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Help me with matrices?


Tilia

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I have a test next week, and since my teacher isn't used to teaching SL, I hope someone here can help me more than she can.

1. "It is known that AB=A and BA=A where A and B are not necessarily invertible. Prove that A^2=A."

Why isn't B=I?

2. "Write 5A^2-6A=2I in the form AB=I and hence find A^-1 in terms of A and I

Thanks in advance!

Edited by Tilia
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I have a test next week, and since my teacher isn't used to teaching SL, I hope someone here can help me more than she can.

1. "It is known that AB=A and BA=A where A and B are not necessarily invertible. Prove that A^2=A."

Why isn't B=I?

2. "Write 5A^2-6A=2I in the form AB=I and hence find A^-1 in terms of A and I

Thanks in advance!

Okay, I'll try to solve this.

(i) As AB = A and BA = B and you have to prove that A^2 = A.

Then:

(AB) x (BA) = AB

A^2 B^2 = AB

(AB)^2 = AB

But AB = A, hence.

(A)^2 = A

(ii) Multiplying a matrix by the identity matrix is the same as multiplying the matrix by 1, that is, you obtain the same matrix as a result. This would be true for:

AB = A

A x I = A.

However, A is equal to A^2 not to A. Thus, B cannot be I.

I don't know how to solve part 2. Are you sure this is SL maths? I have never seen an exercise of these characteristics for SL.

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Okay, I'll try to solve this.

(i) As AB = A and BA = B and you have to prove that A^2 = A.

Then:

(AB) x (BA) = AB

A^2 B^2 = AB

Why?

I don't know how to solve part 2. Are you sure this is SL maths? I have never seen an exercise of these characteristics for SL.

Well, it was in my SL maths book at least, and that's the only reference I have.

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I have a test next week, and since my teacher isn't used to teaching SL, I hope someone here can help me more than she can.

1. "It is known that AB=A and BA=A where A and B are not necessarily invertible. Prove that A^2=A."

Why isn't B=I?

2. "Write 5A^2-6A=2I in the form AB=I and hence find A^-1 in terms of A and I

Thanks in advance!

Okay, I'll try to solve this.

(i) As AB = A and BA = B and you have to prove that A^2 = A.

Then:

(AB) x (BA) = AB

A^2 B^2 = AB

(AB)^2 = AB

But AB = A, hence.

(A)^2 = A

(ii) Multiplying a matrix by the identity matrix is the same as multiplying the matrix by 1, that is, you obtain the same matrix as a result. This would be true for:

AB = A

A x I = A.

However, A is equal to A^2 not to A. Thus, B cannot be I.

I don't know how to solve part 2. Are you sure this is SL maths? I have never seen an exercise of these characteristics for SL.

Wait...

BA is equal to A, not B. So wouldn't that mean that...

A=AB

A=BA so

AB=BA

The only way that is possible (if B isn't the identity matrix) is if A is the zero matrix.

When you square the zero matrix, you get the zero matrix so A^2=A

Edited by sweetnsimple786
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