Lecture 3

In mathematics, a matrix (plural matrices) is a rectangular array[1] of numbers, symbols, or expressions, arranged in rows and columns. The individual items in a matrix are called its elements or entries. An example of a matrix with 2 rows and 3 columns is

Matrices of the same size can be added or subtracted element by element. The rule for matrix multiplication, however, is that two matrices can be multiplied only when the number of columns in the first equals the number of rows in the second. A major application of matrices is to represent linear transformations, that is, generalizations of linear functions such as f(x) = 4x. For example, the rotation of vectors in three dimensional space is a linear transformation which can be represented by a rotation matrix R. If v is a column vector (a matrix with only one column) describing the position of a point in space, the product Rv is a column vector describing the position of that point after a rotation. The product of two matrices is a matrix that represents the composition of two linear transformations. Another application of matrices is in the solution of a system of linear equations. If the matrix is square, it is possible to deduce some of its properties by computing its determinant. For example, a square matrix has an inverse if and only if its determinant is not zero. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors provide insight into the geometry of linear transformations.