Permutation matrix times its transposed matrix is equal to Identity Matrix – Proof

linear algebrapermutationssolution-verification

I want to ask if this is a valid proof that $P * P^T = I$

Let have permutation matrix $P^{m\times m}$

We can write it as :

$
P_{(a_1..a_n)} =
\begin{pmatrix}
I_{a_1,*} \\
\vdots \\
I_{a_n,*}
\end{pmatrix}
$

(Edit: where $P_{(a_1..a_n)}$ is any permutation matrix with permutation given as it's 'argument' And $I_{x, *}$ is a row number $x$ of identity matrix )

and his transposed matrix as:

$
{P_{(a_1..a_n)}}^T =
\begin{pmatrix}
{(I_{a_1,*})}^T &
\cdots &
{(I_{a_n,*})}^T
\end{pmatrix}
$

then we can $P \cdot P^T$ express as :
\begin{equation*}
P_{(a_1..a_n)} \cdot {P_{(a_1..a_n)}}^T =
\begin{pmatrix}
I_{a_1,*} \cdot {(I_{a_1,*})}^T & \cdots & I_{a_1,*} \cdot {(I_{a_n,*})}^T \\
\vdots & \ddots & \vdots \\
I_{a_n,*} \cdot {(I_{a_1,*})}^T & \cdots & I_{a_n,*} \cdot {(I_{a_n,*})}^T
\end{pmatrix}
\end{equation*}

We know that :

$I_{n,x} = 1\ if \ x=n \ else \ 0 $

$ {(I_{n,x})}^T = 1\ if \ x=n \ else \ 0$

Also we know that:

$(P_{(a_1..a_n)} \cdot {P_{(a_1..a_n)}}^T)_{n,m} = {I_n \cdot (I_m)^T} = \sum_{i=1}^{m}I_{n,i}\cdot ((I_m)^T)_i$

and we see that this is equal to 1 only if $n = m$ which give us I matrix

I want to ask if this is a valid proof that $P * P^T = I$ ??

Best Answer

Some answers...

Using coordinates. This is what you did which looks correct.

Using orthogonal matrix. A permutation matrix... permutes the elements of an orthonormal basis. Therefore it is an orthogonal matrix. Therefore its transpose is equal to its inverse.

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