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Exercise 1639Linear algebra › DeterminantsL1Added 3 Nov 2026

Invertibility depending on a parameter

#parameter#invertibility#determinant

Statement

For which real values of mm is the matrix
Am=(m111m111m)A_m = \begin{pmatrix} m & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & m & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & m \end{pmatrix}
invertible?

Hint

Compute det⁡Am\det A_m by adding all rows to the first, then factoring.

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Solution

Row operation. L1←L1+L2+L3L_1\leftarrow L_1+L_2+L_3:
det⁡Am=∣m+2m+2m+21m111m∣=(m+2)∣1111m111m∣.\det A_m = \begin{vmatrix} m+2 & m+2 & m+2 \\ 1 & m & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & m \end{vmatrix} = (m+2)\begin{vmatrix} 1 & 1 & 1 \\ 1 & m & 1 \\ 1 & 1 & m \end{vmatrix}.

Column operations. C2←C2−C1C_2\leftarrow C_2-C_1, C3←C3−C1C_3\leftarrow C_3-C_1:
det⁡Am=(m+2)∣1001m−1010m−1∣=(m+2)(m−1)2.\det A_m = (m+2)\begin{vmatrix} 1 & 0 & 0 \\ 1 & m-1 & 0 \\ 1 & 0 & m-1 \end{vmatrix} = (m+2)(m-1)^2.

Conclusion. AmA_m is invertible iff m≠−2m\neq -2 and m≠1m\neq 1.