n (R). We prove that A · A⊤ is symmetric.

The transpose of A · A⊤ is:

(A · A⊤ )⊤ = (A⊤ )⊤ · A⊤ = A · A⊤ .

Thus, A · A⊤ equals its own transpose, so it is symmetric.

2. Symmetry of A2 for Symmetric/Antisymmetric A: Let A be symmetric

(A⊤ = A) or antisymmetric (A⊤ = −A). We show that A2 is symmetric.
- Case 1: If A is symmetric, then:

(A2 )⊤ = (A⊤ )2 = A2 .

Thus, A2 is symmetric.
- Case 2: If A is antisymmetric, then:

(A2 )⊤ = (A⊤ )2 = (−A)2 = A2 .

Again, A2 is symmetric.

3. Decomposition of a Symmetric Matrix: We show that any square sym-

metric matrix S ∈ Mn (R) can be written as the sum of a symmetric matrix
and an antisymmetric matrix. For any square matrix M , we can decompose
it as:
M + M⊤ M − M⊤
M= + .
| {z2 } | {z 2 }
symmetric antisymmetric

If S is symmetric (S ⊤ = S), then:

S + S⊤ S − S⊤
S= + = S + 0.
2 2
Here, S is symmetric, and 0 is trivially antisymmetric. Thus, the decomposi-
tion holds.

Exercise 3:
 
1 2 0
Consider the following matrices: A = 0 1 3, B = A − I3 .
0 0 1

1. Calculate B n for n ≥ 1.

2. Deduce the value of An for n ≥ 1.

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Algebra II Problem Set II

Correction


1 2 0
1. Calculate B n for n ≥ 1: Given A = 0 1 3 and B = A − I3 , we
0 0 1
compute B:  
0 2 0
B = A − I3 = 0 0 3 .
0 0 0
   
0 0 6 0 0 0
2 3 2
B =B·B = 0 0 0 , B =B ·B = 0
   0 0 .
0 0 0 0 0 0

2. Deduce An for n ≥ 1: Since A = I + B, we use the binomial theorem for

matrices (note I and B commute):
n  
n
X
n n
A = (I + B) = Bk.
k=0
k

Because B k = 0 for k ≥ 3, the expansion terminates:

n(n − 1) 2
An = I + nB + B .
2

Perform the addition:

 
1 2n 3n(n − 1)
An = 0 1 3n .
0 0 1

Exercise 4:
1. Show without expanding the calculations that the following determinants are zero:
1 2 −1 1 1 1
∆1 = −1 0 1 , ∆2 = c a b .
1 5 −1 a+b b+c a+c

2. a) Calculate in factored form the following determinant:

1 a a3
D1 = 1 b b3 .
1 c c3
b) Calculate the following determinant:
1 0 −1 2
0 2 3 −1
D2 = .
−1 2 1 1
−2 −1 0 1

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Algebra II Problem Set II

Correction

1. Show that the following determinants are zero without expanding:

(a) Determinant ∆1 : Perform the column operation C3 → C3 + C1 . The

third column becomes:
   
−1 + 1 0
1 + (−1) = 0 .
−1 + 1 0

A matrix with a zero column has determinant zero. Thus, ∆1 = 0.

(b) Determinant ∆2 : we observe a **linear dependency among rows**:

Row3 = (a + b + c) · Row1 − Row2 .

Explicitly:
     
Row3 = a + b b + c a + c = (a + b + c) 1 1 1 − c a b .

Since the rows are linearly dependent, ∆2 = 0.

2. Calculate the following determinants:

(a) Determinant D1 : After subtracting the first row from the second and
third rows:
1 a a3
D 1 = 0 b − a b − a3 .
3

0 c − a c 3 − a3
b − a b 3 − a3
D1 = 1 · .
c − a c 3 − a3
Final factorization:

D1 = (a + b + c)(b − a)(c − a)(c − b).

(b) Determinant D2 : Perform row operations R3 → R3 + R1 and R4 →

R4 + 2R1 :  
1 0 −1 2
0 2
 3 −1 .
0 2 0 3
0 −1 −2 5
Expand along the first column:

2 3 −1
D2 = 2 0 3 .
−1 −2 5

Compute the 3 × 3 determinant using cofactor expansion:

D2 = −23.

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Algebra II Problem Set II

Exercise 5:
   
1 0 0 1 −10 11
Consider the following matrices: T = 3 1 0 and A = −3 6 5 .
0 −2 1 −6 12 8

1. Determine the matrix B = T A and calculate the determinant of B.

2. From the previous question, deduce the determinant of A.

3. From the previous question, deduce the determinant of the following matrix:
 
3 5 55
 −9 −3 25
−18 −6 40

Correction

1. Compute B = T · A and find det(B): Perform matrix multiplication B =

T · A:  
1 −10 11
B = 0 −24 38  .
0 0 −2

Since B is upper triangular, its determinant is the product of diagonal entries:

det(B) = 1 · (−24) · (−2) = 48.

2. Deduce det(A): Matrix T is lower triangular with 1s on the diagonal, so

det(T ) = 1. Using the property det(T · A) = det(T ) · det(A), we have:

det(B) = det(T ) · det(A) ⇒ 48 = 1 · det(A) ⇒ det(A) = 48.

3. Deduce the determinant of the matrix:

 
3 5 55
C =  −9 −3 25 .
−18 −6 40

Observe that C is obtained from A via column operations: - C1 → 3 · C1 , -

C2 → − 12 · C2 , - C3 → 5 · C3 .
The determinant scales by the product of these factors:
   
1 15
det(C) = det(A) · 3 · − · 5 = 48 · − = −360.
2 2

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Algebra II Problem Set II

Exercise 6:
m−1 2 2
let m ∈ R and Am = 2 m+1 1
−2 −3 m − 3

a) calculate the determinanat of Am .

b) for what value of m, Am are invertible.

c) calculate teh range of Am , by the values of m.

Correction

a) Calculate the determinant of Am :

det(Am ) = m(m − 1)(m − 2) + (−4m + 8) + (4m − 8) = m(m − 1)(m − 2).

Thus, the determinant is:

det(Am ) = m(m − 1)(m − 2).

b) For what values of m is Am invertible? A matrix is invertible if and only

if its determinant is non-zero. From part (a), det(Am ) = m(m − 1)(m − 2).
Therefore, Am is invertible for all m ∈ R except m = 0, m = 1, and m = 2.

c) Determine the rank of Am for all values of m: The rank of a matrix is

the maximum number of linearly independent rows or columns. Since Am is
a 3 × 3 matrix: (
3 if m ̸= 0, 1, 2,
rank(Am ) =
2 if m = 0, 1, or 2.
- For m ̸= 0, 1, 2, det(Am ) ̸= 0, so rank(Am ) = 3. - For m = 0, 1, 2, det(Am ) =
0, but there exists at least one non-zero 2×2 minor (e.g., for m = 0, the minor
−1 2
= −5 ̸= 0), so rank(Am ) = 2.
2 1

Exercise 7: Vandermonde Determinant

Let n ∈ N∗ and a1 , a2 , . . . , an ∈ C. The Vandermonde determinant is defined by:

1 a1 a21 . . . a1n−1
1 a2 a22 . . . a2n−1
Vn (a1 , . . . , an ) = .. .. .. .. ..
. . . . .
1 an a2n n−1
. . . an
Show that for all n ≥ 2, we have:
Y
Vn = (aj − ai )
1≤i<j≤n

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Algebra II Problem Set II

Correction

1. Base Case (n = 2): For n = 2, the Vandermonde matrix is:

1 a1
V2 = = a2 − a1 .
1 a2
Q
The product formula gives 1≤i<j≤2 (aj − ai ) = a2 − a1 , which matches.

2. Inductive Step: Assume the formula holds for n = k, i.e.,

Y
Vk = (aj − ai ).
1≤i<j≤k

We prove it for n = k + 1.

(a) Polynomial in ak+1 : The determinant Vk+1 is a polynomial in ak+1 of

degree k, since the last row contains powers a0k+1 , a1k+1 , . . . , akk+1 .
(b) Roots of the Polynomial: If ak+1 = ai for any i ≤ k, two rows of
the matrix become identical, making Vk+1 = 0. Thus, (ak+1 − ai ) divides
Vk+1 for all i ≤ k.
(c) Factorization: Therefore, Vk+1 must be divisible by:
k
Y
(ak+1 − ai ).
i=1

(d) Inductive Hypothesis: The remaining factor is the determinant of

the k × k Vandermonde matrix for a1 , . . . , ak , which by the inductive
hypothesis is: Y
(aj − ai ).
1≤i<j≤k

Combining these results:

!
Y
Vk+1 = (aj − ai ) .
1≤i<j≤k+1

This completes the inductive step.