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Inverse of A Matrix

The document discusses the inverse of a matrix, including that the inverse of a matrix undoes the effect of multiplying by the original matrix, allowing problems to be solved by multiplying both sides of an equation by the inverse matrix instead of dividing. It provides an example of calculating the inverse of a 2x2 matrix and using the inverse matrix to solve a real-world problem about bus and train passengers.

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167 views10 pages

Inverse of A Matrix

The document discusses the inverse of a matrix, including that the inverse of a matrix undoes the effect of multiplying by the original matrix, allowing problems to be solved by multiplying both sides of an equation by the inverse matrix instead of dividing. It provides an example of calculating the inverse of a 2x2 matrix and using the inverse matrix to solve a real-world problem about bus and train passengers.

Uploaded by

contactrn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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2/28/2015

InverseofaMatrix

InverseofaMatrix
Pleasereadour IntroductiontoMatrices first.

What is the Inverse of a Matrix?


TheInverseofaMatrixisthesameideaasthe reciprocal ofanumber:

ReciprocalofaNumber
Butwedon'twrite1/A (becausewedon'tdividebyaMatrix!),insteadwewriteA1forthe
inverse:

(Infact1/8 canalsobewrittenas81)
Andthereareothersimilarities:

Whenyoumultiplyanumberbyitsreciprocalyouget1
8(1/8 )=1
WhenyoumultiplyaMatrixbyitsInverseyougettheIdentityMatrix
(whichislike"1"forMatrices):
AA1=I
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Italsoworkswhentheinversecomesfirst:(1/8 )8=1andA1A=I

IdentityMatrix
Note:the"IdentityMatrix"isthematrixequivalentofthenumber"1":

A3x3IdentityMatrix
Itis"square"(hassamenumberofrowsascolumns),
Ithas1sonthediagonaland0severywhereelse.
It'ssymbolisthecapitalletterI.
TheIdentityMatrixcanbe22insize,or33,44,etc...

Definition
SowehaveadefinitionofaMatrixInverse...

TheInverseofAisA1onlywhen:

AA1=A1A=I
SometimesthereisnoInverseatall.

2x2 Matrix
OK,howdowecalculatetheInverse?
Well,fora2x2MatrixtheInverseis:
http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matrixinverse.html

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InverseofaMatrix

Inotherwords:swapthepositionsofaandd,putnegativesinfrontofbandc,anddivide
everythingbythe determinant (adbc).
Letustryanexample:

Howdoweknowthisistherightanswer?
Rememberitmustbetruethat:AA1=I
So,letuschecktoseewhathappenswhenwe multiplythematrix byitsinverse:

And,hey!,weendupwiththeIdentityMatrix!Soitmustberight.
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Itshouldalsobetruethat:A1A=I
Whydon'tyouhaveagoatmultiplyingthese?SeeifyoualsogettheIdentityMatrix:

Why Would We Want an Inverse?


BecausewithMatriceswedon'tdivide!Seriously,thereisnoconceptofdividingbyaMatrix.
ButwecanmultiplybyanInverse,whichachievesthesamething.

Imagineyoucouldn'tdividebynumbers,andsomeoneasked"HowdoIshare10
appleswith2people?"
Butyoucouldtakethereciprocalof2(whichis0.5),soyoucouldanswer:
100.5=5
Theyget5appleseach

ThesamethingcanbedonewithMatrices:

SaythatyouknowMatrixAandB,andwanttofindMatrixX:

XA=B
ItwouldbenicetodividebothsidesbyA(togetX=B/A),butrememberwecan't
divide.

http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matrixinverse.html

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ButwhatifwemultiplybothsidesbyA1?

XAA1=BA1
AndweknowthatAA1=I,so:

XI=BA1
WecanremoveI(forthesamereasonwecouldremove"1"from1x=abfor
numbers):

X=BA1
Andwehaveouranswer(assumingwecancalculateA1)

Inthatexamplewewereverycarefultogetthemultiplicationscorrect,becausewithMatrices
theorderofmultiplicationmatters.ABisalmostneverequaltoBA.

A Real Life Example


Agrouptookatriponabus,at$3perchildand$3.20peradultforatotalof$118.40.
Theytookthetrainbackat$3.50perchildand$3.60peradultforatotalof$135.20.
Howmanychildren,andhowmanyadults?

First,letussetupthematrices(becarefultogettherowsandcolumnscorrect!):

http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matrixinverse.html

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Thisisjustliketheexampleabove:

XA=B
Sotosolveitweneedtheinverseof"A":

Nowwehavetheinversewecansolveusing:

X=BA1

Therewere16childrenand22adults!
Theansweralmostappearslikemagic.Butitisbasedongoodmathematics.

Calculationslikethat(butusingmuchlargermatrices)helpEngineersdesign
buildings,areusedinvideogamesandcomputeranimationstomakethingslook
3dimensional,andmanyotherplaces.
Itisalsoawaytosolve SystemsofLinearEquations .
Thecalculationsaredonebycomputer,butthepeoplemustunderstandthe
formulas.
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Order is Important
Saythatyouaretryingtofind"X"inthiscase:

AX=B
Thisisdifferenttotheexampleabove!XisnowafterA.
WithMatricestheorderofmultiplicationusuallychangestheanswer.Donotassume
thatAB=BA,itisalmostnevertrue.

Sohowdowesolvethisone?Usingthesamemethod,butputA1infront:

A1AX=A1B
AndweknowthatA1A=I,so:

IX=A1B
WecanremoveI:

X=A1B
Andwehaveouranswer(assumingwecancalculateA1)

Whydon'twetryourexamplefromabove,butwiththedatasetupthiswayaround.
(Yes,youcandothis,justbecarefulhowyousetitup.)
ThisiswhatitlookslikeasAX=B:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matrixinverse.html

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Itlookssoneat!IthinkIpreferitlikethis.
Alsonotehowtherowsandcolumnsareswappedover("Transposed")
comparedtothepreviousexample.
Tosolveitweneedtheinverseof"A":

ItisliketheInversewegotbefore,but
Transposed(rowsandcolumnsswappedover).
Nowwecansolveusing:

X=A1B

Sameanswer:16childrenand22adults.
So,Matricesarepowerfulthings,buttheydoneedtobesetupcorrectly!

The Inverse May Not Exist


Firstofall,tohaveanInversetheMatrixmustbe"Square"(samenumberofrowsand
columns).
http://www.mathsisfun.com/algebra/matrixinverse.html

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Butalsothedeterminantcannotbezero(oryouwouldendupdividingbyzero).Howabout
this:

2424?Thatequals0,and1/0isundefined.
Wecannotgoanyfurther!ThisMatrixhasnoInverse.

SuchaMatrixiscalled"Singular",whichonlyhappenswhenthedeterminantis
zero.
Anditmakessense...lookatthenumbers:thesecondrowisjustdoublethefirstrow,and
doesnotaddanynewinformation.
Imagineinourexampleabovethatthepricesonthetrainwereexactly,say,50%higher...we
wouldn'tbeanyclosertofiguringouthowmanyadultsandchildren...weneedsomething
different.
Andthedeterminantneatlyworksthisout.

Bigger Matrices
Theinverseofa2x2iseasy...comparedtolargermatrices(suchasa3x3,4x4,etc).
Forthoselargermatricestherearethreemainmethodstoworkouttheinverse:
InverseofaMatrixusingElementaryRowOperations(GaussJordan)
InverseofaMatrixusingMinors,CofactorsandAdjugate
Useacomputer(suchastheMatrixCalculator)

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Conclusion
TheInverseofAisA1onlywhenAA1=A1A=I
TofindtheInverseofa2x2Matrix:swapthepositionsofaandd,put
negativesinfrontofbandc,anddivideeverythingbythedeterminant
(adbc).
SometimesthereisnoInverseatall

Question1Question2Question3Question4Question5
Question6Question7Question8

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