// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did matrix addition say to its friend? "You add to my life.

Illustration of the addition of two matrices.

In mathematics, matrix addition is the operation of adding two matrices by adding the corresponding entries together.

For a vector, ${\vec {v}}\!$, adding two matrices would have the geometric effect of applying each matrix transformation separately onto ${\vec {v}}\!$, then adding the transformed vectors.

$\mathbf {A} {\vec {v}}+\mathbf {B} {\vec {v}}=(\mathbf {A} +\mathbf {B} ){\vec {v}}\!$

Definition

Two matrices must have an equal number of rows and columns to be added. In which case, the sum of two matrices A and B will be a matrix which has the same number of rows and columns as A and B. The sum of A and B, denoted A + B, is computed by adding corresponding elements of A and B:

${\begin{aligned}\mathbf {A} +\mathbf {B} &={\begin{bmatrix}a_{11}&a_{12}&\cdots &a_{1n}\\a_{21}&a_{22}&\cdots &a_{2n}\\\vdots &\vdots &\ddots &\vdots \\a_{m1}&a_{m2}&\cdots &a_{mn}\\\end{bmatrix}}+{\begin{bmatrix}b_{11}&b_{12}&\cdots &b_{1n}\\b_{21}&b_{22}&\cdots &b_{2n}\\\vdots &\vdots &\ddots &\vdots \\b_{m1}&b_{m2}&\cdots &b_{mn}\\\end{bmatrix}}\\&={\begin{bmatrix}a_{11}+b_{11}&a_{12}+b_{12}&\cdots &a_{1n}+b_{1n}\\a_{21}+b_{21}&a_{22}+b_{22}&\cdots &a_{2n}+b_{2n}\\\vdots &\vdots &\ddots &\vdots \\a_{m1}+b_{m1}&a_{m2}+b_{m2}&\cdots &a_{mn}+b_{mn}\\\end{bmatrix}}\\\end{aligned}}\,\!$

Or more concisely (assuming that A + B = C):

$c_{ij}=a_{ij}+b_{ij}$

For example:

${\begin{bmatrix}1&3\\1&0\\1&2\end{bmatrix}}+{\begin{bmatrix}0&0\\7&5\\2&1\end{bmatrix}}={\begin{bmatrix}1+0&3+0\\1+7&0+5\\1+2&2+1\end{bmatrix}}={\begin{bmatrix}1&3\\8&5\\3&3\end{bmatrix}}$

Similarly, it is also possible to subtract one matrix from another, as long as they have the same dimensions. The difference of A and B, denoted A − B, is computed by subtracting elements of B from corresponding elements of A, and has the same dimensions as A and B. For example:

${\begin{bmatrix}1&3\\1&0\\1&2\end{bmatrix}}-{\begin{bmatrix}0&0\\7&5\\2&1\end{bmatrix}}={\begin{bmatrix}1-0&3-0\\1-7&0-5\\1-2&2-1\end{bmatrix}}={\begin{bmatrix}1&3\\-6&-5\\-1&1\end{bmatrix}}$

See also

• Matrix multiplication
• Vector addition
• Direct sum of matrices
• Kronecker sum

References

• Lipschutz, Seymour; Lipson, Marc (2017). Schaum's Outline of Linear Algebra (6 ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. ISBN 9781260011449.
• Riley, K.F.; Hobson, M.P.; Bence, S.J. (2006). Mathematical methods for physics and engineering (3 ed.). Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511810763. ISBN 978-0-521-86153-3.