Changes

In [[mathematics]], a '''matrix''' (plural matrices, or less commonly matrixes) is a rectangular array of [[number]]s. This way, matrices can record other data that depend on multiple parameters. In particular they are used to keep track of the coefficients of multiple linear equations. Matrices are closely connected to linear transformations, which are higher-dimensional analogs of linear functions, i.e., functions of the form ''f''(''x'') = ''c'' · ''x'', where ''c'' is a constant. This map corresponds to a matrix with one row and column, with entry ''c''. In addition to a number of elementary, entrywise operations such as matrix addition a key notion is matrix multiplication, which displays a number of features not encountered in numbers; for example, products of matrices depend on the order of the factors, unlike products of [[real number]]s, say, where [[commutativity|''c - d'' = ''d - c'' for any two numbers ''c'' and ''d''.

In [[mathematics]], a '''matrix''' (plural matrices, or less commonly matrixes) is a rectangular array of [[number]]s. This way, matrices can record other data that depend on multiple parameters. In particular they are used to keep track of the coefficients of multiple linear equations. Matrices are closely connected to linear transformations, which are higher-dimensional analogs of linear functions, i.e., functions of the form ''f''(''x'') = ''c'' · ''x'', where ''c'' is a constant. This map corresponds to a matrix with one row and column, with entry ''c''. In addition to a number of elementary, entrywise operations such as matrix addition a key notion is matrix multiplication, which displays a number of features not encountered in numbers; for example, products of matrices depend on the order of the factors, unlike products of [[real number]]s, say, where [[commutativity|''c - d'' = ''d - c'' for any two numbers ''c'' and ''d''.

In the particular case of square matrices, matrices with equal number of columns and rows, more refined data are attached to matrices, notably the [[determinant]], [[inverse matrix|inverse matrices]], which both govern solution properties of the system of linear equation belonging to the matrix, and [[eigenvalues and eigenvectors]].  

In the particular case of square matrices, matrices with equal number of columns and rows, more refined data are attached to matrices, notably the [[determinant]], [[inverse matrix|inverse matrices]], which both govern solution properties of the system of linear equation belonging to the matrix, and [[eigenvalues and eigenvectors]].