How do you write matrices on Socratic?

3 Answers
Mar 4, 2015

Hello!

I'll show you first how to write matrices without the programmed version, so you know what to type between the #.

Let's say we want to make this generic matrix:

www.math.ubc.ca

You would type ((a,b),(c,d))
So you put each row in a set of parenthesis and seperate your values from left to right with commas.. When you want to start a new row, you close the parenthesis, add a comma, and start a new set of parenthesis following the same process.

Let's put the a # on either side of ((a,b),(c,d)) to create our matrix:

#((a,b),(c,d))#

You can now make the matrix as big as you would like with whatever numbers you like. For example, I can type this within two number signs ((-1,0,112),(0,-4,45),(-6,-6/5,-3)) to get:

#((-1,0,112),(0,-4,45),(-6,-6/5,-3))#

Apr 30, 2015

I didn't want to alter Sally's excellent answer, so I posted this as a separate answer.

I want to show you some variations of the classic matrix format. You can write

  • Without the hashtags

[ (x, y, z), (1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6) ]

  • With the hashtags

#[ (x, y, z), (1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6) ]#

  • Without the hashtags

| (x, y, z), (1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6) |

  • With the hashtags

#| (x, y, z), (1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6) |#

  • Without the hashtags

|| (x, y, z), (1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6) ||

  • With the hashtags

#|| (x, y, z), (1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6) ||#

Found the last two while looking for ways to write definitions by cases :D

  • Without the hashtags

{ (x, y, z), (1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6) :}}

  • With the hashtags

#{ (x, y, z), (1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6) :}}#

  • Without the hashtags

{: (x, y, z), (1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6) :}

  • With the hashtags

#{: (x, y, z), (1, 2, 3), (4, 5, 6) :}#

Jan 2, 2018

Here's what I've got too.

Explanation:

Another type of brackets

(:(x,y,z),(a,b,c),(1,2,3):) or <<(x,y,z),(a,b,c),(1,2,3)>>

#(:(x,y,z),(a,b,c),(1,2,3):)#

You can mix left and right sides independently (not including |)

[(x,y,z),(a,b,c),(1,2,3):)

#[(x,y,z),(a,b,c),(1,2,3):)#

{(x,y,z),(a,b,c),(1,2,3))

#{(x,y,z),(a,b,c),(1,2,3))#

{:(x,y,z),(a,b,c),(1,2,3):}}

#{:(x,y,z),(a,b,c),(1,2,3):}}#

You can leave empty cells

((,y,),(a,,c),(,2,))

#((,y,),(a,,c),(,2,))#

((x,,z),(,b,),(1,,3))

#((x,,z),(,b,),(1,,3))#

Nonsquare and nested matrices are also possible.

#((x,y,z),(a,b,((x,y,z),(a,b,c),(1,2,3))),(1,2,3))#