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SPM Mathematics Glossary

Matrices, terms

MatrixA rectangular array of numbers arranged in rows and columns.DeterminantA number ad − bc found from a 2×2 matrix; if it is zero, the matrix has no inverse.Inverse matrixThe matrix that, multiplied by the original, gives the identity; used to solve simultaneous equations.Identity matrixA square matrix with 1s on the diagonal and 0s elsewhere; it leaves a matrix unchanged when multiplied.Order of a matrixThe number of rows by the number of columns, e.g. a 2×3 matrix.Scalar multiplicationMultiplying every element of a matrix by the same number.

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Frequently asked questions

Which matrix terms should I learn first?

Learn what a matrix is and how its order (rows by columns) is described first, since this decides which operations are even possible. Scalar multiplication is a gentle next step, then move on to identity matrix, determinant and inverse matrix, which build on each other in that order.

What matrix terms get confused most often?

Determinant and inverse matrix are easy to mix up: the determinant is a single number used to check whether a matrix can be inverted, while the inverse matrix is a whole new matrix built using that number. Identity matrix is also confused with inverse matrix, though the identity matrix never changes, it plays the role that 1 plays in ordinary multiplication.

How do matrix terms appear in exam questions?

Questions commonly ask you to find the determinant of a matrix, use it to find the inverse matrix, and then use that inverse to solve a pair of simultaneous linear equations. Others test the order of a matrix directly, or ask you to perform scalar multiplication before adding or subtracting matrices.

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