A determinant is a single number computed from a square array of numbers. For order 2, acbd=ad−bc. For order 3, expand along any row or column using cofactors: expanding along row 1,
Every determinant can be expanded along any of its 3 rows or 3 columns and gives the same value — a fact that follows from Property 1 (transpose invariance) of §4.2 and underlies why we're free to pick whichever row/column has the most zeros. The determinant of a matrix (as opposed to a bare grid of numbers) is defined only when the matrix is square — replace its square brackets with vertical bars to get ∣A∣=det(A). If ∣A∣=0, A is called singular; otherwise non-singular. This single number packs in a huge amount of information: it tells you whether a linear system has a unique solution (Cramer's Rule, §4.3.1), whether three points are collinear (§4.3.3), and whether a matrix can be "undone" (has an inverse) — the last of these is developed further in the Class-12 continua …