Solutions for Tutorial 2 (Linear Algebra)

1) Let A M
n
(F). Since det A = det A
t
and det B = det B
t
it will suce to established the
result just for columns.
Let
A =
_
_
_
_
_
a
11
. . . a
1i
. . . a
1j
. . . a
1n
a
21
. . . a
2i
. . . a
2j
. . . a
2n
.
.
.
.
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.
.
a
n1
. . . a
ni
. . . a
nj
. . . a
nn
_
_
_
_
_
so
B =
_
_
_
_
_
a
11
. . . a
1i
+ a
1j
. . . a
1j
. . . a
1n
a
21
. . . a
2i
+ a
2j
. . . a
2j
. . . a
2n
.
.
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.
a
n1
. . . a
ni
+ a
nj
. . . a
nj
. . . a
nn
_
_
_
_
_
.
Then, by the properties of det, we have that
det B = det
_
_
_
_
_
a
11
. . . a
1i
. . . a
1j
. . . a
1n
a
21
. . . a
2i
. . . a
2j
. . . a
2n
.
.
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.
a
n1
. . . a
ni
. . . a
nj
. . . a
nn
_
_
_
_
_
+
+ det
_
_
_
_
_
a
11
. . . a
1j
. . . a
1j
. . . a
1n
a
21
. . . a
2j
. . . a
2j
. . . a
2n
.
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.
a
n1
. . . a
nj
. . . a
nj
. . . a
nn
_
_
_
_
_
. .
= 0 (because the matrix has
two equal columns)
= det A.
2) A is invertible if and only if det A = 0. On the other hand,
det A = det
_
_
b a 0
c 0 a
0 c b
_
_
= b det
_
0 a
c b
_
a det
_
c a
0 b
_
= b(ca) a(cb) = 2abc.
So, A is invertible abc = 0. When this last happens we have that
A
1
= (2abc)
1
_
_
ac bc c
2
ab b
2
bc
a
2
ab ac
_
_
t
=
_
_
1
2b
1
2c

a
2bc
1
2a

b
2ac
1
2c

c
2ab
1
2a
1
2b
_
_
.
3)
det A = det
_
4 1
5 2
_
2 det
_
2 3
5 2
_
+ det
_
2 3
4 1
_
= (8 + 5) 2(4 15) + (2 12) = 9.
1
2
det B = det
_
_
2 2 3
1 1 2
3 0 2
_
_
(2) det
_
_
1 2 3
3 1 2
4 3 2
_
_
=
_
2 det
_
1 2
3 2
_
+ det
_
2 3
3 2
__
+
+ 2
_
det
_
1 2
3 2
_
2 det
_
3 2
4 2
_
+ 3 det
_
3 1
4 3
__
=
_
2(2 6) + (4 + 9)
_
+ 2
_
(2 6) 2(6 + 8) + 3(9 + 4)
_
= 131.
4) We argue by induction on n. The case n = 1 is trivial. Suppose the result holds for n = k 1,
we then show it must hold for n = k.
For each 2 i k + 1, starting with i = k + 1, then i = k, and so on until i = 2, subtract
from the i-th column the (i 1)-th multiplied by a
0
. These changes do not aect the value of
the determinant, so
det V = det
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
1 0 0 . . . 0
1 a
1
a
0
a
2
1
a
1
a
0
. . . a
k
1
a
k1
1
a
0
1 a
2
a
0
a
2
2
a
2
a
0
. . . a
k
2
a
k1
2
a
0
.
.
.
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.
.
.
1 a
k
a
0
a
2
k
a
k
a
0
. . . a
k
k
a
k1
k
a
0
_
_
_
_
_
_
_
= det
_
_
_
_
_
a
1
a
0
a
1
(a
1
a
0
) . . . a
k1
1
(a
1
a
0
)
a
2
a
0
a
2
(a
2
a
0
) . . . a
k1
2
(a
2
a
0
)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
a
k
a
0
a
k
(a
k
a
0
) . . . a
k1
k
(a
k
a
0
)
_
_
_
_
_
=

1jk
(a
j
a
0
) det
_
_
_
_
_
1 a
1
. . . a
k1
1
1 a
2
. . . a
k1
2
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
1 a
k
. . . a
k1
k
_
_
_
_
_
=

1jk
(a
j
a
0
)

1i<jk
(a
j
a
i
) =

0i<jk
(a
j
a
i
).
(The penultimate equality, by the induction hypothesis.)
5) a) No. For instance,
_
0 1
0 0
__
1 0
0 0
_
=
_
0 0
0 0
_
but
_
1 0
0 0
__
0 1
0 0
_
=
_
0 1
0 0
_
.
b) Let p
A
(x) = x
2
+ ax + b, so A
2
+ aA + bI = 0. We consider 3 cases:
b = 0 : Then A
2
+ aA + bI = 0 A
3
+ aA
2
+ bA = 0 aA
2
+ bA = 0
aA
3
+ bA
2
= 0 bA
2
= 0 A
2
= 0.
b = 0 and a = 0 : Then A
2
+aA = 0 A
3
+aA
2
= 0 aA
2
= 0 A
2
= 0.
3
b = 0 and a = 0 : Then we are done.
c) (AB)
2
= I A(AB)
2
B = AB A
2
(BA)B
2
= AB BA = AB.
6)
p
A
(t) = det
_
_
1 t 6 2
3 2 t 0
0 3 4 t
_
_
= (1 t) det
_
2 t 0
3 4 t
_
+ 3 det
_
6 2
3 4 t
_
= (1 t)(2 t)(4 t) + 3(24 6t + 6)
= t
3
t
2
8t 62.
p
B
(t) = det
_
_
_
_
2 t 5 7 9
1 4 t 6 4
0 0 6 t 5
0 0 2 3 t
_
_
_
_
= (2 t) det
_
_
4 t 6 4
0 6 t 5
0 2 3 t
_
_
det
_
_
5 7 9
0 6 t 5
0 2 3 t
_
_
= (2 t)(4 t) det
_
6 t 5
2 3 t
_
5 det
_
6 t 5
2 3 t
_
= (2 t)(4 t)
_
(6 t)(3 t) + 10

5
_
(6 t)(3 t) + 10

= t
4
15t
3
+ 85t
2
195t + 84.