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JAMB Mathematics 1997 Question 24

Question 24

Matrices and Determinants

Find the non-zero positive value of x which satisfies the equation
| x 1 0 |
| 1 x 1 | = 0
| 0 1 x |

  1. A.2
  2. B.√3
  3. C.√2
  4. D.1
Show the answer and explanation

Answer: C (√2)

Explanation

Expanding along the first row: x(x² − 1) − 1(x − 0) = x³ − 2x = 0. So x(x² − 2) = 0 and the positive non-zero root is √2.