DETERMINANTS

 INTRODUCTION :
we have seen in the earlier
standards that in order to solve
simultaneous liner equations, we
have to perform algebraic operations
on its coefficients. British
mathematician Cayley introduced a
special arrangement of the
coefficients to facilitate a prompt
solution of such a system of equation
without resorting to unnecessary
repetition .
Let us study his method here.
Suppose we have to solve the system of
simultaneous equations,
ax + by = m , cx + dy = n . Following our
method, if we multiply the first equations by d
and second by b and subtract , we get
x (ad – bc ) = md – nb .
So , if ad – bc # 0 , then x = md – nb /ad – bc
Similarly we shall get y = na – mc / ad – bc.
If ad – bc # 0, then we get a unique solution.
 Observe that the expression ad – bc
plays an important role in this solution
. We shall use a special symbol for the
expression ad – bc . This symbol is
 a b
c d This symbol is called 2 * 2
determinant.
 The value of this determinant (namely
ad – bc ) determinants whether the
system has a unique solution or not .
This is exactly why it is called a
determinant . Observe that the entries
in the determinant are in the same
order (left to right , top to bottom ) as
the coefficient of x and y in the
equations.
ax + by = m
cx + dy = n
 Determinant of order two :
 The notation a b
c d is use for the
algebraic expression ad – bc and it is
called a determinant of order two . a, b,
c, d , are called the element of the
determinant . ad – bc is called
expansion or value of the determinant.
Thus , a b
c d = ad – bc
 a, b is called the first row, c, d is the
second row , a, c is called first column
and b, d is called the second column
of the determinant , a, d is the called
the principle diagonal of the
determinant .
 Illustration :
3 4
2 7 = 3 * 7 – 4 * 2 = 21 – 8 = 13
 Determinant of order three :
a1 b1 c1
a2 b2 c2
a3 b3 c3 is called a determinant of
order three.
Its explanation is as follows .
a1 b1 c1
a2 b2 c2 = a1 b2 c2 - b1 b2 c2
a3 b3 c3 b3 c3 a3 c3

c1 a2 b2
a3 b3
 = a 1 ( b 2c 3 – b 3c 2 ) – b 1 ( a 2c 3 – a 3c 2 ) +
c 1 ( a 2b 3 – a 3b 2 )
= a 1b 2c 3 – a 1b 3c 2 – a 2b 1c 3 + a 3b 1c 2 +
a 2b 3c 1 – a 3b 2c 1

Illustration : 8 7 -6
5 4 3
2 1 0

= 8 4 3 - 7 5 3 + (-6) 5 4
1 0 2 0 2 1
= 8 ( 0 – 3) – 7 ( 0 – 6 ) – 6 (5 – 8 )
= 8 (-3) – 7 (-6) – 6 (-3)
= -24 + 42 +18
= 36
 Cramer rule for solution of two
simultaneous linear equations
 Suppose we are given the following
equations.
a 1 x + b 1 y + c 1 = 0 … … … (1)
a 2x + b 2y + c 2 = 0 … … … (2)
To solve this equations, multiply equation
(1) by b 2 and equation (2) by b 1 .
a 1 b 2 x + b 1 b 2 y + b 2 c 1 = 0 … … (3)
a 2b 2x + b 1b 2y + b 1c 2 = 0 … … (4)
 Subtracting equation (4) form
equation (3) , we get
( a 1b 2– a 2b 1 ) x + b 2c 1 – b 1c 2 = 0
( a 1b 2 – a 2b 1 ) x = b 1c 2 – b 2c 1
If a 1 b 2 – a 2 b 1 # 0, then
x 1
b 1c 2 – b 2c 1 = a 1b 2 – a 2b 1 … …
(5)
 Similarly eliminating y, we get
y 1
a 2c 1 – a 1c 2 = a 1 b 2 – a 2 b 1 … (6)
From (5) and (6) , we get the following
formula for the values of x and y .
x y 1
b 1c 2 – b 2c 1 = a 2c 1 – a 1c 2 = a 1b 2 – a 2b 1
...
(7)
Now, expressing the denominators in the
form of determinants, we get
 x y 1
b1 c 1 = c 1 a1 = a 1 b1
b2 c 2 c 2 a2 a 2 b2
… …(8)
(8) is know as Cramer's rule.
Illustration : Solve the following
equations :
2x + 3y = 11 , x – 5y = -14
we are given the following equations :
2x + 3y – 11 = 0
x – 5y + 14 = 0
 Using Cramer's rule , we have
x y 1
3 -11 = -11 2 = 2 3
-5 14 14 1 1 -5

x y 1
42 – 55 = -11 – 28 = -10 – 3
 x y 1
-13 = -39 = -13
x = -13 y = -39
-13 -13
= 1 = 3
Solution set is { ( 1 , 3 ) }
 Properties of determinant
 Following are the six rules for
determinants. The rules will not
be proved. But they will be
verified by illustration.
 Rule 1 :
The value of a determinant is
unaltered if its corresponding
rows and column are
interchanged.
 For example,
2 3 1
D = 1 3 -1
-1 2 3

= 2( 9 + 2 ) – 3( 3 – 1 ) + 1(2 + 3)
= 2( 11 ) - 3( 2 ) + 1( 5 )
= 22 – 6 + 5
= 21
By interchanging rows and columns of
determinants D, we get the following
determinant D` .
2 1 -1
D` = 3 3 2
1 -1 3
D` = 2( 9 + 2 ) – 1( 9 – 2 ) – 1 ( -3 – 3 )
= 2( 11 ) – 1( 7 ) – 1( -6 )
= 22 – 7 + 6
= 21
Thus , D = D`
 Rule 2 :
if any two row (column) of a
determinant are interchanged , the
sign of the new determinant gets
changed.
For example , 2 4 5
1 3 2
2 -1 3
= 2(9 + 2) – 4(3 – 4) + 5(-1 – 6)
= 2(11) – 4(-1) + 5(-7)
= 22 + 4 -35
= -9
Interchanging R1 and R3 we get the new
determinant D` as follows .
2 -1 3
D` = 1 3 2
2 4 5
Now , D` = 2(15 – 8) – (-1)(5 – 4)+ 3(4 – 6)
= 2(7) + 1 (1) + 3(-2)
= 14 + 1 – 6
=9
Thus, D = - D` or D` = -D
 Rule : 3
if each element is row (column)
of a determinant is multiplied by a
constant k, the value of determinant
is multiplied by k.
For example :
1 3 2
D= 2 4 5
2 -1 3
= 1(12 + 5) – 3(6 – 10) + 2(-2 – 8)
= 1(17) – 3 (- 4) + 2(- 10)
=17 + 12 – 20
=9
 Suppose a new determinant D` is
obtained by multiplying the second
row of D by 2 . Thus,
1 3 2
D` = 4 8 10
2 -1 3
= 1(24 + 10) – 3(12 – 20) + 2(2 – 0)
= 1(34) – 3(- 8) + 2(-20)
= 34 + 24 – 40
= 18
It is clear that D` = 2 * D.
 Rule 4 :
if the corresponding elements
of any two rows (columns) are equal,
then the value of the determinant is
zero.
For example, in the following
determinant , R1 = R3
3 1 2
D= 2 0 7
3 1 2
= 3(0 – 7) – 1(4 – 21) + 2(2 – 0)
= 3(- 7) - 1 (-17) + 2(2)
= -21 + 17 +4
=0
Rule 5 :
if the element of a row (column) of a
determinant are sums of k terms, then
the determinant can be expressed as
the sum of k determinant .
For example,
3+1 4+2 2+3
D= 3 2 1 then,
4 5 2
3 4 2 1 2 3
= 3 2 1 + 3 2 1
4 5 2 4 5 2
 4 6 5
L.H.S 3 2 1
4 5 2
= 4(4 – 5) – 6(6 – 4) + 5(15 – 8)
= 4 (- 1) – 6(2) + 5(7)
= - 4 - 12 + 35
= 19
 3 4 2 1 2 3
RHS = 3 2 1 + 3 2 1
4 5 2 4 5 2
= 3(4 – 5) – 4(6 – 4) + 2(15 – 8) + 1(4 – 5)
- 2 (6 – 4) + 3(15 – 8)
= 3( - 1) – 4(2) + 2(7) + 1( - 1) – 2(2) + 3(7)
= - 3 – 8 + 14 – 1 – 4 + 21
= 19
LHS = RHS
 Rule 6 :
The value of determinant is not altered,
if each element of a row (column) is
multiplied by k and added to the
corresponding element of another row
(column).
For example , let
2 1 3
D= 3 1 1
1 2 1
= 2(1 – 2) – 1(3 – 1) + 3(6 – 1)
= 2(-1) – 1(2) + 3(5)
= - 2 – 2 + 15
= 11
 Let a new determinant D` be obtained
by adding to each element of R2, the
corresponding element of R3 multiplied
by 3.
2 1 3
D` = 6 7 4
1 2 1
= 2(7 – 8) – 1(6 – 4) + 3(12 – 7)
= 2(-1) – 1(2) + 3(5)
= - 2 – 2 + 15
= 11
Thus , D` = D
 EXAMPLES
Example no 1 :
3 1 -2
D = 1 1 -1
-2 3 4
= 3(4 + 3) – 1(4 – 2) – 2(3 + 2)
= 3 (7) – 1(2) – 2(5)
= 21 – 2 – 10
= 9
Example no 2 :
x+9 x + 11 x + 12
D = 25 27 28
1996 1998 1999

x+9 1 1
= 25 2 1 , Tacking C2 – C3
1996 2 1 and C3 - C2

x+9 1 1
=2 25 1 1
1996 1 1
= 2(0)
= 0 ( C2 = C3)