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A First Course in Linear Algebra, 2017a

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2.1. Matrix Arithmetic 79<br />

2.1.9 Elementary Matrices<br />

We now turn our attention to a special type of matrix called an elementary matrix.Anelementarymatrix<br />

is always a square matrix. Recall the row operations given <strong>in</strong> Def<strong>in</strong>ition 1.11. Any elementary matrix,<br />

which we often denote by E, is obta<strong>in</strong>ed from apply<strong>in</strong>g one row operation to the identity matrix of the<br />

same size.<br />

For example, the matrix<br />

E =<br />

[ 0 1<br />

1 0<br />

is the elementary matrix obta<strong>in</strong>ed from switch<strong>in</strong>g the two rows. The matrix<br />

⎡<br />

1 0<br />

⎤<br />

0<br />

E = ⎣ 0 3 0 ⎦<br />

0 0 1<br />

is the elementary matrix obta<strong>in</strong>ed from multiply<strong>in</strong>g the second row of the 3 × 3 identity matrix by 3. The<br />

matrix<br />

[ ]<br />

1 0<br />

E =<br />

−3 1<br />

is the elementary matrix obta<strong>in</strong>ed from add<strong>in</strong>g −3 times the first row to the third row.<br />

You may construct an elementary matrix from any row operation, but remember that you can only<br />

apply one operation.<br />

Consider the follow<strong>in</strong>g def<strong>in</strong>ition.<br />

Def<strong>in</strong>ition 2.43: Elementary Matrices and Row Operations<br />

Let E be an n × n matrix. Then E is an elementary matrix if it is the result of apply<strong>in</strong>g one row<br />

operation to the n × n identity matrix I n .<br />

Those which <strong>in</strong>volve switch<strong>in</strong>g rows of the identity matrix are called permutation matrices.<br />

]<br />

Therefore, E constructed above by switch<strong>in</strong>g the two rows of I 2 is called a permutation matrix.<br />

Elementary matrices can be used <strong>in</strong> place of row operations and therefore are very useful. It turns out<br />

that multiply<strong>in</strong>g (on the left hand side) by an elementary matrix E will have the same effect as do<strong>in</strong>g the<br />

row operation used to obta<strong>in</strong> E.<br />

The follow<strong>in</strong>g theorem is an important result which we will use throughout this text.<br />

Theorem 2.44: Multiplication by an Elementary Matrix and Row Operations<br />

To perform any of the three row operations on a matrix A it suffices to take the product EA,where<br />

E is the elementary matrix obta<strong>in</strong>ed by us<strong>in</strong>g the desired row operation on the identity matrix.<br />

Therefore, <strong>in</strong>stead of perform<strong>in</strong>g row operations on a matrix A, we can row reduce through matrix<br />

multiplication with the appropriate elementary matrix. We will exam<strong>in</strong>e this theorem <strong>in</strong> detail for each of<br />

the three row operations given <strong>in</strong> Def<strong>in</strong>ition 1.11.

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