Computing the determinant of an nxn matrix with determinant of 2x2 matrix

Abstract

This paper presents the numerical analysis by evaluating an nxn matrix of Chio’s
condensation method in comparison to Dodgson’s condensation method. The computation for
both methods applies the reduction of (n-1)x(n-1) matrix and finds the determinant of 2x2
matrix. These techniques are different from the commonly practice - reducing an nxn matrix and
spreading cofactors of matrix - using Sarrus’s rule to compute the determinant of 3x3 matrix.
Different methods provide the same result, but each technique is more appropriate to specific
value of elements in varied matrices than any others. This paper will, therefore, demonstrate the
analysis for two means of calculations.