8. Matrix Theory

A matrix is a rectangular array of numbers that consists of horizontal rows and vertical columns. A matrix with m rows and n columns is termed an m × n matrix, where m and n are its dimensions. A matrix with an equal number of rows and columns is termed a square matrix. Various operations such as the addition and multiplication of matrices are considered, and the determinant and inverse of a matrix is discussed. The application of matrices to solving a set of linear equations using Gaussian elimination is considered.