ELEMENTARY TRANSFORMATIONS (OR OPERATIONS)

Any one of the following operations on a matrix is called an elementary transformation. (or E-
operation).
(i) Interchange of two rows or two columns.
The interchange of and rows is denoted by .

The interchange of and columns is denoted by .

(ii) Multiplication of (each element of) a row or column by a non-zero number k.
The multiplication of row by k is denoted by .
The multiplication of column by k is denoted by .

of another row (or column), ≠ 0,

(iii) Addition of k times the elements of a row (or column) to the corresponding elements

The addition of k times the row to the row is denoted by .

The addition of k times the column is denoted by .

If a matrix B is obtained from a matrix A by one or more E-operations, then B is said to
be equivalent to A. Two equivalent matrices A and B are written as A - B.
ELEMENTARY MATRICES
The matrix obtained from a unit matrix I by subjecting it to one the E-operations is called an
elementary matrix.
1 0 0
. . 0 1 0
0 0 1
Let

1 0 0
on , we get the elementary matrix 0 0 1 . It is denoted by
0 1 0
Operating or

THEOREMS ON THE EFFECT OF E-OPERATIONS ON MATRICES

(a) Any E-row operation on the product of two matrices is equivalent to the same E-row
operation on the pre-factor.
If the E-row operation is denoted by R, then R(AB) = R(A).B.
(b) Any E-column operation on the product of two matrices is equivalent to the same E-
column operation on the post-factor.
(c) Every E-row operation on a matrix is equivalent to pre-multiplication by the
corresponding E-matrix.

16
 Thus, the effect of E-row operation on = .
The effect of E-row operation on = .
The effect of E-row operation on = . .
(e) The inverse of an elementary matrix is an elementary matrix.

EXERCISE

1 3 3
Transform 2 4 10 into a unit matrix by using elementary
3 8 4
Example 1.

transformations.
1 3 3
2 4 10
3 8 4
Sol. We have

Operating −2 , −3
1 3 3
− 0 −2 4
0 −1 −5
Operating #− $

1 3 3
− 0 1 −2
0 −1 −5
Operating −3 , 1
1 0 9
− 0 1 −2
0 0 −7
Operating #− '$

1 0 9
− 0 1 −2
0 0 1

Operating −9 2

17
 1 0 0
− 0 1 0
0 0 1

INVERSE OF MATRIX BY E-OPERATIONS (Gauss-Jordan Method)

The elementary row transformations which reduce a square matrix A to the unit matrix, when
applied to the unit matrix, gives the inverse matrix ( .
To compute the inverse of a matrix, we use the concept of equivalent matrices.
If we are to find out the inverse of a non-singular square matrix A, we first write A as
equivalent to I, a unit matrix of the same order.
−

soon as this is achieved, the other matrix gives ( .

Then we apply elementary row operations on them. The objective is to reduce A to I, As

− (

This is an elegant way of determining the inverse or reciprocal of a matrix A.

Example 3. Employing elementary row transformations, find the inverse of the matrix.
0 1 2
= 1 2 3
3 1 1
Sol. Let =
0 1 2 1 0 0
1 2 3 − 0 1 0
3 1 1 0 0 1
Operating
1 2 3 0 1 0
0 1 2 − 1 0 0
3 1 1 0 0 1
Operating −3
1 2 3 0 1 0
0 1 2 − 1 0 0
0 −5 −8 0 −3 1
Operating −2 , 5
1 0 −1 −2 1 0
0 1 2 − 1 0 0
0 0 2 5 −3 1

18
 Operating # $, −1

1 0 0 −
0 1 0 − )−4 3 −1*
0 0 2 5 −3 1
Operating # $

1 0 0 −
0 1 0 − ) −4 3 −1 *
0 0 1 5/2 −3/2 1/2
− (

−
(
= ) −4 3 −1 *
5/2 −3/2 1/2

Exercise

1 2 3
= 2 5 7 .
3 1 2
1. Reduce the matrix A to triangular form,

. /
1, show that , ( = -. / 1 where
(
If X, Y are non-singular matrices and , = -
/ 0 / 0(
2.
O is a null matrix.

1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0
Find the inverse of the matrix 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 without first evaluating
0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1
3.

the product.

4. Find the inverse of the following matrices by using elementary row operations:

2 0 −1 2 1 −1 8 4 3
5 1 0 (ii) 0 2 1 (iii) 2 1 1
0 1 3 0 0 1 1 2 1
(i)

3 −1 1 1 2 1 1 0 −1
−15 6 −5 (v) 3 2 3 (vi) 3 4 5
5 −2 2 1 1 2 0 −6 −7
(iv)

19
5. Employing elementary row transformations, find the inverse of the following non-
singular matrix.

1 2 3 1 2 1 −1 2
(i) )1 3 3 2* (ii) ) 1 3 2 −3*
2 4 3 3 −1 2 1 −1
1 1 1 1 2 −3 −1 4

Answer

1 2 1 1 0 −
0 1 1 2. 0 1/3 −8/3
0 0 −2 0 0 1
1.

3 −1 1 8 −1 −3 1 −2 −1
(i) −15 6 −5 (ii) −5 1 2 1 −5 2
5 −2 2 10 −1 −4 −3 12 0
4. (iii)

2 0 −1 −1/4 3/4 −1 1/10 3/10 1/5

(iv) 5 1 0 (v) 3/4 −1/4 0 (vi) 21/20 −7/20 −2/5
0 1 3 −1/4 −1/4 1 −9/10 −3/10 1/5
1 −2 1 0 2 5 −7 1
(i) ) 1 −2 2 −3. * (i) ) 5 −1 5 −2*
0 1 −1 1 −7 5 11 10
5.
−2 3 −2 3 1 −2 10 5

20