Question about row echelon form

In summary, a row echelon form matrix is an upper triangular matrix with all "0"s below the main diagonal. The numbers on the diagonal do not have to be "1"s. The determinant of a row echelon form can be affected by row operations, such as multiplying a row by a number, swapping two rows, or adding a multiple of one row to another. The determinant may change even if the matrix is in row equivalent form.
  • #1
ichigo444
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0
Is row echelon form an upper triangular matrix? if so, does this mean that its determinant could be 1 or 0? Even if its row equivalent has a different determinant? Please Answer and thanks.
 
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  • #2
Yes, a "row echelon" matrix has all "0"s below the main diagonal- "upper triangular". The numbers on the diagonal do NOT have to be "1"s.

You can always reduce a matrix to row echelon form by row operations and those may affect the determinant:

If you multiply a row by a number, the determinant is multiplied by that number.

If you swap two rows, the determinant is multiplied by -1.

If you add a multiple of one row to another, the determinant is not changed.
 
  • #3
Right! Thank you! This is my first post and i find this site helpful. Thanks!
 

1. What is row echelon form?

Row echelon form is a way to represent a matrix in which the leading coefficient of each row is to the right of the leading coefficient of the row above it. It is a useful tool in solving systems of linear equations.

2. How is row echelon form different from reduced row echelon form?

Reduced row echelon form is a stricter version of row echelon form in which the leading coefficient of each row is also the only non-zero entry in its column. This form is useful for finding the solution to a system of linear equations.

3. What is the purpose of using row echelon form?

The main purpose of using row echelon form is to simplify matrices and make it easier to solve systems of linear equations. It can also help to identify important properties of a matrix, such as its rank and determinant.

4. How do you convert a matrix into row echelon form?

To convert a matrix into row echelon form, you can use elementary row operations such as swapping rows, multiplying a row by a non-zero constant, and adding a multiple of one row to another. The goal is to get the matrix into a triangular form with leading coefficients in each row.

5. Can any matrix be converted into row echelon form?

Not all matrices can be converted into row echelon form. Matrices that have a row of all zeros cannot be converted, as well as matrices that have a leading coefficient of 0 in a row below a non-zero leading coefficient. Additionally, matrices with more columns than rows cannot be converted into row echelon form.

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