Mathematical Immaturity

2.20 Exercises

Determine the inverse of each of the matrices in Exercises 12 through 16.

14. $\quad$ \begin{align*} \begin{bmatrix} 1 & -2 & 1 \\ -2 & 5 & -4 \\ 1 & -4 & 6 \\ \end{bmatrix} \end{align*}

Solution. $\quad$ First, we initialize the following augmented matrix. \begin{align*} \begin{bmatrix} \begin{array}{ccc|ccc} 1 & -2 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0\\ -2 & 5 & -4 & 0 & 1 & 0\\ 1 & -4 & 6 & 0 & 0 & 1\\ \end{array} \end{bmatrix} \end{align*} Then, we apply the Gauss-Jordan elimination process to turn the left side of the array into the $3 \times 3$ identity matrix, and the right side into the inverse of the given matrix. \begin{align*} \begin{bmatrix} \begin{array}{ccc|ccc} 1 & -2 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0\\ -2 & 5 & -4 & 0 & 1 & 0\\ 1 & -4 & 6 & 0 & 0 & 1\\ \end{array} \end{bmatrix} \end{align*} \begin{align*} \begin{bmatrix} \begin{array}{ccc|ccc} 1 & -2 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0\\ 0 & 1 & -2 & 2 & 1 & 0\\ 0 & -2 & 5 & -1 & 0 & 1\\ \end{array} \end{bmatrix} \end{align*} \begin{align*} \begin{bmatrix} \begin{array}{ccc|ccc} 1 & -2 & 1 & 1 & 0 & 0\\ 0 & 1 & -2 & 2 & 1 & 0\\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 3 & 2 & 1\\ \end{array} \end{bmatrix} \end{align*} \begin{align*} \begin{bmatrix} \begin{array}{ccc|ccc} 1 & -2 & 0 & -2 & -2 & -1\\ 0 & 1 & 0 & 8 & 5 & 2\\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 3 & 2 & 1\\ \end{array} \end{bmatrix} \end{align*} \begin{align*} \begin{bmatrix} \begin{array}{ccc|ccc} 1 & 0 & 0 & 14 & 8 & 3\\ 0 & 1 & 0 & 8 & 5 & 2\\ 0 & 0 & 1 & 3 & 2 & 1\\ \end{array} \end{bmatrix} \end{align*} This gives us the inverse $\begin{bmatrix} \begin{array}{ccc|ccc} 14 & 8 & 3\\ 8 & 5 & 2\\ 3 & 2 & 1\\ \end{array} \end{bmatrix}. \quad \blacksquare$