24. Let A be a square matrix whose characteristic
polynomial is
What is the determinant of A?
| A. -1 | B. -1/2 | C. 0 | D. 1/2 | E. 1 |
Solution: The answer is B.
For, if
then
Consequently 
is the
determinant of A. In the particular case above, p(0) = -1/2.