(A new question of the week) Last week we looked at how the adjugate matrix can be used to find an inverse. (This was formerly called the [classical] adjoint, a term that is avoided because it conflicts with another use of the word, but is still used in many sources.) I posted that as background …
(A new question of the week) Looking for a new topic, I realized that a recent question involves determinants, and an older one provides the background for that. We’ll continue the series on determinants by seeing how they can be used in finding the inverse of a matrix, and how something called the adjugate matrix …
(A new question of the week) A recent question asked for the connection between two different ways to use determinants geometrically: to find the area of a triangle, and to find the volume of a pyramid (or the area of a parallelogram and the volume of a parallelepiped). Last time we looked at what a …
How Can 3×3 Determinants Give Both Area and Volume? Read More »
A recent question led me to look back in the Ask Dr. Math archives for questions about the definition and deeper meaning of determinants. Next week, we’ll see another old question for additional background, followed by the new question.