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Module
Three

DETERMINANTS
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3.3
INVERSE OF A MATRIX

We saw, section 3.3c provides formulas for expanding det (A) along either
a row or a column of A. It is interesting to ask what a i1 Ai1 + ai2 Ai2 + ….+ ain Ain,
because as soon as we answer this question we shall obtain another method for
finding the inverse of a nonsingular matrix.

Definition
Let A = [ aij ] be an n x n matrix adj A, is called the adjoint of A, is the
matrix whose (i,j)th entry is the cofactor Aji of aji. Thus

adj A = A11 A21 … An1

A12 A22 … An2
. . .
. . .
A1n A2n … Ann

To calculate the adjoint of matrix, we have to follow the procedure:

1. Calculate minor of each of the matrix

2. Form cofactor matrix from the minor calculated
3. Form adjoint from cofactor matrix

Example 1:

Let A =
3 -2 1
Compute the adj A
5 6 2
1 0 -3
Solution:
First, compute the cofactors of A.

A11 = (-1)1+1 6 2 A21 = (-1)2+1 -2 1 A31 = (-1)3+1 -2 1

0 -3 0 -3 6 2

= -18 = -6 = -10

A12 = (-1)1+2 A22 = (-1)2+2 3 1 A32 = (-1)3+2

5 2 3 1
1 -3
1 -3 5 2
= 17 = -10 = -1
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A13 = (-1)1+3 5 6 A23 = (-1)2+3 3 -2 A33 = (-1)3+3 3 -2

1 0 1 0 5 6

= -6 = -2 = 28

-18 -6 -10
adj (A) = 17 -10 -1
-6 -2 28

Example 2:

1 1 1 1
Let A= 1 2 -1 2 Compute adj A
1 -1 2 1
1 3 3 2
Solution:

A11 = (-1)1+1 2 -1 2 A21 = (-1)2+1 1 1 1 A31 = (-1)3+1 1 1 1

-1 2 1 -1 2 1 2 -1 2
3 3 2 3 3 2 3 3 2
= -21 = 3 = 3

A41 = (-1)4+1 1 1 1 A12 = (-1)1+2 1 -1 2 A22 = (-1)2+2 1 1 1

2 -1 2 1 2 1 1 2 1
-1 2 1 1 3 2 1 3 2
= 6 = -4 =1

A32 = (-1)3+2 1 1 1 A42 = (-1)4+2 1 1 1 A13 = (-1)1+3 1 2 2

1 -1 2 1 -1 2 1 -1 1
1 3 2 1 2 1 1 3 2
= 4 = -1 =1

A23 = (-1)2+3 1 1 1 A33 = (-1)3+3 1 1 1 A43 = (-1)4+3 1 1 1

1 -1 1 1 2 2 1 2 2
1 3 2 1 3 2 1 -1 1
= 2 = -1 = -2

A14 = (-1)1+4 1 2 -1 A24 = (-1)2+4 1 1 1 A34 = (-1)3+4 1 1 1

1 -1 2 1 -1 2 1 2 -1
1 3 3 1 3 3 1 3 3
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= 15 = -6 = -6
A 44 = (-1)4+4 1 1 1 -21 3 3 6
1 2 -1 adj A = -4 1 4 -1
1 -1 2 1 2 -1 -2
= -3 15 -6 -6 -3

The adjoint of a square matrix is a matrix which plays a role similar to the
inverse of a matrix, it can however be defined for any square matrix without the
need to perform any divisions.
Adjoint of a matrix normally refers to its corresponding adjoint which is its
conjugate transpose.
If A is an n x n matrix, then A (adj A) = (adjA) A = det (A) In

A new method for finding the inverse of a nonsingular matrix is stated as

follows:
If A is as n x n matrix and det (A) ≠ 0, then

A11 A21 An1

A-1 = 1 (adjA) = det (A) det (A) det (A)
det (A)
A12 A22 An2
det (A) det (A) det (A)

A1n A2n Ann

det (A) det (A) det (A)

Procedure:

1. Find the determinant of A

2. Find the adjoint of A
3. Calculate the inverse using the formula

Example 1:
Consider the matrix of example 1
a. Compute det (A)
b. Find A-1
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Solution:

a. 3 -2 1
5 6 2 = (3)(6)(-3) + (-2)(2)(1) + (1)(5)(0) – (1)(6)(1) –
(0)(2)(3) – (-3)(5)(-2)
1 0 3
|A|= - 94
1 -18 -6 -10
b. A-1 = -94
17 -10 -1
-6 -2 28

= -18/-94 -6/-94 -10/-94

17/-94 -10/-94 -1/-94
-6/-94 -2/-94 28/-94

=
18 / 94 6/ 94 10/ 94
-17/94 10/ 94 1/ 94
6/ 94 2/ 94 -28/ 94

To check, the product of AA-1 = In

3 -2 1 18 /94 6/94 10/94 1 0 0

5 6 2 -17/94 10/94 1/94 = 0 1 0
1 0 -3 6/94 2/94 -28/94 0 0 1

27/47+17/47+6/94 9/47–10/47+1/47 15/47-2/94-28/94 1 0 0

45/47-51/47+6/47 15/47+30/47+2/47 25/47+3/47-28/47 = 0 1 0
9/47 + 0 - 9/17 6/94 + 0 - 6/94 10/94 + 0 +42/47 0 0 1

1 0 0 1 0 0
0 1 0 = 0 1 0
0 0 1 0 0 1
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Example 2:
0 1 2
A= 2 -1 1
-1 1 0

a. Compute the determinant

b. Find the adj
c. Find A-1

Solution:

a. 0 1 2
2 -1 1 = (0)(-1)(0) + (1)(1)(-1) + (2)(2)(1) – (-1)(-1)(2)
-1 1 0 - (1)(1)(0) – (0)(2)(1)

=1
b.
A11 = (-1)1+1 -1 1 A21 = (-1)2+1 1 2 A31 = (-1)3+1 1 2
1 0 1 0 -1 1

= -1 = 2 =3

A12 = (-1)1+2 A22 = (-1)2+2 0 2 A32 = (-1)3+2 0 2

2 1
-1 0 2 1
-1 0

= -1 =2 =4

A13 = (-1)1+3 A23 = (-1)2+3 A33 = (-1)3+3 0 1

2 -1 0 1
2 -1
-1 1 -1 1

=1 = -1 = -2

-1 2 3
adj (A) = -1 2 4
1 -1 -2

c. A-1 = 1 (adj A) = 1 -1 2 3
det(A) 1 -1 2 4
1 -1 -2
-1 2 3
A-1 = -1 2 4
1 -1 -2
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To check, the product of AA-1 = In

0 1 2 -1 2 3 1 0 0
2 -1 1 -1 2 4 = 0 1 0
-1 1 0 1 -1 -2 0 0 1

0 -1 + 2 0+2–2 0+4–4 1 0 0
-2 + 1 + 1 4–2–1 6–4–2 = 0 1 0
1–1+0 -2 + 2 + 0 -3 + 4 + 0 0 0 1

1 0 0 1 0 0
0 1 0 = 0 1 0
0 0 1 0 0 1

Example 3:
1 2 3
A= 1 1 2
0 1 2
a. Compute the determinant
b. Find the adj
c. Find A-1

Solution:

a. 1 2 3
1 1 2 = (1)(1)(2) + (2)(2)(0) + (3)(1)(1) – (0)(1)(3)
0 1 2 - (1)(2)(1) – (1)(2)(1)

= -1

b.
A11 = (-1)1+1 1 2 A21 = (-1)2+1 2 3 A31 = (-1)3+1 2 3
1 2 1 2 1 2

=0 = -1 =1

A12 = (-1)1+2 1 2 A22 = (-1)2+2 A32 = (-1)3+2 1 3

1 3
0 2 0 2 1 2
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= -2 =2 =1

A13 = (-1)1+3 A23 = (-1)2+3 1 2 A33 = (-1)3+3 1 2

1 1
0 1 1 1
0 1

=1 = -1 = -1

0 -1 1
adj (A) = -2 2 1
1 -1 -1

c. A-1 = 1 (adj A) = 1 0 -1 1
det(A) -1 -2 2 1
1 -1 -1
0 1 -1
A-1 = 2 -2 -1
-1 1 1

To check, the product of AA-1 = In

1 2 3 0 1 -1 1 0 0
1 1 2 2 -2 -1 = 0 1 0
0 1 2 -1 1 1 0 0 1

0+4–3 1–4+3 -1 - 2 + 3 1 0 0
0+2–2 1–2+2 -1 – 1 + 2 = 0 1 0
0+2–2 0–2+2 0-1+2 0 0 1

1 0 0 1 0 0
0 1 0 = 0 1 0
0 0 1 0 0 1

Now, do the following practice task.