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Understanding Matrices in Mathematics

This document covers the fundamentals of matrices, including definitions, types, and their applications in mathematics and real-world scenarios. It explains key concepts such as matrix order, row and column matrices, square matrices, identity matrices, and zero matrices. Additionally, it introduces basic operations like addition, subtraction, and scalar multiplication of matrices.

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13 views3 pages

Understanding Matrices in Mathematics

This document covers the fundamentals of matrices, including definitions, types, and their applications in mathematics and real-world scenarios. It explains key concepts such as matrix order, row and column matrices, square matrices, identity matrices, and zero matrices. Additionally, it introduces basic operations like addition, subtraction, and scalar multiplication of matrices.

Uploaded by

hamdibarkous10
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Advanced Higher Notes (Unit 3) Matrices

Matrices
Prerequisites: Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing numbers;
elementary row operations.

Maths Applications: Solving systems of equations; describing geometric


transformations; deriving addition formulae.

Real-World Applications: Balancing chemical equations; flight


stopover information; currents in electrical
circuits; formulation of fundamental physical
laws.

Basic Definitions

Definition:

A matrix is a rectangular array of numbers (aka entries or elements) in


parentheses, each entry being in a particular row and column.

Definition:

The order of a matrix is given as m × n (read m by n), where m is the


number of rows and n the number of columns and is written as,

 a11 a12 a13 … a1n 


 
def  a21 a22 a23 … a2n 
A ≡ ( aij ) m ×n = a a32 a33 … a3n 
 31 
     
a am 2 am 3 amn 
 m1

The element in row i and column j of a matrix is written as aij and called
th
the (i, j) entry of A.

In this course, we will deal almost exclusively with matrices that have
orders 2 × 2 and 3 × 3.

M Patel (April 2012) 1 St. Machar Academy


Advanced Higher Notes (Unit 3) Matrices

Definition:

The main diagonal (aka leading diagonal) of any matrix is the set of
entries aij where i = j.

Special cases arise when either m = 1 or n = 1.

Definition:

A row matrix is a 1 × n matrix and is written as,

(a 11
a12 … a1(n −1) a1n )
A column matrix is a m × 1 matrix and is written as,

 a11 
 
 a21 
  
 
 a(m −1)1 
 
 am 1 

The case when m = n is a very important one.

Definition:

A square matrix (of order m × m) is a matrix with the same number of


rows as columns (equal to m) and is written as,

 a11 a12 … a1m 


 
 a21 a22 … a2m 
    
 
a am 2 amm 
 m1

Definition:

The identity matrix (of order m) is the m × m matrix all of whose


entries are 0 apart from those on the main diagonal, where they all equal
1,

M Patel (April 2012) 2 St. Machar Academy


Advanced Higher Notes (Unit 3) Matrices

 1 0 … 0
 
0 1 … 0
def
Im =
   
 
0 0 1 

Definition:

The zero matrix (of order m × n) is the m × n matrix all of whose


entries are 0,

0 0 0 … 0
 
def 0 0 0 … 0
Om × n = 0 0 0 … 0
 
    
0 0 0 0 

For a square zero matrix, sometimes the notation Om is used.

Matrix Algebra

Addition, Subtraction and Scalar Multiplication

Definition:

The matrix sum of A and B is obtained by adding corresponding entries


of A and B,

def
(a + b )ij = aij + bij

The matrix difference of A and B is obtained by subtracting the


entries of B from the corresponding ones in A,

def
(a − b )ij = aij − bij

Note that matrix addition and subtraction only makes sense if A and B
both have the same order.

M Patel (April 2012) 3 St. Machar Academy

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