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Ivan now prefers matrices

Source: 2023 IMC P6

August 3, 2023
combinatoricsmatrixIMClinear algebraIMC 2023

Problem Statement

Ivan writes the matrix (2324)\begin{pmatrix} 2 & 3\\ 2 & 4\end{pmatrix} on the board. Then he performs the following operation on the matrix several times:
1. he chooses a row or column of the matrix, and
2. he multiplies or divides the chosen row or column entry-wise by the other row or column, respectively.
Can Ivan end up with the matrix (2423)\begin{pmatrix} 2 & 4\\ 2 & 3\end{pmatrix} after finitely many steps?