Determinant of an n x n matrix

[Unredeemed]

Homework Statement

Find the determinant of the matrix given by:

\begin{array}{ccc}
1 & 2 & 3 & ... & n \\
2 & 2 & 3 & ... & n \\
3 & 3 & 3 & ... & n \\
. & . & . & & . \\
. & . & . & & . \\
. & . & . & & . \\
n & n & n & ... & n \end{array}

Homework Equations

We use expansion by minors to find determinants.

The Attempt at a Solution

So, I computed the matrix for n = 1, 2, 3 and 4 and so reckon I need to show that the determinant is equal to (-1)^(n-1)*n.

I tried expanding by minors in the last row, but that just seems to give me a load of slightly smaller matrices of which I must find the determinant...

 

[mfb]

Do you have to use expansion by minors on the original matrix? It is easy to simplify this matrix a lot with row (or column) operations, and determine the determinant afterwards in a very simple expansion.

 

[kontejnjer]

In what way can you transform the determinant without changing its final value?

 

[Unredeemed]

Do you have to use expansion by minors on the original matrix? It is easy to simplify this matrix a lot with row (or column) operations, and determine the determinant afterwards in a very simple expansion.

Row operations hadn't crossed my mind! (Feel a bit foolish seeing as the chapter is on determinants and row operations!)

That's a really good point though. Will have a go using EROs now.

EDIT: Done! Thanks a lot. Once you use EROs, the answer pretty much drops out. For anyone who's interested, you take the 1st column away from all the other columns and then expand by minors in the bottom row as it has an n as its first entry and then the rest are zeros. So, you get (-1)^(n-1)*n multiplied by the determinant of an upper triangular matrix with ones as the entries for all of its diagonals - so its determinant is one. Thanks again.