In Exercises 23–30, use expansion by minors to evaluate each determinant. 12−312412−5
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Identify the matrix for which you need to find the determinant:
\[\begin{bmatrix} 1 & 1 & 1 \\ 2 & 2 & 2 \\ -3 & 4 & -5 \end{bmatrix}\]
Choose a row or column to expand along. Typically, choose the row or column with the most zeros or simplest numbers to make calculations easier. Here, the first row is a good choice:
\[\text{Expand along the first row: } 1, 1, 1\]
Calculate the minors for each element in the first row. For each element, cross out the row and column containing that element and find the determinant of the resulting 2x2 matrix. For example, for the element in the first row and first column (which is 1), the minor is:
\[\begin{vmatrix} 2 & 2 \\ 4 & -5 \end{vmatrix}\]
Calculate the cofactors by applying the sign pattern based on the position of each element. The sign pattern for a 3x3 matrix is:
\[\begin{bmatrix} + & - & + \\ - & + & - \\ + & - & + \end{bmatrix}\]
Multiply each minor by its corresponding sign and the element from the first row.
Sum the products of the elements, their cofactors, and minors to get the determinant:
\[\text{Determinant} = a_{11}C_{11} + a_{12}C_{12} + a_{13}C_{13}\]
where \(a_{ij}\) are elements of the first row and \(C_{ij}\) are their cofactors.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Determinant of a Matrix
The determinant is a scalar value that can be computed from a square matrix and provides important properties such as invertibility. For a 3x3 matrix, the determinant helps determine if the system of equations has a unique solution, no solution, or infinitely many solutions.
Expansion by minors is a method to calculate the determinant of a matrix by breaking it down into smaller 2x2 determinants. This involves selecting a row or column, multiplying each element by its corresponding minor (the determinant of the submatrix formed by removing the element's row and column), and applying alternating signs.
Certain properties simplify determinant calculations, such as if two rows or columns are identical or proportional, the determinant is zero. Recognizing these properties can save time and help verify results when using expansion by minors.