Questions tagged [matrices]

For any topic related to matrices. This includes: systems of linear equations, eigenvalues and eigenvectors (diagonalization, triangularization), determinant, trace, characteristic polynomial, adjugate and adjoint, transpose, Jordan normal form, matrix algorithms (e.g. LU, Gauss elimination, SVD, QR), invariant factors, quadratic forms, etc. For questions specifically concerning matrix equations, use the (matrix-equations) tag.

A matrix is a rectangular array of elements, usually numbers or variables, arranged in rows and columns. A matrix with $m$ rows and $n$ columns has $m \times n$ elements and is called an $m$ by $n$ matrix. Matrices are a part of .

Matrices can be added and subtracted. Furthermore, if they have compatible shapes, they can be multiplied. More precisely, given two matrices $A$ and $B$, the matrix $AB$ is defined when the number of columns of $A$ is equal to the number of rows of $B$. In particular, given a natural number $n$, any two matrices $A$ and $B$ with $n$ columns and $n$ rows can be multiplied in both ways (that is, both $AB$ and $BA$ exist).


For questions specifically concerning matrix equations, use the tag.

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Calculate Rotation Matrix to align Vector A to Vector B in 3d?

I have one triangle in 3d space that I am tracking in a simulation. Between time steps I have the the previous normal of the triangle and the current normal of the triangle along with both the current and previous 3d vertex positions of the…
user1084113
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Looking for an intuitive explanation why the row rank is equal to the column rank for a matrix

I am looking for an intuitive explanation as to why/how row rank of a matrix = column rank. I've read the proof on Wikipedia and I understand the proof, but I don't "get it". Can someone help me out with this ? I find it hard to wrap my head around…
hari_sree
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Is the following matrix invertible?

$$\begin{bmatrix} 1235 &2344 &1234 &1990\\ 2124 & 4123& 1990& 3026 \\ 1230 &1234 &9095 &1230\\ 1262 &2312& 2324 &3907 \end{bmatrix}$$ Clearly, its determinant is not zero and, hence, the matrix is invertible. Is there a more elegant way to do…
Yongkai
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Show that the determinant of $A$ is equal to the product of its eigenvalues

Show that the determinant of a matrix $A$ is equal to the product of its eigenvalues $\lambda_i$. So I'm having a tough time figuring this one out. I know that I have to work with the characteristic polynomial of the matrix $\det(A-\lambda I)$.…
onimoni
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Is the inverse of a symmetric matrix also symmetric?

Let $A$ be a symmetric invertible matrix, $A^T=A$, $A^{-1}A = A A^{-1} = I$ Can it be shown that $A^{-1}$ is also symmetric? I seem to remember a proof similar to this from my linear algebra class, but it has been a long time, and I can't find it in…
gregmacfarlane
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Physical meaning of the null space of a matrix

What is an intuitive meaning of the null space of a matrix? Why is it useful? I'm not looking for textbook definitions. My textbook gives me the definition, but I just don't "get" it. E.g.: I think of the rank $r$ of a matrix as the minimum number…
user541686
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When is matrix multiplication commutative?

I know that matrix multiplication in general is not commutative. So, in general: $A, B \in \mathbb{R}^{n \times n}: A \cdot B \neq B \cdot A$ But for some matrices, this equations holds, e.g. A = Identity or A = Null-matrix $\forall B \in…
Martin Thoma
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Prove that simultaneously diagonalizable matrices commute

Two $n\times n$ matrices $A, B$ are said to be simultaneously diagonalizable if there is a nonsingular matrix $S$ such that both $S^{-1}AS$ and $S^{-1}BS$ are diagonal matrices. a) Show that simultaneously diagonalizable matrices commute: $AB =…
diimension
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Why, historically, do we multiply matrices as we do?

Multiplication of matrices — taking the dot product of the $i$th row of the first matrix and the $j$th column of the second to yield the $ij$th entry of the product — is not a very intuitive operation: if you were to ask someone how to mutliply two…
msh210
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Prove $\operatorname{rank}A^TA=\operatorname{rank}A$ for any $A\in M_{m \times n}$

How can I prove $\operatorname{rank}A^TA=\operatorname{rank}A$ for any $A\in M_{m \times n}$? This is an exercise in my textbook associated with orthogonal projections and Gram-Schmidt process, but I am unsure how they are relevant.
jaynp
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What does it mean to have a determinant equal to zero?

After looking in my book for a couple of hours, I'm still confused about what it means for a $(n\times n)$-matrix $A$ to have a determinant equal to zero, $\det(A)=0$. I hope someone can explain this to me in plain English.
user2171775
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Why is it important for a matrix to be square?

I am currently trying to self-study linear algebra. I've noticed that a lot of the definitions for terms (like eigenvectors, characteristic polynomials, determinants, and so on) require a square matrix instead of just any real-valued matrix. For…
Beneschan
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Why, intuitively, is the order reversed when taking the transpose of the product?

It is well known that for invertible matrices $A,B$ of the same size we have $$(AB)^{-1}=B^{-1}A^{-1} $$ and a nice way for me to remember this is the following sentence: The opposite of putting on socks and shoes is taking the shoes off, followed…
user1337
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Geometric interpretation of $\det(A^T) = \det(A)$

$$\det(A^T) = \det(A)$$ Using the geometric definition of the determinant as the area spanned by the columns, could someone give a geometric interpretation of the property?
96
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Importance of matrix rank

What is the importance of the rank of a matrix? I know that the rank of a matrix is the number of linearly independent rows or columns (whichever is smaller). Why is it a problem if a matrix is rank deficient? Also, why is the smaller value between…
0x0
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