MATH 431 HOMEWORK 6 SOLUTIONS

1. Section 4.1
(4d) For the following pair of vectors u and v in R2 , compute the area of the
parallelogram determined by u and v.
u = (3, 4) and v = (2, 6)
  
  



 

u
u
3
4
 = det
 = |18 8| = |26| = 26.
A
= det


v
v
2 6 

(9) Prove that det(AB) = det(A) det(B) for any A, B M22 (F ).





a b
v w
Proof. Let A =
and B =
where a, b, c, d, v, w, x, y F . Then
c d
x y


 

a b
v w
av + bx aw + by
AB =
=
. So
c d
x y
cv + dx cw + dy
det(AB) =
=
=
=
=
=

(av + bx)(cw + dy) (aw + by)(cv + dx)

avcw + avdy + bxcw + bxdy awcv awdx bycv bydx
advy + bcwx + adwx + bcvy
ad(vy wx) bc(vy wx)
(ad bc)(vy wx)
det(A) det(B).


(10) The classical adjoint of a 2 2 matrix A M22 (F ) is the matrix



A22 A12
C=
.
A21 A11
(a) Claim: CA = AC = [det(A)]I.
Date: October 17, 2006.
1

MATH 431 HW 6



a b
d
Proof. Let A =
. Then C =
c d
c


 
d b
a b
da bc
CA =
=
c a
c d
ca + ac


 
a b
d b
ad bc
AC =
=
c d
c a
cd dc


b
. Notice
a
 

db bd
ad bc
0
=
,
cb + ad
0
ad bc
 

ab + ba
ad bc
0
=
,
cb + da
0
ad bc

 

1 0
ad bc
0
and [det(A)]I = (ad bc)
=
.
0 1
0
ad bc

Hence CA = AC = [det(A)]I.

(d) Claim: If A is invertible, then A1 = [det(A)]1 C.



a b
Proof. Let A =
. Then by Theorem 4.2,
c d


1
d b
1
A =
= [det(A)]1 C.
det(A) c a

2. Section 4.2
(2) Find the value of k that satisfies the following equation

3a1 3a2 3a3

a1 a2 a3
det 3b1 3b2 3b3 = k det b1 b2 b3 .
3c1 3c2 3c3
c1 c2 c3

a1
3a1 3a2 3a3

= 3 det 3b1
det 3b1 3b2 3b3
3c1 3c2 3c3
3c1

a1
= 32 det b1
3c1

a1
= 33 det b1
c1

a1
= 27 det b1
c1

a2 a3
3b2 3b3
3c2 3c3

a2 a3
b2 b3
3c2 3c3

a2 a3
b2 b3
c2 c3

a2 a3
b2 b3 ;
c2 c3

where we used rule (b) on p. 217 at each step. Therefore, k = 27.

MATH 431 HW 6

(4) Find the value of k that satisfies the following equation:

b1 + c 1 b2 + c 2 b3 + c 3
a1 a2 a3
det a1 + c1 a2 + c2 a3 + c3 = k det b1 b2 b3 .
a1 + b 1 a2 + b 2 a3 + b 3
c1 c2 c3

b1 + c 1 b2 + c 2 b3 + c 3
2a1
2a2
2a3
det a1 + c1 a2 + c2 a3 + c3 = det a1 + c1 a2 + c2 a3 + c3
a1 + b 1 a2 + b 2 a3 + b 3
a1 + b 1 a2 + b 2 a3 + b 3

a1
a2
a3
= 2 det a1 + c1 a2 + c2 a3 + c3
a1 + b 1 a2 + b 2 a3 + b 3

a1 a2 a3
= 2 c1 c2 c3
b1 b2 b3

a1 a2 a3
= 2 b1 b2 b3 ;
c1 c2 c3
where we added (R2 R3 ) to R1 , then multiplied R1 by (1/2), then added (R1 )
to each of R2 and R3 , and finally exchanged R2 with R3 . The rules respectively used
were (c), (b), (c), and (a) from p. 217. Therefore, k = 2.

(10) Evaluate the determinant of the given matrix along the second row.

i 2+i
0
3
2i
det 1
0
1 1 i






2+i
0
i
0
i 2+i
= (1) det
+ 3 det
2i det
1 1 i
0 1i
0 1
=
=
=
=
=

1[(2 + i)(1 i) 0] + 3[i(1 i) 0] 2i[i 0]

2 2i + i i2 + 3i 3i2 + 2i2
2 i + 1 + 3i i2
3 i + 3i
4 + 2i.

MATH 431 HW 6

(18)







1 2 3
2
5
1
5
1
2
det 1 2 5 = 1 det
+ 2 det
+ 3 det
1 2
3
2
3 1
3 1 2
=
=
=
=

1(4 5) + 2(2 + 15) + 3(1 6)

1(1) + 2(13) + 3(5)
1 + 26 15
10.

(20)

1 2 + i
3
i
1
det 1 i
3i
2
1 + i







i
1
1i
1
1i i
= (1) det
(2 + i) det
+ 3 det
2 1 + i
3i 1 + i
3i 2
=
=
=
=
=

(1)[(i)(1 + i) 2] (2 + i)[(1 i)(1 + i) 3i] + 3[(1 i)(2) 3i2 ]

(1)(i + i2 2) (2 + i)(1 + i + i i2 3i) + 3(2 2i + 3)
(1)(i 1 2) (2 + i)(1 + 2i + 1 3i) + 3(5 2i)
3 + i + 2i + i2 + 15 6i
17 3i.

(23) Prove that the determinant

its diagonal entries.

a11 a12 a13

0 a22 a23

0
0 a33
Proof. Let A =
.
..
.. . .
..
.
.
.

of an upper triangular matrix is the product of

a1n
a2n

a3n , an upper triangular matrix in Mnn (F ).

..
.

0
0
0 ann Q
Notice that if n = 1, then det(A) =Qa11 = ni=1 aii , the product of the diagonal entries
of A. Now assume that det(A) = ni=1 aii for n = k 1.

MATH 431 HW 6

We prove that this holds for n = k:

a11 a12 a13
0 a22 a23

0
0 a33
det(A) = det
.
..
..
..
.
.
0
0
0

...

a1k
a2k

a3k
..
.

akk
= 0 + 0 + + (1) akk det(Akk ) ; expanding along the last row
= akk det(Akk ) ; where Akk M(k1)(k1) (F ) and is upper triangular
2k

= akk

k1
Y

aii ; by our inductive hypothesis

i=1

k
Y

aii .

i=1

Hence, by induction, the determinant of every upper triangular matrix is the product
of its diagonal entries.


(25) Prove that det(kA) = k n det(A) for any A Mnn (F ).

a1
a2

Proof. Let A Mnn (F ) with A =

... , where ai denotes the ith row of A. Then
an
ka1
ka2

kA =
... . By repetitive use of rule (b) on p. 217,

kan

ka1
a1
a1
ka2
ka2
a2

ka
ka
ka3 = = k n det(A).
det(kA) = det 3 = k det 3 = k det
.
...
...
..

kan

kan

kan


MATH 431 HW 6

(30) Let the rows of A Mnn (F ) be a1 , a2 , . . . , an , and let B be the matrix in

which the rows are an , an1 , . . . , a1 . Calculate det(B) in terms of det(A).
Proof. Theorem 4.5 states that if B is obtained from A by exchanging two rows, then
det(B) = det(A).
So if n is even, then B is obtained from A by exchanging a1 with an , a2 with
n
an1 , . . ., and a n2 with a n2 +1 . This is n2 row exchanges, so det(B) = (1) 2 det(A).
If n is odd, then B is obtained from A by exchanging a1 with an , a2 with an1 , . . .,
and a n1 with a n+1 +1 , leaving a n+1 untouched. This is n1
row exchanges, so
2
2

n1
2

det(B) = (1)
In summary,

det(A).
(
n
(1) 2 det(A) if n is even
det(B) =
n1
(1) 2 det(A) if n is odd

.