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Exercise 1777Linear algebra › Matrices and linear systemsL1Added 3 Nov 2026

Rank depending on a parameter

#rank#parameter#Gaussian elimination

Statement

Determine the rank of
Am=(11m1m1m11)A_m = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1 & m \\ 1 & m & 1 \\ m & 1 & 1 \end{pmatrix}
depending on the real parameter mm.

Hint

Compute the determinant first to find when the rank is 33, then study the special values.

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Solution

Determinant. Adding all rows to the first and factoring:
det⁡Am=(m+2)(m−1)2.\det A_m = (m+2)(m-1)^2.

Case m≠−2m \neq -2 and m≠1m \neq 1. det⁡Am≠0\det A_m \neq 0, so rank⁡(Am)=3\operatorname{rank}(A_m) = 3.

Case m=1m = 1. All entries are 11, so every row is equal. The rank is 11.

Case m=−2m = -2.
A−2=(11−21−21−211).A_{-2} = \begin{pmatrix} 1 & 1 & -2 \\ 1 & -2 & 1 \\ -2 & 1 & 1 \end{pmatrix}.
The sum of the three rows is 00, so the rows are linearly dependent. The first two rows are not proportional, so the rank is 22.

Conclusion.
rank⁡(Am)={3if m≠−2 and m≠1,2if m=−2,1if m=1.\operatorname{rank}(A_m) = \begin{cases} 3 & \text{if } m \neq -2 \text{ and } m \neq 1, \\ 2 & \text{if } m = -2, \\ 1 & \text{if } m = 1. \end{cases}