document.write( "<A HREF=/cgi-bin/jump-to-question.mpl?question=274498>Question 274498</A>: <I><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> Evaluate the determinant:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "|3 3 4|<BR>\n" );
document.write( "|6 1 2|<BR>\n" );
document.write( "|3 2 2| </SPAN>\n" );
document.write( "</I><HR><TABLE width=100%><TR><TD><B><A HREF=http://www.algebra.com/>Algebra.Com's</A> Answer #200316 by </B><A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=kensson><B>kensson(21)</B></A><img src=\"/images/stars/stars-07.gif\" alt=\"\" >&nbsp;<A HREF=/tutors/aboutme.mpl?userid=kensson><IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/images/aboutme-small.gif BORDER=0 alt=\"About Me\" VALIGN=MIDDLE></A>&nbsp;<IMG SRC=http://www.algebra.com/cgi-bin/show-face.mpl?user=kensson><BR>You can <A HREF=\"/cgi-bin/embed-solution.mpl?show=1&solution=200316\">put this solution on YOUR website!</A><BR><SPAN STYLE=\"word-break: break-all;\"> A neat way of doing this is as follows: write the first two columns again on the right and draw a line down the first three forward diagonals:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<tt><BR>\n" );
document.write( "3 3 4 3 3<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "6 1 2 6 1<BR>\n" );
document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;\ \ \<BR>\n" );
document.write( "3 2 2 3 2<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Multiply down each diagonal and add them up: 6 + 18 + 48 = 72\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "Now do the same with the last three backward diagonals:\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "<tt><BR>\n" );
document.write( "3 3 4 3 3<BR>\n" );
document.write( "&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;/ / /<BR>\n" );
document.write( "6 1 2 6 1<BR>\n" );
document.write( "&nbsp;/ / /<BR>\n" );
document.write( "3 2 2 3 2<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "You get 12 + 12 + 36 = 60\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "The determinant is the first (72) minus the second (60), giving 12.\r<BR>\n" );
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document.write( "For a square matrix of size n, you repeat the first (n-1) columns and use the first and last n diagonals. </SPAN>\n" );
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