Example

Evaluating the Determinant of [5324]\begin{bmatrix} 5 & -3 2 & -4 \end{bmatrix}

To evaluate the determinant of the matrix [5324]\begin{bmatrix} 5 & -3 2 & -4 \end{bmatrix}, first write it in determinant form using vertical bars: 5324\begin{vmatrix} 5 & -3 2 & -4 \end{vmatrix}. Next, calculate the determinant by subtracting the product of the off-diagonal entries from the product of the main diagonal entries: (5)(4)(2)(3)(5)(-4) - (2)(-3). Simplify the expression by performing the multiplications to yield 20(6)-20 - (-6). Finally, convert the subtraction to addition and solve: 20+6=14-20 + 6 = -14. Thus, the determinant is 14-14.

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Updated 2026-06-29

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