Question:medium

If \[ A= \begin{bmatrix} 2026 & 2025 & 2024\\ 2025 & 2024 & 2023\\ 2024 & 2023 & 2022 \end{bmatrix}, \] then \(\left|A^{2026}-A^{2025}\right|=\)

Show Hint

If any matrix factor has determinant zero, then the determinant of the product is also zero.
Updated On: Jul 23, 2026
  • \(2026\)
  • \(2025\)
  • \(2024\)
  • \(0\)
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Check whether A itself is singular.
Look at the rows of $A$: row1 $-2\times$row2 $+$ row3 gives the zero row, because the entries in each row are just consecutive integers shifted by one. So the rows of $A$ are linearly dependent, meaning $|A|=0$.
Step 2: Use this to handle the whole expression at once.
Since $\left|A^{2026}-A^{2025}\right|=\left|A^{2025}(A-I)\right|=|A|^{2025}\,|A-I|$, and we already know $|A|=0$, the factor $|A|^{2025}$ is zero.
Step 3: Conclude without even touching A - I.
Multiplying anything by zero gives zero, so the determinant of the whole expression is zero regardless of what $|A-I|$ works out to be.
\[ \boxed{0} \]
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