Q.Construct a 2×2 matrix where
Concept understanding — Matrix Construction
Matrix Construction: Building a Grid of Numbers
A teacher recording attendance for 30 students over 5 days could keep separate lists — but that is messy. Instead, draw a grid: rows for students, columns for days, each cell a 1 (present) or 0 (absent). That grid is a matrix. Constructing a matrix means deciding its shape and what number sits in each cell.
Why a Grid?
Every cell of a matrix has a unique address (i,j) — row i, column j — so the entry in row 2, column 3 is written a23. A grid beats a plain list because so many problems have two natural dimensions: a system of equations (equation × variable), a digital image (row × column of pixels), or a network (source node × destination node). The grid lets operations act on both dimensions at once.
The Precise Form
A matrix A of order m×n ("m by n") has m rows and n columns:
A=a11a21⋮am1a12a22⋮am2⋯⋯⋱⋯a1na2n⋮amn,A=[aij]m×n.
Each aij is an entry: the first index i is the row, the second j is the column.
How You Construct One
To build a matrix you specify:
- Dimensions — how many rows m and columns n.
- Entry rule — what number fills each cell: an explicit list, a formula in i and j, or data from a problem.
- Placement — order matters; swapping rows or columns gives a different matrix.
Explicit: a 2×3 matrix with rows (1,0,−2) and (3,5,7) is
A=(1305−27).
Formula-based: for a 3×3 matrix with aij=i2−j, we get a11=0, a12=−1, a21=3, giving
A=038−127−216.
Do not confuse aij with aji. The first index is always the row, the second the column — so a23 is row 2, column 3.
A matrix is not just a set of numbers — it is an ordered arrangement. The same numbers placed differently give a different matrix. When a problem says "construct A=[aij] where aij=…", fix the dimensions first, then fill the cells one by one using the rule.
Constructing a matrix from a given formula for its entries, such as aᵢⱼ = i² − j, is a standard NCERT exercise type in the CBSE Class 12 Matrices chapter, and "construct a 3x3 matrix whose elements are given by formula" is a frequently searched question format. This skill is regularly tested in board exams as a straightforward, formula-substitution-based question.
Concept: Matrix Construction — each entry aij is computed by substituting the row number i and column number j into the given formula.
(i) aij=2(i−2j)2
- For i=1,j=1: 2(1−2)2=21
- For i=1,j=2: 2(1−4)2=29
- For i=2,j=1: 2(2−2)2=0
- For i=2,j=2: 2(2−4)2=24=2
The matrix is (210292).
(ii) aij=∣−2i+3j∣
- i=1,j=1: ∣−2+3∣=1
- i=1,j=2: ∣−2+6∣=4
- i=2,j=1: ∣−4+3∣=1
- i=2,j=2: ∣−4+6∣=2
The matrix is (1142).
Evaluate each formula at (i,j)=(1,1),(1,2),(2,1),(2,2). Part (i): (210292). Part (ii): (1142).
A 2×2 matrix has entries aij where i is the row (1,2) and j is the column (1,2). We simply substitute each (i,j) into the given rule.
Part (i): aij=2(i−2j)2
a11=2(1−2)2=21,a12=2(1−4)2=29,
a21=2(2−2)2=0,a22=2(2−4)2=24=2.
A=(210292).
Part (ii): aij=∣−2i+3j∣
a11=∣−2+3∣=1,a12=∣−2+6∣=4,
a21=∣−4+3∣=∣−1∣=1,a22=∣−4+6∣=2.
A=(1142).
(i) (210292) and (ii) (1142).
Method: Constructing a matrix from a formula aij=f(i,j)
Use this whenever the entries are given by a rule in the row index i and column index j.
Steps
Step 1: Fix the shape.
A 2×2 matrix means i∈{1,2} and j∈{1,2}; list the four (i,j) pairs before substituting.
Step 2: Substitute carefully.
Plug each (i,j) into f(i,j), respecting the exact operations — square after forming (i−2j), and apply the absolute value after computing −2i+3j.
Step 3: Place each value at row i, column j.
A=[a11a21a12a22].
Do not swap i and j, or the matrix comes out transposed.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Mishandling the square in 2(i−2j)2.
Why it's wrong: you must form (i−2j) first, square it, then halve — e.g. for i=1,j=2, (1−4)2/2=9/2, not (1−4)/2 squared incorrectly. Correct approach: follow the bracket-square-divide order.
Mistake 2: Dropping the absolute value in ∣−2i+3j∣.
Why it's wrong: for i=2,j=1, −2(2)+3(1)=−1, and ∣−1∣=1, not −1. Correct approach: take the modulus after computing the inside.
Mistake 3: Swapping i and j.
Why it's wrong: this transposes the matrix, sending a12 to the a21 slot. Correct approach: keep i as the row and j as the column.
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