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Sicktoaster
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I'm new to physics and I see "det" used in math a lot. What does it mean?
AMenendez said:finding the determinant is a crucial step in inverting a square (##n \times n##) matrix
AMenendez said:finding the determinant is a crucial step in inverting a square (##n \times n##) matrix
I agree with Borek here (in his questioning of your statement about the determinant being a crucial step in inverting a matrix.Borek said:Is it?
"Det" is a mathematical term that stands for determinant. It is a value that can be calculated from a square matrix and has various uses in linear algebra and other fields of mathematics.
In linear algebra, "det" is used to determine whether a square matrix is invertible or not. It is also used to find the area or volume of a parallelogram or parallelepiped, respectively, with sides defined by the column vectors of the matrix.
Yes, "det" can be negative in some cases. For example, if the matrix has an odd number of negative entries, the determinant will be negative. However, in other cases, such as a 2x2 matrix, the determinant is always positive.
No, "det" and trace are two different mathematical concepts. The trace of a matrix is the sum of its diagonal entries, while the determinant is a value calculated from all the entries of the matrix.
"Det" has various real-life applications, such as in physics, where it is used to calculate the moment of inertia of a rigid body. It is also used in computer graphics to determine the orientation of an object in 3D space. Additionally, "det" is used in economics to analyze input-output models and in chemistry to calculate molecular orbitals.