STD-XII

DETERMINANTS
• The beginnings of matrices and determinants goes back to the second century BC
although traces can be seen back to the fourth century BC. However it was not
until near the end of the 17th Century that the ideas reappeared and
development really got underway.
It is not surprising that the beginnings of matrices and determinants should arise
through the study of systems of linear equations. The Babylonians studied
problems which lead to simultaneous linear equations and some of these are
preserved in clay tablets which survive. For example a tablet dating from around
300 BC contains the following problem:-
There are two fields whose total area is 1800 square yards. One produces grain at
the rate of 2/3 of a bushel per square yard while the other produces grain at the
rate of 1/2 a bushel per square yard. If the total yield is 1100 bushels, what is the
size of each field.
• The Chinese, between 200 BC and 100 BC, came much closer to matrices than
the Babylonians. Indeed it is fair to say that the text Nine Chapters on the
Mathematical Art was written during the Han Dynasty gives the first known
example of matrix methods. First a problem is set up which is similar to the
Babylonian example given above:-
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
SUB-TOPICS:-

Determinant of a Square Matrix

Minors and Cofactors
Properties of Determinants
Applications of Determinants
Area of a Triangle
Condition of Collinearity of Three
Points
 DETERMINANT
Every square matrix has associated with it a scalar called its determinant.

Given a matrix A, we use det(A) or |A| to designate its determinant.

We can also designate the determinant of matrix A by replacing the
brackets by vertical straight lines. For example:
2 1 2 1
A  det( A) 
0 3 0 3
Definition 1: The determinant of a 1x1 matrix [a] is the scalar a.
a b 
Definition 2: The determinant of a 2x2 matrix  c d  is the scalar ad-bc.
 
Sign System for Expansion
of Determinant

  
 
,  
 
  
 Expansion of Determinants

If A  [aij ] is a square matrix of order 1, then A  a11  a11

 a11 a12 
If A    is a square matrix of order 2, then
a21 a22 
 a11 a12 
A    a11a22  a21a12
a21 a22 
Example
4 3
Evaluate the determinant :
2 5

4 3
Solution :  4  5  2  (3)  20  6  26
2 5
Solution:  a11 a12 a13 
 a23  is a real number defined as
The determinant of a 3 × 3 matrix A, where A  a21 a22
a31 a32 a33 

det A  a11a22 a33  a12 a23a31  a13a21a32  (a31a22 a13  a32 a23a11  a33a21a12 ).
Solution:
 a11 a12 a13 
If A  a21 a22 a23  is a square matrix of order 3, then
a31 a32 a33   a11 (a22 a33  a32 a23 )  a12 (a21a33  a31a23 )
 a13 (a21a32  a31a22 )

 a11 a12 a13 

A  a21 a22 a23   a11 22
a a23

a32 a23
a31 a32 a33   (a11a22 a33  a12 a31a23  a13a21a32 ) 
a21 a23 a a
a12  a13 21 22 (a11a23a32  a12 a21a33  a13a31a22 )
a31 a33 a31 a32
Expanding along first row
Example:
2 3 5
Evalueate the determinant : 7 1  2
3 4 1

2 3 5
1 2 7 2 7 1
7 1 2  2 3  (5)
4 1 3 1 3 4
3 4 1
[Expanding along first row]
 2(1  8)  3(7  6)  5(28  3)
 18  3  155
 140 12
•The determinant of each 3 × 3 matrix is called a minor of the
associated element.
•The symbol Mij represents the minor when the ith row and jth
column are eliminated.

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 The Cofactor of an Element
Let Mij be the minor for element aij in an n × n matrix. The cofactor of
aij, written Aij, is
Aij  (1)i  j  M ij
• To find the determinant of a 3 × 3 or larger square matrix:
1. Choose any row or column,
2. Multiply the minor of each element in that row or column by a +1 or
–1, depending on whether the sum of i + j is even or odd,
3. Then, multiply each cofactor by its corresponding element in the
matrix and find the sum of these products. This sum is the determinant
of the matrix.
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Minors:   1 4
If A   , then
 2 3 
M 11  Mior of a11  3, M 12  Minor of a12  2
M 21  Mior of a21  4, M 22  Minor of a22  1
 4 7 8
If A   9 0 0, then
 2 3 4
M 11  Mior of a11  determinant of the order 2  3 square sub - matrix is obtained by leaving first row and
0 0
first column of A  0
3 4
4 7
Similarly M 23  minor of a23   12  14  2
2 3
4 8
M 32  minor of a32   0  72  72 etc.
9 0
Cofactors
Cij  Cofactor of aij in A  (1)i  j M ij , where M ij is minor of aij in A

Example
 4 7 8

A   9 0 0
 2 3 4

11 11 0 0
C11  Cofactor of a11  (1) M 11  (1) 0
3 4
23 4 7
C23  Cofactor of a23  (1) M 23  2
2 3
Value of Determinant
in Terms of Minors
and Cofactors
 a11 a12 a13 
If A  a21 a22 a23 , then
a31 a32 a33 
3 3
A   (1) i j
aij M ij   aij Cij
j 1 j 1

 ai1Ci1  ai 2Ci 2  ai 3Ci 3 , for i  1 or i  2 or i  3

Dear children please go through this video first

https://youtu.be/hAh93-VHyu0

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 Properties of Determinant 2 3 5
1. The value of a determinant remains unchanged, if
 6 0 4
its rows and columns are interchanged.
1 5 7
Example
a1 b1 c1 a1 a2 a3 Expanding the determinant along first row,
a2 b2 c2  b1 b2 b3 i.e. A  A' 2
0 4
 (3)
6 4
5
6 0
5 7 1 7 1 5
a3 b3 c3 c1 c2 c3
 2(0(7)  5(4)  3(6(7)  (1)(4))  5(6(5)  1(0))
2.If any two rows (or columns) of a determinant are  2(20)  3(46)  5(30)  40  138  150  28
interchanged, then the value of the determinant is
changed by minus sign. 2 3 5
 6 0 4
Example 1 5 7
a1 b1 c1 a2 b2 c2
Expanding the determinant along first row,
a2 b2 c2  a1 b1 c1 [Applying R2  R1 ] 0 4 6 4 6 0
2  (3) 5
a3 b3 c3 a3 b3 c3 5 7 1 7 1 5
 2(0(7)  5(4)  3(6(7)  (1)(4))  5(6(5)  1(0))
 2(20)  3(46)  5(30)  40  138  150  28
Properties:
3. If all the elements of a row (or column) is multiplied by a non-zero
number k, then the value of the new determinant is k times the value of
the original determinant.
Example
102 18 36
ka1 kb1 kc1 a1 b1 c1 Evaluate 1 3 4
a2 b2 c2  k a2 b2 c2 17 3 6
a3 b3 c3 a3 b3 c3 102 18 36 6(17) 6(3) 6(6)
 1 3 4  1 3 4
Which also implies 17 3 6 17 3 6
a1 b1 c1 ma1 mb1 mc1 17 3 6
1
a2 b2 c2  a2 b2 c2 So,   1 3 4  6  (0)  0
m 17 3 6
a3 b3 c3 a3 b3 c3
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 a b c
Properties:
show that a  2 x b  2 x c  2 z  0
4. If each element of any row (or column) consists
x y z of two or more terms, then the determinant can be
Example
a b c expressed as the sum of two or more
Solving L.H.S a  2 x b  2 x c  2 z expressing elements fo 2nd row as sum of two elements determinants.
x y z

a1  x b1
a b c a b c a b c
 a b c  2x 2 y 2z  2 x y z c1 a1 b1 c1 x b1 c1
x y z x y z x y z
R2 and R3 are identical
a2  y b2 c2  a2 b2 c2  y b2 c2
 2 0  0 a3  z b3 c3 a3 b3 c3 z b3 c3
5. The value of a determinant is unchanged, if any
row (or column) is multiplied by a number and then
added to any other row (or column).

a1 b1 c1 a1  mb1  nc1 b1 c1
a2 b2 c2  a2  mb2  nc2 b2 c2
a3 b3 c3 a3  mb3  nc3 b3 c3
 Properties: 3 2 3
 2 2 3
6. If any two rows (or columns) of a determinant are identical, 3 2 3
then its value is zero. first and third row are identical, hence we apply property 3
Example 2 3 2 3 2 2
a1 b1 c1 3 2 3
3 3 3 3 3 2
a2 b2 c2  0
 3((3)  2(3))  2(2(3)  3(3))  3(2(2)  3(2))
a1 b1 c1  3(6  6)  2(6  9)  3(4  6)  0  6  6  0

7. If each element of a row (or column) of a determinant is zero,

then its value is zero. 0 0 0
a2 b2 c2  0
a3 b3 c3

 a 0 0  a 0 0
8. Let A  0 b 0 be a diagonalmatrix, then A  0 b 0  abc
   
0 0 c  0 0 c 
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 Example-1 Find the value of the following determinants
42 1 6 6 -3 2
(i) 28 7 4 (ii) 2 - 1 2
14 3 2 - 10 5 2
42 1 6 6  7 1 6 6 1 6
Solution:
(i ) 28 7 4  4  7 7 4  7 4 7 4 [Taking out 7 common from C1 ]
14 3 2 2  7 3 2 2 3 2
 70 [ C1 and C3 are identical]
0
6 - 3 2  3  (2)  3 2
(ii) 2 - 1 2   1 (2)  1 2
- 10 5 2 5  (2) 5 2
3 3 2
 (2)  1  1 2 [Taking out - 2 common from C1 ]
5 5 2
 (2)  0 [ C1 and C2 are identidal]
0
 Example-2
1 a bc
Evalueate the determinant 1 b c  a
1 c ab
Solution:
1 a bc 1 a abc
1 b ca  1 b abc [Applying C2  C2  C3 ]
1 c ab 1 c abc
1 a 1
 (a  b  c) 1 b 1 [Taking (a  b  c) common from C3 ]
1 c 1
 (a  b  c)  0 [ C1 and C3 are identical]
0 24
25
26
 Applications of Determinants
(Area of a Triangle)

• The area of a triangle whose vertices are (x1 , y1 ), (x2 , y2 )

and (x3 , y3 ) is given by the expression

x1 y1 1
y2 1  x1 ( y2  y3 )  x2 ( y3  y1 )  x3 ( y1  y2 )
1 1
  x2
2 2
x3 y3 1

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Find the area of a triangle whose vertices are
(-1,8),(-2,-3) and (3,2).

Solution:
x1 y1 1 1 8 1
1 1
Area of a triangle  x2 y2 1  2  3 1
2 2
x3 y3 1 3 2 1
1
 [1(3  2)  8(2  3)  1(4  9)]
2
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
1
 sed[5pulvinar
 40ultricies,
 5] purus
Maecenas porttitor congue massa. Fusce posuere, magna
25 sq.units
lectus malesuada libero, sit amet
2
commodo magna eros quis urna.

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 Condition of Collinearity of Three Points

• If are three points, then A, B, C are collinear A (x1 , y1 ), B (x2 , y2 )

and C (x3 , y3 )

 Area of triangle ABC  0

x1 y1 1 x1 y1 1
1
 x2 y2 1  0  x2 y2 1  0
2
x3 y3 1 x3 y3 1

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