Key Concepts

• A matrix is a rectangular array of numbers. Entries are arranged in rows and columns.
• The dimensions of a matrix refer to the number of rows and the number of columns. A [latex]3\times 2[/latex] matrix has three rows and two columns.
• We add and subtract matrices of equal dimensions by adding and subtracting corresponding entries of each matrix.
• Scalar multiplication involves multiplying each entry in a matrix by a constant.
• Scalar multiplication is often required before addition or subtraction can occur.
• Multiplying matrices is possible when inner dimensions are the same—the number of columns in the first matrix must match the number of rows in the second.
• The product of two matrices, [latex]A[/latex] and [latex]B[/latex], is obtained by multiplying each entry in row 1 of [latex]A[/latex] by each entry in column 1 of [latex]B[/latex]; then multiply each entry of row 1 of [latex]A[/latex] by each entry in columns 2 of [latex]B,\text{}[/latex] and so on.
• Many real-world problems can often be solved using matrices.
• We can use a calculator to perform matrix operations after saving each matrix as a matrix variable.

Glossary

column

a set of numbers aligned vertically in a matrix

entry

an element, coefficient, or constant in a matrix

matrix

a rectangular array of numbers

row

a set of numbers aligned horizontally in a matrix

scalar multiple

an entry of a matrix that has been multiplied by a scalar