What is the Difference Between Adjoint and Inverse Matrix?

🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚

The main difference between the adjoint and inverse matrices lies in their definitions and properties:

  • Adjoint Matrix: The adjoint of a matrix, also known as the adjugate, is the transpose of the cofactor matrix of that particular matrix. For a matrix A, the adjoint is denoted as adj(A). The adjoint matrix can be used to calculate the inverse matrix, and it is one of the common methods for finding the inverse.
  • Inverse Matrix: The inverse of a matrix A is a matrix that, when multiplied by matrix A, gives an identity matrix. The inverse of a Matrix A is denoted by A^(-1). A matrix has an inverse only if its determinant is non-zero.

In summary:

  • The adjoint matrix is the transpose of the cofactor matrix.
  • The inverse matrix is a matrix that, when multiplied by the original matrix, gives an identity matrix.
  • The adjoint matrix can be used to calculate the inverse matrix.
  • A matrix has an inverse only if its determinant is non-zero.

Comparative Table: Adjoint vs Inverse Matrix

Here is a table comparing the difference between the adjoint and inverse matrix:

Property Adjoint Matrix Inverse Matrix
Definition The adjoint of a matrix is the transpose of the matrix of cofactors, where the cofactor of an element is the determinant of the minor matrix obtained by deleting that element. The inverse of a matrix is a matrix that, when multiplied by the original matrix, results in the identity matrix.
Notation $$\text{adj}(A)$$ $$A^{-1}$$
Relation If the matrix $$A$$ is invertible, then $$A^{-1} = \frac{1}{\det(A)} \text{adj}(A)$$. Otherwise, the inverse does not exist.
Use The adjoint matrix is used to calculate the inverse of a matrix. The inverse matrix is used to solve matrix equations involving the original matrix, such as finding a solution to the equation $$AX = B$$.

Please note that the notation used for the adjoint and inverse matrices can vary depending on the source. Here, we use $$\text{adj}(A)$$ for the adjoint matrix and $$A^{-1}$$ for the inverse matrix.