Solved Examples

Example 1:

If f(θ) = Then find the value of f(∏/6)

Solution:

= 3/4((1/4)0 + √3/4(-√3/4)-1/2(-(3/8)-(1/8))) (Expanding along first row)

=> f(∏/6) = 9/16 + 3/16 + 4/16 = 1 (Ans.)

Example 2:

Show that the determinant

is divisible by x2.

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Solution:

At x = 0, ∆ = 0 with three columns identical. Therefore (x - 0) is a repeated root of the

equation ∆ = 0 => x2 is a factor of determinant.

=> ∆ is divisible by x2. (Proved)

Example 3:

Determine the value of 'a' for which the following system of equation has a non trivial
solution.

a3 x + (a+1)3y = (a+2)3z = 0

ax + (a+1)y + (a+2)z = 0

x+y+z=0

Solution:

For this system of equations to have a non trivial solution.

=> (3a2 + 3a + 1)(2) + (6a2 + 12a + 8)(-1) = 0

=> 6a2 + 6a + 2 - 6a2 - 12a - 8 = 0

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 => -6a - 6 = 0

=> a = - 1 (Proved)

Example 4:

If m & p are positive (m > p) and

∆ (m, p) =

m+2
then prove that ∆(m, p) = C3/p+2C3 ∆(m - 1, P - 1)

Solution:

We know that,

m m-1
Cp = m!/(m-p)!p! = m/p . Cp-1

=> ∆(m, p) =

=> (m(m+1)(m+2))/(p(p+1)(p+2)) ∆ (m-1, p-1)

m+2
=> C3/p+2C3 ∆ (m-1, p-1) (Proved)

Example 5:

Without expanding at any stage show that

=xA+B

Where A and B are determinants of order 3 not involving x

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Solution:

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 = xA+B (proved)

Example 6:

Show that the following determinant is independent of x.

Solution:

First two determinants are vanishing. In the third determinant

C1 → C1 - cos x. C3 and C2 → + sin x C3

Since d∆/dx = 0 so ∆ is independent of x (Proved)

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Example 7:

Example 8:

If a, b, c ≠ 0 and = 0, then find the value of 1/a + 1/b + 1/c

Solution:

Let ∆ =

∆ = abc (taking a, b, c common from C1

= abc (C1 → C1 + C2 + C3)

= (abc)(1+1/a+1/b+1/c)

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 = (abc) (1+1/a+1/b+1/c).1

But given that ∆ = 0 .·. abc (1+1/a+1/b+1/c)

But a, b, c ≠ 0 therefore 1/a + 1/b + 1/c = -1 (Ans.)

Example 9:

If a and x are real numbers and n is a positive integer then show that

= 0, for any x.

Solution:

Two columns are identical, so ∆ = 0 for any x. (Proved)

Example 10:

Let α be a repeated root of the quadratic equation f(x) = 0 with the leading coefficient a as
unity and A(x), B(x) and C(x) are polynomials of degree 3, 4 and 5 respectively show that

is divisible by f(x)

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Solution:

Since α is the repeated root of the quadratic equation f(x) = 0

Therefore f(x) can be written as : f(x) = (x - a)2

Let, f(x) =

Since two rows are coming identical for x = a, (x - a) is a root of f(x).

f'(a) = =0

Since in f'(x) two rows are coming identical for x = α, therefore (x-α) is a factor of f'(x).
Thus (x-α)2 is a factor of f(x), which completes the proof.

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