nth Order Determinant: Permutation Definition and Term-by-Term Expansion

Term-by-Term Calculation Process

# Permutation σ Inversion Count τ Sign Product Term Value Signed Term Cumulative Sum

Basic Introduction

The permutation definition of an nth order determinant is:

det(A)=∑((-1)^τ(σ)·a1σ1·a2σ2·...·anσn), summing over all n! permutations.

Here τ(σ) is the number of inversions in permutation σ. The inversion count determines whether the term is positive or negative.

Learning Tips

  • For n=2, 3: calculate manually first and observe the sign pattern.
  • For n=4, 5: observe the factorial growth of terms, understand "clear definition but computationally expensive".
  • Compare with Gaussian elimination results to verify correctness.