MATRICES

Symmetric matrix :

A square matrix A  [a ij ]mm is said to be a symmetric matrix if A T  A .

That is, if A  [a ij ] then, A T  [a ji ]  [a ij ]  A T  A .

a h g
For example:  h b f 
 g f c 

Skew-symmetric matrix :

A square matrix A  [a ij ] is said to be a skew-symmetric matrix if A T   A i.e., if

A  [a ij ] then, A T  [a ji ]   [a ij ]  A T  A .

 0 1 3
 0 2
For example:  1 0 5  ,  .
 2 0 
 3 5 0 

NOTE: all the diagonal elements in a skew-symmetric matrix are zero

Also note that

Any square matrix can be expressed as the sum of a symmetric and a

1 1
skew-symmetric matrix i.e., A  (P)  (Q) ,
2 2

where P  A  A T is a symmetric matrix and

Q  A  A T is a skew-symmetric matrix

SOLVE THE FOLLOWING

4 6
1. If A    , then what is the value of A.(adj. A)?
7 5
 2k  3 4 5 
 
2. For what value of k,  4 0 6  is a skew-symmetric matrix
 5 6 2k  3 

3. If A is a square matrix such that A2 = A, then write the value of (I + A)2 – 3A
  1 2   3 1   7 11 
4. If     , then write the value of k.
 3 4   2 5   k 23 
5. Write a 2  2 matrix which is both symmetric and skew-symmetric
6. Write a 3  3 skew symmetric matrix.
7. If A is a square matrix such that A 2  I , then find the simplified value of
(A  I)3  (A  I)3  7A .
 3 5
8. If A    is written as A  P  Q , where P is a symmetric matrix and Q is
7 9
skew symmetric matrix, then write the matrix P.
9. Write the number of all possible matrices of order 2  2 with each entry 1, 2 or 3
10. Write the number of all possible matrices of order 2  3 with each entry 1 or 2
 2 3 
11. Show that A    satisfies the equation x  6x  17I  O . Hence find A .
2 –1

 3 4 
12.
Express the following matrix as the sum of a symmetric and a skew-symmetric
matrix :
 1 3 5
 
 6 8 3  .
 4 6 5 
 
2 0 1
13. If A   2 1 3  find A 2  5A  4 I and hence find a matrix X such that
 1 1 0 
 
A 2  5A  4 I  X  O .
14. Three schools A, B and C organised a mela for collecting funds for helping the
rehabilitation of flood victims. They sold hand-made fans, mats and plates
made of recycled material for `25, `100 and `50 each. The number of articles
sold is given below :

School A B C

Article

Hand fans 40 25 35

Mats 50 40 50

Plates 20 30 40
 Find the funds collected by each school separately by selling the above articles.
Also find the total funds collected for the purpose
1 1 a 1 
15. If A    and B    and (A  B)  A  B , then find the values of a
2 2 2

 2  1  b  1
&b
 1 2 3   7 8 9 
16. If X    , then find the matrix X.
 4 5 6  2 4 6 
1 0 2
 
17. If A   0 2 1  and A 3  6A 2  7A  k I3  O , find k.
 2 0 3
 
 DETERMINANTS
a b   d b 
[Link] find adjoint of a 2  2 matrix : Follow this, A     adj.A   .
c d   c a 

[Link] matrix :

A square matrix A is said to be singular if A  0 i.e., its determinant is zero.

3 . Algorithm to find A 1 by Determinant method :

STEP 1- Find |A|.

STEP 2- If |A| = 0 then, write “A is a singular matrix and hence not invertible”. Else
write “A is a non-singular matrix and hence invertible”.

STEP 3- Calculate the cofactors of elements of matrix A.

STEP 4- Write the matrix of cofactors of elements of A and then obtain its transpose
to get adj.A (i.e., adjoint A).

1
STEP 5- Find the inverse of A by using the relation A 1  adj.A .
|A|

4. . Properties associated with various operations of Matrices & the Determinants :

a) AB  I  BA  A 1  B and B1  A b) AA–1  I or A–1A  I, A–1I  A–1

1
c) (AB) 1  B1A 1 d)  ABC   C 1B1A 1

e) (A 1 ) 1  A f) (A T ) 1  (A 1 )T

g) A  adj.A    adj.A  A  |A| I h) adj.  AB   adj.B adj.A 

i) adj.(A T )  (adj.A)T j) (adj.A) 1  (adj.A 1 )

k) adj.A  | A |n 1 , , where n is order of A (if | A |  0 i.e., A is a non-singular matrix)

l) |AB|  |A||B| m) |A. adj.A|  |A|n, where n is order of A

1
n) A 1  , i matrix A is invertible o) |A|  |AT|
A
 p) kA  k n A where n is order of square matrix A and k is any scalar.

n2
q) If A is a non-singular matrix of order n, then adj.(adj.A)  A A.

( n 1) 2
r) If A is a non-singular matrix of order n, then adj.(adj.A)  A .

s) If A is a matrix of order n then, adj.( k A)  k n 1 (adjA) .

5. Area of a triangle whose vertices are  x1 , y1  ,  x2 , y2  and  x3 , y3  is given by,

x1 y1 1
1
  x2 y2 1 Sq. units .
2
x3 y3 1

NOTE :

 Since area is a positive quantity, we take absolute value of the determinant in (A).

 If the points ( x1 , y1 ), ( x2 , y2 ) and ( x3 , y3 ) are collinear then   0 .

 The equation of a line passing through the points  x1 , y1  and  x2 , y2  can be obtained by
the expression given here :

x y 1
x1 y1 1  0
x2 y2 1

SOLVE THE PROBLEM:

1. If A is a square matrix of order 3 such that |adj A| = 225, find |A|.

2. If A is a square matrix of order 3 such that |adj A| = 64, find the value of |A
3. The value of determinant of a matrix A of order 3 is 4. Find the value of |5A|.
4. Let A be a square matrix of order 3  3 . Write the value of |2A|, where |A|  4.
 5  x x  1
5. For what value of x, the matrix   is singular?
 2 4 
1 x 7  x 5 2
6. If  , then write the value of x.
3x 2+x 4 3

5 3 8
7. If   2 0 1 , write the minor of the element a 32
1 2 3
 1 2
8. If A    , then find the value of k if |2A| = k |A|.
4 2
2 3  1
9. If A    , then write A .
 5  2 
10. If A is a square matrix such that | A |  5 , write the value of | AA T |
1 2   1 4 
11. If A    and B    , find | AB | .
 3 1   3 2 
12. If A is a 3  3 matrix and |3A| = k|A|, then write the value of k.
13. A and B are square matrices of order 3 each, A  2 and B  3. Find 3AB .
8 0 
14. If for any 2  2 square matrix A, A(adj.A)    , then write the value of |A|.
0 8 
15. If A is a 3  3 invertible matrix, then what will be the value of k if
det(A 1 )  (det A) k .
16. If A = [aij] is a matrix of order 2  2 , such that |A| = –15 and Cij represents the
cofactor of aij, then find a 21C 21  a 22 C22 .
 3 2 
17. Find the inverse of the matrix   . Hence, find the matrix P satisfying the
 5  3
 3 2  1 2 
matrix equation P   .
 5 3  2 1
 1 2 3 
18. If A   2 3 2  , find A–1. Hence solve the following system of equations:
 3 3 4 

x  2 y  3 z  4, 2 x  3 y  2 z  2, 3x  3 y  4 z  11 .

 4 4 4   1 1 1 
19. Find  7 1 3   1 2 2  . Use this to solve the system of equations :
  
 5 3 1  2 1 3 
x  y  z  4, x  2 y  2 z  9, 2 x  y  3z  1 .
 3 1 1   1 2 2 
20. If A  15 6 5 and B   1 3 0  , find (AB) 1 .
1 
   
 5 2 2   0 2 1 
21.
3 2 1 
If A   4 1 2  , then find A–1. Hence solve the following system of equations
 7 3 3 
 
3 x  2 y  z  6, 4 x  y  2 z  5, 7 x  3 y  3z  7 .
 1 1 2   2 0 1 
22. Use product 0 2 3  9 2 3 to solve the system of equations
 3 2 4   6 1 2 
x  3z  9,

 x  2y  2z  4 , 2x  3y  4z  3 .

 2 3 5 
 
23. If A   3 2 4  , then find A–1 and hence solve the system of linear
 1 1 2 
 
equations : 2x  3y  5z  11 , 3x + 2y – 4z = –5, x + y – 2z = –3. [AI 2017, Delhi
2018, Delhi 2020
 4 4 4   1 1 1 
24. Determine the product  7 1 3  1 2 2  and use it to solve the system
 5 3 1  2 1 3 
of equations x  y  z  4, x  2y  2z  9 , 2x  y  3z  1 .
1 1 1 
25. If A  1 0 2  , find A–1. Hence, solve the following system of equations :
3 1 1 
x  y  z  6, x  2z  7, 3x  y  z  12 .