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| An $n\times n$ square matrix over a field is \emph{unimodular} if its determinant is 1. The set of all $n\times n$ unimodular matrices forms a group under the usual matrix multiplication. The group is known as the special linear group. Furthermore, unimodularity is preserved under similar transformation: if $S$ any $n\times n$ invertible matrix and $U$ is unimodular, then $S^{-1}US$ is unimodular. In view of the last statement, the special linear group is a normal subgroup of the group of all invertible matrices, known as the general linear group. |
An $n\times n$ square matrix over a field is \emph{unimodular} if its determinant is 1. The set of all $n\times n$ unimodular matrices forms a group under the usual matrix multiplication. The group is known as the special linear group. Furthermore, unimodularity is preserved under similar transformation: if $S$ any $n\times n$ invertible matrix and $U$ is unimodular, then $S^{-1}US$ is unimodular. In view of the last statement, the special linear group is a normal subgroup of the group of all invertible matrices, known as the general linear group. |
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| A linear transformation $T$ over an $n$-dimensional vector space $V$ (over a field $F$) is \emph{unimodular} if it can be represented by a unimodular matrix. |
A linear transformation $T$ over an $n$-dimensional vector space $V$ (over a field $F$) is \emph{unimodular} if it can be represented by a unimodular matrix. |
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The concept of the unimodularity of a square matrix over a field can be readily extended to that of a square matrix over a commutative ring. Unimodularity in square matrices can even be extended to arbitrary finite-dimensional matrices: suppose $R$ is a commutative ring with 1, and $M$ is an $m\times n$ matrix over $R$ (entries are elements of $R$) with $m\leq n$. Then $M$ is said to be \emph{unimodular} if it can be ``completed" to a $n\times n$ square unimodular matrix $N$ over $R$. By completion of $M$ to $N$ we mean that $m$ of the $n$ rows in $N$ are exactly the rows of $M$. Of course, the operation of completion from a matrix to a square matrix can be done via columns too.
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The concept of the unimodularity of a square matrix over a field can be readily extended to that of a square matrix over a commutative ring. Unimodularity in matrices can even be extended to non-square matrices: suppose $R$ is a commutative ring with 1, and $M$ is an $m\times n$ matrix over $R$ (entries are elements of $R$) with $m\leq n$. Then $M$ is said to be \emph{unimodular} if it can be ``completed" to a $n\times n$ square unimodular matrix $N$ over $R$. By completion of $M$ to $N$ we mean that $m$ of the $n$ rows in $N$ are exactly the rows of $M$. Of course, the operation of completion from a matrix to a square matrix can be done via columns too.
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| Let $M$ is an $m\times n$ matrix and $v$ is any row of $M$. If $M$ is unimodular, then $v$ is unimodular viewed as a $1\times n$ matrix. A $1\times n$ unimodular matrix is called a \emph{unimodular row}. A $n\times 1$ \emph{unimodular column} can be defined via a similar procedure. Let $v=(v_1,\ldots,v_n)$ be a $1\times n$ matrix over $R$. Then the unimodularity of $v$ means that $v_1R+\ldots+v_nR=R$. To see this, let $U$ be a completion of $v$ with $\operatorname{det}(U)=1$. Since $\operatorname{det}$ is a multilinear operator over the rows (or columns) of $U$, we see that $1=\operatorname{det}(U)=v_1r_1+\ldots+v_nr_n$. |
Let $M$ is an $m\times n$ matrix and $v$ is any row of $M$. If $M$ is unimodular, then $v$ is unimodular viewed as a $1\times n$ matrix. A $1\times n$ unimodular matrix is called a \emph{unimodular row}. A $n\times 1$ \emph{unimodular column} can be defined via a similar procedure. Let $v=(v_1,\ldots,v_n)$ be a $1\times n$ matrix over $R$. Then the unimodularity of $v$ means that $v_1R+\ldots+v_nR=R$. To see this, let $U$ be a completion of $v$ with $\operatorname{det}(U)=1$. Since $\operatorname{det}$ is a multilinear operator over the rows (or columns) of $U$, we see that $1=\operatorname{det}(U)=v_1r_1+\ldots+v_nr_n$. |
