Q.If be such that , then is :
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For a square matrix of order , the cofactor of is the signed minor (the minor is the determinant left after deleting row and column ). Replace every entry of by its cofactor to get the cofactor matrix; its transpose is the adjoint, .
Theorem (the central identity). For every square matrix of order ,
This follows from Laplace expansion: a row's entries dotted with their own cofactors reproduce , while a row's entries dotted with a different row's cofactors always give -- so the product matrix is on the diagonal and off it.
Definition of the inverse. A square matrix with is called the inverse of , written . The inverse, when it exists, is unique. exists if and only if is non-singular (): dividing the central identity by (possible exactly when ) gives the working formula
A singular matrix () has no inverse.
Worked illustration (order 2). For , the cofactors are , so (swap the diagonal entries, negate the off-diagonal ones) and whenever .
Standing laws of inverses (for non-singular of the same order, a scalar):
- .
- .
- .
- Left/right cancellation: ; (pre/post-multiply by ) -- this fails when is singular.
- Reversal law: (note the order flips, exactly as for transposes).
- Double inverse: .
Six adjoint identities (non-singular , order ): (i) ; (ii) ; (iii) ; (iv) ; (v) ; (vi) ; and for two non-singular matrices of the same order, (order reverses, exactly like the inverse and the transpose). …
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