Inverse of a triangular matrix( both upper & lower ) is triangular

Question

How can we prove that inverse of upper(lower) triangular matrix is upper(lower) triangular...

Can anybody answer to this question.......

Thanks in advance.........

Answer 1

Personally, I prefer arguments which are more geometric to arguments rooted in matrix algebra. With that in mind, here is a proof.

First, two observations on the geometric meaning of an upper triangular invertible linear map.

1. Define $S_k = {\rm span} (e_1, \ldots, e_k)$, where $e_i$ the standard basis vectors. Clearly, the linear map $T$ is upper triangular if and only if $T S_k \subset S_k$.

2. If $T$ is in addition invertible, we must have the stronger relation $T S_k = S_k$.

   Indeed, if $T S_k$ was a strict subset of $S_k$, then $Te_1, \ldots, Te_k$ are $k$ vectors in a space of dimension strictly less than $k$, so they must be dependent: $\sum_i \alpha_i Te_i=0$ for some $\alpha_i$ not all zero. This implies that $T$ sends the nonzero vector $\sum_i \alpha_i e_i$ to zero, so $T$ is not invertible.

With these two observations in place, the proof proceeds as follows. Take any $s \in S_k$. Since $TS_k=S_k$ there exists some $s' \in S_k$ with $Ts'=s$ or $T^{-1}s = s'$. In other words, $T^{-1} s$ lies in $S_k$, so $T^{-1}$ is upper triangular.

Answer 2

Another method is as follows. An invertible upper triangular matrix has the form $A=D(I+N)$ where $D$ is diagonal (with the same diagonal entries as $A$) and $N$ is upper triangular with zero diagonal. Then $N^n=0$ where $A$ is $n$ by $n$. Both $D$ and $I+N$ have upper triangular inverses: $D^{-1}$ is diagonal, and $(I+N)^{-1}=I-N+N^2-\cdots +(-1)^{n-1}N^{n-1}$. So $A^{-1}=(I+N)^{-1}D^{-1}$ is upper triangular.

Answer 3

I'll add nothing to alext87 answer, or J.M. comments. Just "display" them. :-)

Remeber that you can compute the inverse of a matrix by reducing it to row echelon form and solving the simultaneous systems of linear equations $ (A \vert I)$, where $A$ is the matrix you want to invert and $I$ the unit matrix. When you have finished the process, you'll get a matrix like $(I\vert A^{-1})$ and the matrix on the right, yes!, is the inverse of $A$. (Why?)

In your case, half of the work is already done:

$$ \begin{pmatrix} a^1_1 & a^1_2 & \cdots & a^1_{n-1} & a^1_n & 1 & 0 & \cdots & 0 & 0 \\ & a^2_2 & \cdots & a^2_{n-1} & a^2_n & & 1 & \cdots & 0 & 0 \\ & & \ddots & \vdots & \vdots & & & \ddots & \vdots & \vdots \\ & & & a^{n-1}_{n-1} & a^{n-1}_n & & & & 1 & 0 \\ & & & & a^n_n & & & & & 1
\end{pmatrix} $$

Now, what happens when you do back substitution starting with $a^n_n$ and then continuing with $a^{n-1}_{n-1}$...?

Answer 4

Suppose that $U$ is upper. The $i$th column $x_i$ of the inverse is given by $Ux_i=e_i$ where $e_i$ is the $i$th unit vector. By backward subsitution you can see that $(x_i)_j=0$ for $i+1\leq j\leq n$. I.e all the entries in the $i$th column of the inverse below the diagonal are zero. This is true for all $i$ and hence the inverse $U^{-1}=[x_1|\ldots|x_n]$ is upper triangular.

The same thing works for lower triangular using forward subsitution.