Section 4

Matrix Algebra: Definitions and Basic Operations

Definitions
Analyzing economic models often involve working with large sets of linear
equations. Matrix algebra provides a set of tools for dealing with such objects.
A matrix is a rectangular collection of numbers
a11 a12
a
a22
A 21

am1 am 2

a1n
a2 n
.

amn

The number of rows m need not be equal to the number of columns n. A matrix with
m rows and n columns is said to have order (m,n) or dimension (m,n), or we simply
call it a (m n) matrix. The number that appears in the (i, j)th position is called the (i,
j)th element or the (i, j)th entry of the matrix. If m n , the matrix is a square
matrix. If m 1 and n 1 , it is called a row vector. If m 1 and n 1 , we have a
column vector. If m n 1 , then we have a scalar. The elements of a vector are
often called the components of the vector.
b1
b
2.
c

c
c
c
Example
A row vector
1 2
n , a column vector b


bm
By simply stating that b is a vector we will usually mean that b is a column vector,
but you need to be aware whether a row or column vector is being referred to.
Matrices are often written in unitalicized bold uppercase letters, vectors in
unitalicized bold lowercase letters.
It is often convenient to write a matrix as
A (a ij )mn ,

and often convenient to refer to the (i, j)th element of A using

A ij .
There is variation in notation from author to author, so be careful in your reading.
Two matrices of the same dimension m n are said to be equal if all of their
corresponding elements are equal, i.e.,

A B [A]ij [B]ij i 1,2,..., m, j 1,2,..., n.

Matrices of different dimensions cannot be equal.

Matrix Algebra Notes

Anthony Tay

4-1

Basic Operations (Addition, Scalar Multiplication, Subtraction, Transpose)

Addition

Let A (aij )mn and B (bij )mn be two arbitrary (m n) matrices.

Define
AB

(aij bij )mn ,

i.e., addition of matrices is defined to be element by element addition.

Example

1 4 6 9
1 6 4 9
7 13
3 2 1 2 3 1 2 2 4 4

6 5 1 10
6 1 5 10
7 15

Matrices being added together obviously must have the same dimensions. It should
also be obvious that

AB BA

(A B) C A (B C)
This means that as far as addition is concerned, we can manipulate matrices in the
same way we manipulate ordinary numbers (as long as they have the same
dimensions)
Scalar Multiplication

Let A be a (m n) matrix, and be a scalar. Then define

A ( aij )mn
i.e., the product of a scalar and a matrix is defined to be the multiplication of each
element of the matrix by the scalar.

Example

a11 a12
ba11 ba12

b a21 a22 ba21 ba22

a31 a32
ba31 ba32

We can use scalar multiplication to define matrix subtraction. Let A and B be (m n)

matrices. Then A B A (1)B .

Example

1 4
6 9
1 6 4 9
5 5
3 2 1 2 3 1 2 2 2 0

6 5
1 10
6 1 5 10
5 5

Matrix Algebra Notes

Anthony Tay

4-2

Transpose
An important operator is the transpose. When we transpose a matrix,
we write its rows as its column, and its columns as its rows. For example, denoting
the transpose of A by A we have
1 4

3 2
6 5

1 3 6

4 2 5

Put more succinctly, [ A ] ij [ A] ji . Note that transposes are often denoted using
A instead of A .
One application of the transpose operator is in defining symmetric matrices. A
symmetric matrix is defined as one where A A .

Exercises

1.

7 13
Let A 4 4 . What is the dimension of A ? What is [ A]12 ? What is [ A]31 ?
7 15

2.

Suppose A (a ij )24 where aij i j . Write out the matrix in full.

3.

Write out in full the matrix

(i)

(a ij )44 where aij 1 when i j , 0 otherwise.

(ii) (a ij )44 where aij 0 if i j . (Fill in the rest of the entries *)

(iii) (a ij )55 where aij 0 when i j . (Fill in the rest of the entries with *)
(vi) (a ij )55 where aij 0 when i j . (Fill in the rest of the entries with *)
These are all square matrices. Matrices (i) and (ii) are called diagonal matrices.
Matrix (iii) is a lower triangular matrix, and (iv) is an upper triangular
matrix (so we have in (iii) and (iv) matrices that are square and triangular!)

4.

Give an example of a (4 4) matrix such that [A] ij [ A] ji .

5.

3
u 2v 1 3
1 1

0 4 9 0 u v , what is u and v ?
If 9
3
3 4
4 7
7

Matrix Algebra Notes

Anthony Tay

4-3

6. Let v1 , v2 , v3 , v4 represent cities, and suppose there are one-way flights from
v1 to v2 and v3 , from v2 to v3 and v4 , and two-way flights between v1 and v4 .
Write out a matrix A such that [ A]ij 1 if there is a flight from vi to v j , and zero
otherwise.
7.

8.

1 8 3
What is the dimension of the matrix 9 1 9 ?
0 0 0
0 0
0 0 0

Let A
and B 0 0 . Is A B ?
0
0
0

0 0
Matrices with all zero entries are called zero matrices, and written 0m,n , or 0 n
if square, or simply 0 if the dimensions can be easily obtained from context.

9.

1 u 3 9
4 13

If 3 2 1 1 4 3 , what is u , v , and w ?
2 5 1 v
w 7

3 4
3 4
6 4
1

10. If 2A 2 8 , what is A ? If B 1 8 2 5 , what is B ?

2
1 5
1 4
3 1
11. Which of the following matrices are symmetric?
1
2
(a)
3

2
5
4
b

3
4
3
3

5
b
3

1
0
(b)
0

2
5
0
0

1
2
(d)
3

1
5
4
b

3
4
3
3

5
b
3

1
1
(e)
1

1
1
1

Matrix Algebra Notes

Anthony Tay

3
4
3
0

5
b
3

1
0
(c)
0

0
5
0
0

0
0
0
0

0
0
0

4-4

12.

13.

True or False?
(a)

Symmetric matrices must be square.

(b)

A scalar is symmetric.

(c)

If A is symmetric, then A is symmetric.

(d)

The sum of symmetric matrices is symmetric.

(e)

If (A ) A , then A is symmetric.

(a)

Find A and B if they satisfy

1 2 1
2A B

4 3 0
4 2 3
A 2B

5 1 1

simultaenously.
(b)
If A B C and 3A 2B 0 simultaneously, find A and B in
terms of C .

Matrix Algebra Notes

Anthony Tay

4-5