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Technique

Determinant equations and their roots

detA(x)=0\det A(x) = 0
xx
the variable in the entries

Setting a determinant containing a variable to zero produces a polynomial equation, and its roots are usually read off by inspection or through the sum and product of roots.

17
questions use it
10
of them past-year
2018–2026
years it has appeared
41%
rated HARD
2
exams
Matrices & Determinants notesOpen all 17 in the paper builder

Used alongside

How often each of these appears in the same solution as this one.

17 questions whose solution uses this

Every one was read individually — a question is here because its solution invokes this, not because the stem mentions it.

Every identity this chapter tests, with its own question set.

All Matrices & Determinants formulas