matriksie

Matriksie is a term used in Afrikaans to refer to a small matrix, i.e., a matrix of modest size. The word is formed from matriks (matrix) with the diminutive suffix -ie, signaling a compact or illustrative example rather than a large or complex matrix. In practice, matriksie is used primarily in educational contexts to teach basic linear algebra and data representation.

A matriksie is typically represented as a two-dimensional array of numbers or symbols arranged in rows and columns. Common notational conventions follow those of matrices in mathematics, but the emphasis is often on simple, concrete examples rather than abstract theory. Operations on matriksies parallel standard matrix operations: addition or subtraction with another matriksie of the same dimensions, multiplication by a scalar, and, when dimensions permit, multiplication by another matriksie. Transposition is also a basic operation, producing a new matriksie with rows and columns swapped.

For square matriksies, determinants can be defined, and nonsingular square matriksies have inverses. These properties are typically introduced in introductory courses to illustrate how matrices can encode linear transformations and systems of equations. Matrices, including matriksies, are widely used in programming, statistics, physics, and computer graphics as compact data structures for representing and manipulating multidimensional data.

See also: matrix, array, linear algebra, matrix operations.