Linear Algebra
Intermediate

Determinant (2×2)

Determinant of a 2×2 matrix.

Formula

det⁡(abcd)=ad−bc\det\begin{pmatrix} a & b \\ c & d \end{pmatrix} = ad - bc

Variables

a, b, c, dMatrix entries

Example

det[[1,2],[3,4]] = 1·4 − 2·3 = −2.

Did You Know?

A determinant of zero means the matrix squashes space flat — and has no inverse.

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