In which of the following type of matrix inverse does not exist always?
a. idempotent b. orthogonal
c. involuntary d. none of these
A. idempotent
B. orthogonal
C. involuntary
D. none of these
Correct Answer - A
For involuntary matrix,
`A^(1)=I`
`implies |A^(2)|=|I|implies |A|^(2)=1 implies |A|= pm 1`
For idempotent matrix,
`A^(2)=A`
`implies |A^(2)|=|A|implies |A|^(2)=|A|=0` or 1
for orthogonal matrix,
`A A^(T)=I`
`implies |AA^(T)|=|I|implies|A||A^(T)|=1implies |A|^(2)=1 implies |A|= pm 1`
Thus, if matrix A is idempotent it may not be invertible.