Let A and B be $3 \times 3$ real matrices such that A is symmetric matrix and $B$ is skew-symmetric matrix.…

Let A and B be $3 \times 3$ real matrices such that A is symmetric matrix and $B$ is skew-symmetric matrix. Then the system of linear equations $\left(A^2 B^2-B^2 A^2\right) X=0$. where $X$ is $3 \times 1$ column matrix of unknown variables and O is a $3 \times 1$ null matrix, has
  1. a unique solution
  2. exactly two solutions
  3. no solution
  4. infinitely many solutions

Solution

Let $P=A^2 B^2-B^2 A^2$ $\begin{aligned} \therefore \quad \mathrm{P}^{\mathrm{T}} & =\left(\mathrm{A}^2 \mathrm{~B}^2-\mathrm{B}^2 \mathrm{~A}^2\right)^{\mathrm{T}} \\ & =\left(\mathrm{A}^2 \mathrm{~B}^2\right)^{\mathrm{T}}-\left(\mathrm{B}^2 \mathrm{~A}^2\right)^{\mathrm{T}} \\ & =\left(\mathrm{B}^2\right)^{\mathrm{T}}\left(\mathrm{~A}^2\right)^{\mathrm{T}}-\left(\mathrm{A}^2\right)^{\mathrm{T}}\left(\mathrm{~B}^2\right)^{\mathrm{T}} \\ & =\mathrm{B}^2 \mathrm{~A}^2-\mathrm{A}^2 \mathrm{~B}^2 \quad \cdots\left[\because \mathrm{~A}^{\mathrm{T}}=\mathrm{A} \text { and } \mathrm{B}^{\mathrm{T}}=-\mathrm{B}\right] \\ & =-\left(\mathrm{A}^2 \mathrm{~B}^2-\mathrm{B}^2 \mathrm{~A}^2\right) \\ & =-\mathrm{P} \end{aligned}$ $\therefore \quad P$ is a skew - symmetric matrix. $\therefore \quad \operatorname{det}(\mathrm{P})=0$ $\therefore \quad$ The given system of equations has infinitely many solutions.

Asked in: MHT CET 2024 (15 May Shift 1)

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