MATRICES

Introduction

Matrix algebra is an important tool of decision making in the problems of business and
economics under the assumptions of linearity.
Objectives
Objectives by the end of this topic you should be able to:
i) Define and explain the various types of matrices
ii) undertake basic operations of matrix algebra
iii) apply algebra in solution of simultaneous linear equations
iv) evaluate the use matrix algebra in various managerial situations
ii) do matrices operations
iii) apply matrices in solving business problems
Learning activities
Learning Activity 2.1: Reading
Read the provided topic notes on matrices. You have also been provided some links to the
mathematics for business resources.
Learning Activity 2.2: topic questions.
Attempt the topic questions at the end of the topic
Assessment
The attempted topic questions in activity 2.2 will be graded
Topic Resources
Attached topic resources
URL Links
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
281838644_An_Introduction_to_Business_Mathematics/download

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Topic 2 Notes.

MATRICES
A matrix is a rectangular array of items or numbers. These items or numbers are arranged in
rows and columns to represent some information.
The position of an element in one matrix is very important as well be seen later; therefore, an
element is located by the number of the row and column which it occupies.
The size of a matrix is defined by the number of its rows (m) and column (n).

are (2 x 2) and (3 x 3) matrices since A has 2 rows and 2 columns and B has 3 rows and 3
columns.
A matrix A with three rows and four columns is given by one of:

Properties of matrices
Equal Matrices
Two matrices A and B are said to be equal, that is

If and only if they are identical if they both have the same number of rows and columns and
the elements in the corresponding locations in the two matrices should be the same, that is, a ij
= bij for all i. And j.

Example

The following matrices are equal

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Column Matrix or column vector
A column matrix, also referred to as column vector is a matrix consisting of a single column.

For example, x =
Row matrix or row vector
It is a matrix with a single row
For example,

Transpose of a Matrix
The transpose of an mxn matrix A is the nxm matrix A T obtained by interchanging the rows
and columns of A.
A = aij

The transpose of A i.e. AT is given by

AT = aij = aji
mxn nxm

Example
Find the transposes of the following matrices

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Solution

Square Matrix
A matrix A is said to be square when it has the same number of rows as columns
e.g.
2 5
A= 37 is a square matrix of order 2

B = n × n is a square matrix of the order n

Diagonal matrices
It is a square matrix with zeros everywhere in the matrix except on the principal diagonal
e.g.

An identity of unity matrix

It is a diagonal matrix in which each of the diagonal elements is a positive one (1)
e.g.

[ ]
1 0 0
[ ]
I 2= 1 0
0 1
and I3 = 0 1 0
0 0 1
2 × 2 unit matrix 3 × 3 unit matrix

A null or zero matrix

A null or zero matrix is a matrix whose elements are all equal to zero.

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Sub matrix
The sub matrix of the matrix A is another matrix obtained from A by deleting selected row(s)
and/or column(s) of the matrix A.

are both sub matrices of A

OPERATION ON MATRICES
Matrix addition and subtraction
We can add any number of matrices (or subtract one matrix from another) if they have the
same sizes. Addition is carried out by adding together corresponding elements in the
matrices. Similarly, subtraction is carried out by subtracting the corresponding elements of
two matrices as shown in the following example
Example: Given A and B, calculate A + B and A – B

If it is assumed that A, B, C are of the same order, the following properties are fulfilled:
a) Commutative law: A+B =B+A
b) Associative law: (A + B) + C = A + (B + C) = A + B + C

Multiplying a matrix by a number

In this case each element of the matrix is multiplied by that number

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Example

Matrix Multiplication
a) Multiplication of two vectors
Let row vector A represent the selling price in shillings of one unit of commodity P, Q, R respectively
and let column vector B represent the number of units of commodities P, Q, R sold respectively. Then
the vector product A  B will be equal to the total sales value
i. e. A  B =Total sales value

Rules of multiplication
i. The row vector must have the same number of elements as the column vector
ii. The first vector is a row vector and the second is a column vector
iii. The corresponding elements in each vector are multiplied together and the results
obtained are added. This addition is always a single number
Going back to the example given before

b) Multiplication of two matrices

Rules
i. Multiplication is only possible if the first matrix has the same number of columns
as the second matrix has rows. That is if A is the order a×b, then B has to be of the
order b×c. If the A×B = D, then D must be of the order a×c.

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 ii. The general method of multiplication is that the elements in row m of the first
matrix are multiplied by the corresponding elements in columns n of the second
matrix and the products obtained are then added giving a single number.
We can express this rule as follows

Let A =

Then A  B = D =
A = 2 x 2 matrix B = 2 x 3 matrix D = 2 x 3 matrix
Where
d11 = a11  b11 + a12  b21
d12 = a11  b12 + a12  b22

Example I

Example II
Matrix X gives the details of component parts used in the make-up of two products P 1 and P2
matrix Y gives details of products made on each day of the week as follows:

Matrix Y
Products
P 1 P2

[]
Matrix X Mon 1 2
Parts Tues 2 3
A B C Wed 3 2
Products
[
P1 3 4 2
P2 2 5 3 ] Thur
Fri
2
1
2
1

Use matrix multiplication to find the number of component parts used on each day of the
week.
Solution:
After careful consideration, it will be easy to decide that the correct order of multiplication is
YXX (Note the order of multiplication). This multiplication is compatible and also it gives
the desired answer.

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 5 x 2 matrix 2 x 3 matrix = 5 x 3 matrix

Interpretation
On Monday, number of component parts A used is 7, B is 14 and C is 8. in the same way, the
number of component parts used for other days can be interpreted.

The determinant of a square matrix

The determinant of a square matrix det (A) or A is a number associated to that matrix. If the
determinant of a matrix is equal to zero, the matrix is called singular matrix otherwise it is
called non-singular matrix. The determinant of a non-square matrix is not defined.

Determination of a 2 x 2 matrix

ii. Determinant of a 3 x 3 matrix

i. Determinant of a 4 x 4 matrix

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Simplify 3 x 3 determinants as in ii and then evaluate the 4 x 4 determinants.

Inverse of a matrix
If for an n (n square matrix A, there is another n (n square matrix B such that there product is
the identity of the order n X n, In, that is A X B = B X A = I, then B is said to be inverse of
A. Inverse if generally written as A-1
Hence AA-1 = I

Note: Only non-singular matrices have an inverse and therefore the inverse of a singular
matrix is non-defined.

General method for finding inverse of a matrix

In order to introduce the rule to calculate the determinant as well as the inverse of a matrix,
we should introduce the concept of minor and cofactor.

The minor of an element

Given a matrix A = (aij), the minor of an element aij in row i and column j (call it mij), is the
value of the determinant formed by deleting row i and column j in matrix A.

Let A = EMBED Equation.DSMT4

The minors are,

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Similarly

The cofactor of an element

The cofactor of any element aij (known as cij) is the signed minor associated with that
element.
The sign is not changed if (i+j) is even and it is changed if (i+j) is odd. Thus, the sign
alternated whether vertically or horizontally, beginning with a plus in the upper left-hand
corner.

i.e. 3 x 3 signed matrix will have signs

Hence the cofactor of element a 11 is m11 = -3, cofactor of a12 is –m12 = +2 the cofactor of
element a13 is +m13 = 3 and so on.

Matrix of cofactors of A =

in general, for a matrix M =

Cofactor of a is written as A, cofactor of b is written as B and so on.
Hence matrix of cofactors of M is written as

=
The determinant of a n×n matrix

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The determinant of a n×n matrix can be calculated by adding the products of the element in
any row (or column) multiplied by their cofactors. If we use the symbol ∆ for determinant.

Then ∆ = aA + bB + cC
or
= dD + eE + fF e.t.c

Note: Usually for calculation purposes we take ∆ = aA + bB + cC

Hence in the example under discussion

∆ = (4  –3) + (2  2) + (3  3) = 1

The ad joint of a matrix

The ad joint of matrix is written as

i.e. change rows into columns and columns into rows (transpose)

The inverse of the matrix

is written as

Where ∆ = aA + bB + cMC

50[/c=
The determinant of a n×n matrix
The determinant of a n×n matrix can be calculated by adding the products of the element in
any row (or column) multiplied by their cofactors. If we use the symbol ∆ for determinant.

Then ∆ = aA + bB + cC
or

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 = dD + eE + fF e.t.c

Note: Usually for calculation purposes we take ∆ = aA + bB + cC

Hence in the example under discussion

∆ = (4  –3) + (2  2) + (3  3) = 1

The ad joint of a matrix

The ad joint of matrix is written as

i.e. change rows into columns and columns into rows (transpose)

The inverse of the matrix

is written as

Where ∆ = aA + bB + cC

Hence inverse of
is found as follows
∆ = (4  –3) + (2  2) + (3 ( 3) = 1
A = -3 B=2 C=3
D=9 E = -6 F = -8
G = -16 H = 11 I = 14
Solution of simultaneous equations
In order to determine the solutions of simultaneous equations, we may use either of the
following 2 methods
i. The cofactor method
ii. Cramers rule

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The cofactor method
This method requires that we obtain
a) The minors and cofactors
b) The adjoint of the matrix
c) The inverse of the matrix
d) Multiply the original by the inverse on both sides of the matrix equation

Example
Solve the following
a) 4x1 + x2 – 5x3 = 8
-2x1 + 3x2 + x3 = 12
3x1 – x2 + 4x 3 = 5

b) 4x1 + 3x3 + 5x3 = 27

x1 + 6x2 + 2x3 = 19
3x1 + x2 + 3x3 = 15

c) 4x1 + 2x2 + 6x3 = 28

3x1 + x2 + 2x3 = 20

10x1 + 5x2 + 15x3 = 70

d) 2x1 + 4x2 – 3x3 = 12

3x1 – 5x2 + 2x3 = 13
-x1 + 3x2 + 2x3 = 17

Solution
a) From a, we have

A X b
We need to determine the minors and the cofactors for the above matrix

Definition
A minor is a determinant of a sub matrix obtained when other elements are detected as shown
below.
A cofactor is the product of (-1) i + j and a minor where
i = Ith row i = 1, 2, 3 …….
j = Jth row j = 1, 2, 3 …….

Cofactor of 4 (a11) = (-1) 1+1

Cofactor of -2 (a21) = (-1) 2+1

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Cofactor of 3 (a31) = (-1) 3+1

Cofactor of 1 (a12) = (-1) 1+2

Cofactor of 3 (a22) = (-1) 2+2

Cofactor of -1 (a23) = (-1) 2+3

Cofactor of -5 (a13) = (-1) 1+3

Cofactor of +1 (a23) = (-1) 2+3

Cofactor of 4 (a33) = (-1) 3+3

The matrix of C of cofactors is

CT = = Adjoint of the original matrix of coefficients

The original matrix of coefficients

=
Therefore

= (48 + 3 – 10) – (-45 – 4 – 8)

= 41 + 57
= 98

The inverse of the matrix of coefficients, see (*) will be

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by multiplying the inverse on both sides of * we have,

X1 = 2, X2 = 5, X3 = 1

Cramers Rule in Solving Simultaneous Equations

Consider the following system of two linear simultaneous equations in two variables.
a11 x1 + a12 x2 = b1 ……………(i)
a21 x1 + a22 x2 = b2 ……………(ii)
after solving the equations, you obtain

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Solutions of x1 and x2 obtained this way are said to have been derived using Cramers rule,
practice this method over and over to internalize it. It is advisable for exam situation since it
is shorter.
Example
Solve the following systems of linear simultaneous equations by Cramers’ rule:
i) 2x1 – 5x2 = 7
x1 + 6x2 = 9
ii) x1 + 2x2 + 4x3 = 4
2x1 + x3 = 3
3x2 + x3 = 2
Solutions
i. 2x1 – 5x2 = 7
x1 + 6x2 = 9
can be expressed in matrix form as

and applying cramers’ rule

(ii) can be expressed in matrix form as

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and by cramers’ rule

Solving simultaneous Equations using matrix algebra

i. Solve the equations
2x + 3y = 13
3x + 2y = 12
in matrix format these equations can be written as

pre multiply both sides by the inverse of the matrix

and inverse of the matrix is

Pre multiplication by inverse gives

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Therefore x = 2 y=3

ii. Solve the equations

4x + 2y + 3z = 4
5x + 6y + 1z = 2
2x + 3y = -1
Solution:
Writing these equations in matrix format, we get

Pre-multiply both sides by the inverse

the inverse of A as found before is A-1 =

hence x = 22 y = -15 z = -18

Topic questions

1. Let A =
Find A2
2. A florist sells flowers in dozens and each dozen consists of two varieties namely; white roses and
red roses. White roses cost sh.75 each whereas red roses cost sh.150 each. The selling prices for white
roses and red roses are sh.105 and sh.175 each respectively.
Required:
Given that the daily total cost per dozen of the roses is sh.1200 and assuming that all roses bought in a
day are sold, use matrix algebra to determine:
(i). the number of white roses and red roses that should be packed in each dozen.

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(ii) The daily profit earned from each dozen of the flower.

References
A Asano (2013) An Introduction to Mathematics for Economics (Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press) ISBN–13: 9780521189460
Budnick F.S 2001: Applied mathematics for business, economic and social sciences.
E T Dowling (2009) Schaum’s Outline of Mathematical Methods for Business and
Economics
(New York: McGraw–Hill) ISBN–13: 9780071635325
E T Dowling (1990) Schaum’s Outline of Calculus for Business, Economics, and the Social
Sciences (New York: McGraw–Hill) ISBN–13: 9780070176737
Larson, R. E. and Hostetlerk, R. P., 1993. Precalculus – A Graphic Approach; D. C Health
and Company,
Margaret, L. L., Hornsby, E. J. and Miller, C. D. 1995. Introductory Algebra; Harper
Collins
College Publishers,

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