Exercise 1777Linear algebra › Matrices and linear systemsL1Added 3 Nov 2026
Rank depending on a parameter
#rank#parameter#Gaussian elimination
Statement
Determine the rank of
depending on the real parameter .
Hint
Compute the determinant first to find when the rank is , then study the special values.
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Solution
Determinant. Adding all rows to the first and factoring:
Case and . , so .
Case . All entries are , so every row is equal. The rank is .
Case .
The sum of the three rows is , so the rows are linearly dependent. The first two rows are not proportional, so the rank is .
Conclusion.