Matrix Algebra: Sheet 1

1. Find angles , , and such that

2 sin cos + 3 tan = 3,
4 sin + 2 cos 2 tan = 2,
6 sin 3 cos + tan = 9,
where 0 2, 0 2, and 0 < .

2. The following system has no solution:

x1 + 3x2 2x3 = 1,
x1 + 4x2 3x3 = 0,
x1 + 5x2 4x3 = 0.
Attempt to solve this system using Gaussian elimination and explain
what occurs to indicate that the system is impossible to solve.

3. By solving a 3 3 system, nd the coecients in the equation of the

parabola y = +x+x2 that passes through the points (1, 1), (2, 2),
and (3, 0).
4. Suppose that 100 insects are distributed in an enclosure consisting of
four chambers with passageways between them as shown below.

#3
#4

#2

#1

5. At the end of one minute, the insects have redistributed themselves.

Assume that a minute is not enough time for an insect to visit more than one
chamber and that at the end of a minute 40% of the insects in each chamber have
not left the chamber they occupied at the beginning of the minute. The insects
that leave a chamber disperse uniformly among the chambers that are directly
accessible from the one they initially occupiede.g., from #3, half move to #2
and half move to #4.
(a) If at the end of one minute there are 12, 25, 26, and 37 insects
in chambers #1, #2, #3, and #4, respectively, determine what
the initial distribution had to be.
(b) If the initial distribution is 20, 20, 20, 40, what is the distribution
at the end of one minute?

6. Consider the n n Hilbert matrix dened by

1
1
1
2
3

1
1
1
2
3
4

1
1
1
H=
4
5
3
.
..
..
..
.
.

1
n

1
n+1

1
n+2

1
n

1
n+1

1
n+2

..
.

1
2n1

Express the individual entries hij in terms of i and j.

7. Is it possible for a parabola whose equation has the form y = +x+x 2

to pass through the four points (0, 1), (1, 3), (2, 15), and (3, 37)? Why?
Consider two springs that are connected as shown in Figure 1.
Node 1

k1

x1

Node 2

k2

Node 3

x2

F1

-F1

x3

-F3

F3

Figure 1

Using Hooke's Law find the relation between forces and displacements.
8. Determine the unknown quantities in the following expressions.



 
0 3
x+2 y+3
3
(a) 3X =
.
(b) 2
=
6 9
3
0
y

6
z

T
.

9. Identify each of the following as symmetric, skew symmetric, or neither.

1 3
3
0 3 3
.
(a) 3
4 3 . (b) 3
0
3
3
0
3 1
0



0 3 3
1 2

(c)
3
0
3 . (d)
.
2 1
3
3
1
10. Let A be any square matrix.
(a) Show that A+AT is symmetric and AAT is skew symmetric.
(b) Prove that there is one and only one way to write A as the
sum of a symmetric matrix and a skew-symmetric matrix.
11. S how that f(Xnn) = trace (X) is a linear function.

12. Give examples of at least two dierent physical principles or laws that
can be characterized as being linear phenomena.

13. Give examples of at least two dierent physical principles or laws that
can be characterized as being linear phenomena.

14. Determine which of the following three transformations in
2 are linear.

p

f(p)
f(p)

f(p)

Rotate counterclockwise
through an angle .

Reflect about
the x -axis.

Project onto
the line y = x.

a. Determine the matrix associated with each of these linear functions.

That is, determine the aij s such that

f (p) = f

x1
x2


=

a11 x1 + a12 x2
a21 x1 + a22 x2


.

b. By using matrix multiplication, determine the linear function obtained

by performing a rotation followed by a reection.
c. By using matrix multiplication, determine the linear function obtained by rst
performing a reection, then a rotation, and nally a projection.
15. An airline serves ve cities, say, A, B, C, D, and H, in which H is the hub city. The
various routes between the cities are indicated in Figure 3.5.1.

B
H

Figure 3.5.1

How many routes from city A to city B require exactly three connecting ights?
How many routes require no more than four ightsand so forth?