- #1
ognik
- 643
- 2
Hi, the question (from math methods for physicists) is: If A is orthogonal and det(A)=+1, show that (det A)aij = Cij(A).
I know that if det(A)=+1, then we are looking at a rotation.
(Side question - I have seen that det(A) =-1 can be a reflection, but is 'mostly not reflections'; what does det(A)=-1 most often indicate then? A link to something simple that covers this would be nice :-) - I couldn't find anything)
But my main issue is to prove the above. I want to do this using indexing, so I tried:
By defn: det A = $ \sum_{}^{}{a}_{ij}({-1})^{i+j}{C}_{ij}(A) $
Then (det A)aij = $ {a}_{ij} \sum_{}^{}{a}_{ij}({-1}^{i+j}){C}_{ij}(A) $ ...
What struck me immediately is I don't know how to treat what happens when an indexed element is outside the summation? I am reasonably sure that aij is a single element here, so I can't include it in the summation. I can almost see an argument that by multiplying by the aijth element, I am 'selecting' only that element's cofactor out of the summation - but that seems too flimsy to me, would appreciate a better understanding.
Another side question is that I have the definition of a cofactor as: $ {C}_{ij}(A)=({-1})^{i+j}{M}_{ij}(A) $ Where {M}_{ij} is the minor...
It seems to me that $ ({-1})^{i+j} $ shouldn't be in both $ \sum_{}^{}{a}_{ij}({-1})^{i+j}{C}_{ij}(A) $ AND $ {C}_{ij}(A)=({-1})^{i+j}{M}_{ij}(A) $ ?
Thanks
I know that if det(A)=+1, then we are looking at a rotation.
(Side question - I have seen that det(A) =-1 can be a reflection, but is 'mostly not reflections'; what does det(A)=-1 most often indicate then? A link to something simple that covers this would be nice :-) - I couldn't find anything)
But my main issue is to prove the above. I want to do this using indexing, so I tried:
By defn: det A = $ \sum_{}^{}{a}_{ij}({-1})^{i+j}{C}_{ij}(A) $
Then (det A)aij = $ {a}_{ij} \sum_{}^{}{a}_{ij}({-1}^{i+j}){C}_{ij}(A) $ ...
What struck me immediately is I don't know how to treat what happens when an indexed element is outside the summation? I am reasonably sure that aij is a single element here, so I can't include it in the summation. I can almost see an argument that by multiplying by the aijth element, I am 'selecting' only that element's cofactor out of the summation - but that seems too flimsy to me, would appreciate a better understanding.
Another side question is that I have the definition of a cofactor as: $ {C}_{ij}(A)=({-1})^{i+j}{M}_{ij}(A) $ Where {M}_{ij} is the minor...
It seems to me that $ ({-1})^{i+j} $ shouldn't be in both $ \sum_{}^{}{a}_{ij}({-1})^{i+j}{C}_{ij}(A) $ AND $ {C}_{ij}(A)=({-1})^{i+j}{M}_{ij}(A) $ ?
Thanks