Determinant as Sum of Determinants

Theorem

Let $\begin{vmatrix} a_{11} & \cdots & a_{1s} & \cdots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{r1} & \cdots & a_{rs} & \cdots & a_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \cdots & a_{ns} & \cdots & a_{nn} \end{vmatrix}$ be a determinant.

Then $\begin{vmatrix} a_{11} & \cdots & a_{1s} & \cdots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{r1} + a'_{r1} & \cdots & a_{rs} + a'_{rs} & \cdots & a_{rn} + a'_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \cdots & a_{ns} & \cdots & a_{nn} \end{vmatrix} = \begin{vmatrix} a_{11} & \cdots & a_{1s} & \cdots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{r1} & \cdots & a_{rs} & \cdots & a_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \cdots & a_{ns} & \cdots & a_{nn} \end{vmatrix} + \begin{vmatrix} a_{11} & \cdots & a_{1s} & \cdots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a'_{r1} & \cdots & a'_{rs} & \cdots & a'_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \cdots & a_{ns} & \cdots & a_{nn} \end{vmatrix}$.

Similarly:

Then $\begin{vmatrix} a_{11} & \cdots & a_{1s} + a'_{1s} & \cdots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{r1} & \cdots & a_{rs} + a'_{rs} & \cdots & a_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \cdots & a_{ns} + a'_{ns} & \cdots & a_{nn} \end{vmatrix} = \begin{vmatrix} a_{11} & \cdots & a_{1s} & \cdots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{r1} & \cdots & a_{rs} & \cdots & a_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \cdots & a_{ns} & \cdots & a_{nn} \end{vmatrix} + \begin{vmatrix} a_{11} & \cdots & a'_{1s} & \cdots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{r1} & \cdots & a'_{rs} & \cdots & a_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \cdots & a'_{ns} & \cdots & a_{nn} \end{vmatrix}$.

Proof

Let:

• $B = \begin{vmatrix} a_{11} & \cdots & a_{1s} & \cdots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{r1} + a'_{r1} & \cdots & a_{rs} + a'_{rs} & \cdots & a_{rn} + a'_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \cdots & a_{ns} & \cdots & a_{nn} \end{vmatrix} = \begin{vmatrix} b_{11} & \cdots & b_{1s} & \cdots & b_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ b_{r1} & \cdots & b_{rs} & \cdots & b_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ b_{n1} & \cdots & b_{ns} & \cdots & b_{nn} \end{vmatrix}$;
• $A_1 = \begin{vmatrix} a_{11} & \cdots & a_{1s} & \cdots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{r1} & \cdots & a_{rs} & \cdots & a_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \cdots & a_{ns} & \cdots & a_{nn} \end{vmatrix}$;
• $A_2 = \begin{vmatrix} a_{11} & \cdots & a_{1s} & \cdots & a_{1n} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a'_{r1} & \cdots & a'_{rs} & \cdots & a'_{rn} \\ \vdots & \ddots & \vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\ a_{n1} & \cdots & a_{ns} & \cdots & a_{nn} \end{vmatrix}$.

Then:

 $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle B$$ $$=$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle \sum_\lambda \left({\operatorname{sgn} \left({\lambda}\right) \prod_{k=1}^n b_{k \lambda \left({k}\right)} }\right)$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$=$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle \sum_\lambda \operatorname{sgn} \left({\lambda}\right) a_{1 \lambda \left({1}\right)} \cdots \left({a_{r \lambda \left({r}\right)} + a'_{r \lambda \left({r}\right)} }\right) \cdots a_{n \lambda \left({n}\right)}$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$=$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle \sum_\lambda \operatorname{sgn} \left({\lambda}\right) a_{1 \lambda \left({1}\right)} \cdots a_{r \lambda \left({r}\right)} \cdots a_{n \lambda \left({n}\right)} + \sum_\lambda \operatorname{sgn} \left({\lambda}\right) a_{1 \lambda \left({1}\right)} \cdots a'_{r \lambda \left({r}\right)} \cdots a_{n \lambda \left({n}\right)}$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$=$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle A_1 + A_2$$ $$\displaystyle$$ $$\displaystyle$$

$\blacksquare$

The result for columns follows directly from Determinant of Transpose.

$\blacksquare$