Understanding Determinants: Calculation and Function

[Gear300]

What does a determinant do exactly (what is it)? And what is the general method of calculating it?

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

The determinant is mainly used to determine whether or not a square matrix is invertible. There are other applications as well. (ie. Cramer's rule for determining solutions to a system of linear equations)

The method used is generally the http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/LinAlg/MethodOfCofactors.aspx" (note link)

 

[Gear300]

hmm...I see...I've practically forgotten the concept of matrices, but thanks. If possible, do you know of a site that simply goes through the fundamentals of matrices? And (this question is slightly random)...what is a lattice point?

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

Paul's online linear algebra notes are fairly good. http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/Classes/LinAlg/LinAlg.aspx


Intro To Lattice Points: http://www.math.ucdavis.edu/~latte/latex/intro/intro/

 

[Gear300]

Thanks for the help.