A matrix
is a rectangular array of numbers (or other expressions.)
Matrices
are useful for solving systems of linear equations, and have many other
applications.
You can
enter a matrix into the calculator using the Data/Matrix Editor or from
the keyboard.
To use the
Data/Matrix Editor, first go to the APPS menu.
Select Data/Matrix
Editor.
Choose NEW.
For Type,
choose Matrix.
For Folder,
stick with main.
"Variable"
is the name of the matrix. Pick any legal variable
name.
Enter the
number of rows and number of columns.
You need
to push ENTER an extra time to exit this menu.
You're taken
to the Data/Matrix Editor screen, where a zero matrix
of the appropriate size appears.
Change any
entries you wish. The result is automatically stored under the name you
chose.
Entering the name of the matrix on the command line of the HOME screen displays your matrix.
To
enter a matrix on the keyboard, type a square bracket followed by the entries
in the first row, separated by commas.
A semicolon
indicates the end of a row.
Type in the
entries in the next row, separated by commas.
At the end
of the last row, type a square bracket (and not a semicolon.)
(The arrow
is the STO command.)
You can also
use this format for entering the matrix bb:
[ [ 1,
2, 3 ] [ 4, 5, 6 ] ].
Note there
are commas between row entries but not commas between rows.
This format
takes longer to type, but it's the one the calculator uses internally.
If you highlight
the matrix on the screen and push ENTER, the calculator copies the matrix
to the command line in this format.
You can perform
the usual operations of matrix arithmetic.
The multiplication
symbol is the same as for multiplying numbers. (A cross on the keyboard,
an asterisk on the command line, a dot on the screen.)
The transpose
symbol is the first item under T in the CATALOG,
and the first item on the Matrix submenu of the Math menu (2nd 5.)
The last item on the Matrix menu is the Vector operations menu. The calculator thinks of a vector as a matrix with only one row.