Example

Practice: Testing for Collinear Points Using Determinants

Practice determining whether sets of three points are collinear by evaluating a 3×33 \times 3 determinant. For instance, test if the points (3,2)(3, -2), (5,3)(5, -3), and (1,1)(1, -1) lie on the same line by setting up the determinant with their coordinates and a column of ones, then expanding by minors. Apply the same procedure to test a second set of points, such as (4,1)(-4, -1), (6,2)(-6, 2), and (2,4)(-2, -4). In each case, conclude that the points are collinear if and only if the calculated determinant equals 00.

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