How Do You Calculate the Determinant of This Complex Matrix?

Helloes
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Homework Statement


I have to find a determinant for
1 2 3 ... n
-1 0 3 ... n
-1 -2 0 ... n
...
-1 -2 -3 ... 0
but I have very little clue how to proceed, because the mathematics material that I was given is very vague about this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 
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Does -1 -2 -3 ... 0 represent the final row of the matrix meaning the the lowest right member is 0?
 
Welcome to PF, Helloes! :smile:

The main rule about calculating determinants, is that you can add a multiple of a row to another row, without changing the determinant.
Same thing for columns: you can add (or subtract) a multiple of one column to another column.

Now let's try a couple of determinants.

What is |1|?

What is \begin{vmatrix}1&2\\-1&0\end{vmatrix}?

What is \begin{vmatrix}1&2&3\\-1&0&3\\-1&-2&0\end{vmatrix}?

What is \begin{vmatrix}1&2&3&4\\-1&0&3&4\\-1&-2&0&4\\-1&-2&-3&0\end{vmatrix}?
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
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