Abstract: The approach in this chapter is based on technique rather than on rigorous mathematical theories. It commences with various matrix definitions, followed by the laws of matrix algebra. To demonstrate the latter, several examples are worked out in detail and particular attention is paid to the inverse of a matrix and the solution of homogeneous and non-homogeneous simultaneous equations. A vector has both magnitude and direction, and typical vector quantities appear in the form of velocity, displacement, force, weight, etc. A matrix in its most usual forms is an array (or table) of scalar quantities, consisting of m rows by n columns. The elements of the matrix need not necessarily be scalars, but can take the form of vectors or even matrices. This compact method of representing quantities allows matrices to be particularly suitable for modeling physical problems on digital computers. A null matrix is one that has all its elements equal to zero. A diagonal matrix is a square matrix where all the elements except those of the main diagonal are zero.
Publication Year: 1998
Publication Date: 1998-01-01
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot