Matrices

Here are .20 exam-style 3×3 matrix problems with full solutions. (determinants,
inverses, and Cramer's rule). I kept the arithmetic exact and showed the key
steps so you can follow and practice. If you want printable PDF or a separate
answer sheet, tell me and I'll produce it.
. Problems (17: determinants)
. 1)  
1 2 3
A = 0 −1 4 .Find |A|..
 

2 1 0
.Solution.. Use the rule of expansion (rst row):

|A| = 1 · ((−1)(0) − 4 · 1) − 2 · (0 · 0 − 4 · 2) + 3 · (0 · 1 − (−1) · 2)

Compute terms: 1(−4) − 2(−8) + 3(2) = −4 + 16 + 6 = 18. |A| = 18 .


. 2)  
2 0 1
A = 3 4 −2 .Find |A|..
 

1 −1 5
.Solution.. Expand along rst row:

|A| = 2 · (4 · 5 − (−2)(−1)) − 0 · (...) + 1 · (3 · (−1) − 4 · 1)

Compute: 2(20 − 2) + 1(−3 − 4) = 2(18) + (−7) = 36 − 7 = 29. |A| = 29 .


. 3)  
1 0 2
A = 0 3 1 .Find |A|..
 

4 −2 1
.Solution.. Expand by rst row:

|A| = 1(3 · 1 − 1 · (−2)) − 0 · (...) + 2(0 · (−2) − 3 · 4)

Compute: 1(3 + 2) + 2(0 − 12) = 5 + 2(−12) = 5 − 24 = −19. |A| = −19 .


. 4)  
5 1 0
A = −1 2 3 .Find |A|..
 

2 4 1
.Solution.. Expand rst row:

|A| = 5(2 · 1 − 3 · 4) − 1((−1) · 1 − 3 · 2) + 0 · (...)

Compute: 5(2 − 12) − 1(−1 − 6) = 5(−10) − 1(−7) = −50 + 7 = −43.
|A| = −43 .

1
 
. 5)  
0 1 2
A = 1 0 3 .Find |A|..
 

4 5 6
.Solution.. Expand rst row:

|A| = 0 · (...) − 1(1 · 6 − 3 · 4) + 2(1 · 5 − 0 · 4)

Compute: −1(6 − 12) + 2(5 − 0) = −1(−6) + 10 = 6 + 10 = 16. |A| = 16 .


. 6)  
2 3 1
A = 4 0 −1 Find |A|.
 

1 5 2
Solution.. Expand rst row:

|A| = 2(0 · 2 − (−1) · 5) − 3(4 · 2 − (−1) · 1) + 1(4 · 5 − 0 · 1)

Compute: 2(0+5)−3(8+1)+1(20−0) = 2(5)−3(9)+20 = 10−27+20 = 3.
|A| = 3 .

7)  
1 1 1
A = 1 2 3 Find |A|..
 

2 3 4
Solution. Compute determinant (expand rst row):

|A| = 1(2 · 4 − 3 · 3) − 1(1 · 4 − 3 · 2) + 1(1 · 3 − 2 · 2)

Calculate: 1(8 − 9) − 1(4 − 6) + 1(3 − 4) = −1 − (−2) + (−1) = −1 + 2 − 1 = 0.
|A| = 0 (matrix is singular).

. Problems (813): nd inverse (if it exists). For each, give determinant and
inverse (or state singular).
> Note: For solutions the inverse is shown as exact fractions (reduced).
. 8)  
2 1 3
A = 1 0 2 Find A−1 ..
 

4 1 5
Solution. First |A| = 1 (computed). Since |A| =
̸ 0, inverse exists. The
inverse is

3 −1 −1
 

A−1 = −2 1 0 .
 

−1 1 1

2
  
3 −1 −1
(You can verify AA−1 = I .) A−1 = −2 1 0.
−1 1 1

. 9)  
1 2 3
A = 0 1 4 .Find A−1 ..
 

5 6 0
.Solution.. |A| = 1 (computed). Inverse (exact):

−24 18
 
5
A−1 =  20 −15 −4 .
 

−5 4 1
 
−24 18 5
(Each entry is integer here because determinant = 1.) A−1 =  20 −15 −4 .
−5 4 1

. 10) 
2 0 1
A = 1 1 0 .Find A−1 ..
 

3 4 5
.Solution.. |A| = −1 (computed). Inverse:

−1 −1 −5
   
5 1 1
−1 1 
A = −15 2 2  =  15 −2 −2 .
  
−1
4 −1 −1 −4 1 1
 
−5 1 1
A−1 =  15 −2 −2 .
−4 1 1

. 11) 
1 0 2
A = 0 1 0 .Find A−1 ..
 

2 0 1
.Solution.. |A| = −3 (computed). The inverse is

0 −2 −1/3 0
   
1 2/3
−1 1 
A =  0 −3 0  =  0 1 0 .
  
−3
−2 0 1 2/3 0 −1/3
 1 2
−3

0 3
A−1 = 0 1 0 .
 
2
3 0 − 13


3
 . 12) 
3 0 2
A = 2 −2 .Find A−1 ..
0
 

0 1 1
.Solution.. |A| = 10 (computed). Exact inverse:

2 −4 −2/5
   
2 1/5 1/5
−1 1 
A = 2 3 −3 =  1/5 3/10 −3/10 .
  
10
−2 −1 2 −1/5 −1/10 1/5
 
2 2 −4
1 
A−1 = 2 3 −3 .
10
−2 −1 2

. 13) 
4 7 2
A = 3 6 1 .Find A−1 ..
 

2 5 1
.Solution.. |A| = 1 (computed). So inverse entries are integers (adjoint):

1 −1 0
 

A−1 = −1 2 −1 .

 

1 −2 1
 
1 −1 0
A−1 = −1 2 −1 .
1 −2 1

. Problems (1420): Solve systems using .Cramer's Rule. (show |A| and
|Ax |, |Ay |, |Az |).
14)
System:

x + y + z = 6


2x − y + 3z = 14


x + 4y − z = −2

   
1 1 1 6
.Solution.. Coecient matrix A = 2 −1 3 , B =  14 . Determinant
1 4 −1 −2
|A| = 3. Replace columns:
|Ax | = 3, |Ay | = −18, |Az | = 36.
So
3 −18 36
x= = 1, y= = −6, z= = 12.
3 3 3
(x, y, z) = (1, −6, 12) .

4
 
. 15)
System:


 2x + y = 3

x + 3y + 2z = 10


2y + z = 5


(Rewrite rst equation

 as 2x + y +  0z = 3.)
2 1 0 3
.Solution.. A = 1 3 2 , B = 10. |A| = 7. Determinants replacing
0 2 1 5
columns yield |Ax | = 1, |Ay | = 5, |Az | = 12. (Computed.) So
1 5 12
x= , y= , z= .
7 7 7
1 5 12
.


(x, y, z) = 7, 7, 7

. 16)
System:

x + 2y + 3z = 7


0x + 1y + 4z = 4


5x + 6y + 0z = 3

   
1 2 3 7
.Solution.. A = 0 1 4 , B = 4. |A| = 1. Compute |Ax | = 2, |Ay | =
5 6 0 3
−9, |Az | = 26. Thus

x = 2, y = −9, z = 26.
(x, y, z) = (2, −9, 26) . (Determinant = 1 makes solution integers.)

. 17)
System:


 3x + 0y + 2z = 2

2x + 0y − 2z = 1


0x + 1y + 1z = 3

   
3 0 2 2
.Solution.. A = 2 0 −2 , B = 1. |A| = 10. Solve by Cramer (or
0 1 1 3
invert): solution is

1 3 5


(x, y, z) = 2, 2, 2 .

5
 1 3 5
.


(x, y, z) = 2, 2, 2

. 18)
System:

2x + 3y + z = 9


x − y + 4z = 3


0x + 5y + 2z = 7

   
2 3 1 9
.Solution.. A = 1 −1 4 , B = 3. |A| = −23. Determinants give
0 5 2 7
|Ax | = −19, |Ay | = 31, |Az | = 3. Therefore
−19 19 31 31 3 3
x= = , y= =− , z= =− .
−23 23 −23 23 −23 23
19 31 3
.


(x, y, z) = 23 , − 23 , − 23

. 19)
System:


 x + 0y + 2z = 5

0x + 1y − 1z = −1


3x + 4y + 0z = 6

   
1 0 2 5
.Solution.. A = 0 1 −1 , B = −1. |A| = 5. Determinants lead to
3 4 0 6
|Ax | = 25, |Ay | = −5, |Az | = 15. So
25 −5 15
x= = 5, y= = −1, z= = 3.
5 5 5
(x, y, z) = (5, −1, 3) .

20)
System:


 4x + y + 2z = 9

0x + 3y − z = 4


x + 2y + z = 6

   
4 1 2 9
.Solution.. A = 0 3 −1 , B = 4. |A| = 13. Determinants give
1 2 1 6
|Ax | = 15, |Ay | = 23, |Az | = 17. So

15 23 17
x= 13 , y= 13 , z= 13 .

6
 15 23 17
.


(x, y, z) = 13 , 13 , 13