160 Section 12: Calculating with Matrices

Using Matrices in LU Form

As noted earlier, two matrix operations (calculating a determinant and solving the matrix equation (AX = B) create an LU decomposition of the matrix specified in the X-register. The descriptor of such a matrix has two dashes following the matrix name. A matrix in LU form has elements that differ from the elements of the original matrix.

However, the descriptor for a matrix in LU form can be used in place of the descriptor for the original matrix for operations involving the inverse of the matrix and for the determinant operation. That is, either the original matrix or its LU decomposition can be used for these operations:

÷for the matrix in the X-register

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For these three functions, using the LU form of the matrix to be inverted gives a result that is identical to that using the original matrix.

As an example, if you solved the matrix equation AX = B, matrix A would be changed to its LU form. If you wanted to change the B matrix and solve the equation again, you could do so without changing the A matrix – the LU matrix will give the correct solution.

For all other matrix operations, a matrix that is an LU decomposition is not recognized as representing its original matrix. Instead, the elements of the LU matrix are used just as they appear in matrix memory and the result is not the result you would obtain using the original matrix.

Calculations With Complex Matrices

The HP-15C enables you to perform matrix multiplication and matrix inversion with complex matrices (that is, matrices whose elements are complex numbers) and to solve systems of complex equations (that is, equations whose coefficients and variables are complex).

However, the HP-15C stores and operates on only real matrices. The capability of doing calculations with complex matrices is completely independent of the capability of doing calculations with complex numbers described in the preceding section. You don’t need to activate Complex mode for calculations with complex matrices.