How Do You Express a Matrix as a Product of Elementary Matrices?

[theneedtoknow]

I don't have a specific question that I need solved, but can someone explain to me how to solve a problem such as "express matrix A as a product of N elementary matrices." How do i go about solving this?



uu i think i posted this in the wrong forum...

 

[Vuldoraq]

An elementary matrix is the identity matrix with one of the three elementary operations performed on it.

1) Write a Gaussian array of the matrix you have.

2) Perform elemantary operations on it

3)Write down each operation as it's elementary matrix, making sure that each new op goes on the right hand side of the last.

4)Keep doing this until your original matrix is the identity matrix.

5)Your product of elementary matrices will equal the original matrix.

Pick up a book on linear algebra to see a proof of this method.