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Symmetric Matrix & Skew Symmetric Matrix - Practice Questions & MCQ

Edited By admin | Updated on Sep 18, 2023 18:34 AM | #JEE Main

Quick Facts

  • 11 Questions around this concept.

Concepts Covered - 2

symmetric and Skew Symmetric Matrix

Symmetric matrix:

A square matrix \\\mathrm{A=\left [ a_{ij} \right ]_{n\times n}} is said to be symmetric if A' = A,

\\\mathrm{ i.e., a_{ij} = a_{ji}\; \forall\; i, j}

    \\\mathrm{A=\begin{bmatrix} a & h & g\\ h& b & f\\ g& f & c \end{bmatrix}\; then \; A'=\begin{bmatrix} a & h & g\\ h & b & f\\ g & f & c \end{bmatrix}}

Clearly, A = A', hence A is a symmetric matrix

 

Skew-symmetric matrix:  

A square matrix  \\\mathrm{A=\left [ a_{ij} \right ]_{m\times n}} is said to be skew-symmetric if A’ = -A 

\\\mathrm{i.e. A' = -A , i.e., a_{ij} =- a_{ji}\; \forall \;i, j } \\\\\mathrm{Now \;if \;we\; put\; i\; =\; j,\; we\; have} \\\mathrm{ a_{ii} = -a_{ii},} \\\mathrm{ \therefore 2a_{ii}=0 \Rightarrow a_{ii}=0\; \forall \; i's}

That means all the diagonal element of a skew-symmetric matrix are 0.

\\\mathrm{e.g.\;\; A=\begin{bmatrix} 0 & h & g\\ -h & 0 & f\\ -g & -f & 0 \end{bmatrix},\; then\; A' = \begin{bmatrix} 0 & -h & -g\\ h & 0 & -f\\ g & f & 0 \end{bmatrix} = -A}

Properties of Symmetric and Skew Symmetric Matrices

Properties of Symmetric and Skew-symmetric Matrices:

     i) If A is a square matrix, then AA’ and A’A are symmetric matrices

    ii) If A is a symmetric matrix, then -A, kA, A’, An, B’AB are also symmetric matrix where n ∈ N, k ∈ R and B is a square matrix of order same as matrix A.

    iii) If A is a skew-symmetric matrix then   

  1. A2n is a symmetric matrix for n ? N.

  2. A2n+1 is a skew-symmetric matrix for n ? N

  3. kA is also a skew-symmetric matrix, where  k ∈ R

  4. B’AB  is also a skew-symmetric matrix where B a square matrix of order same as matrix A

    iv) If A and B are symmetric matrices then:

  1. A ± B, AB+BA are symmetric matrices.

  2. AB - BA is a skew-symmetric matrix.

    v) If A and B are skew-symmetric matrices then:

  1. A ± B, AB - BA are skew-symmetric matrices.

  2. AB + BA is a symmetric matrix.

Study it with Videos

symmetric and Skew Symmetric Matrix
Properties of Symmetric and Skew Symmetric Matrices

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