Question
Using properties of determinants, prove the following:
$\begin{vmatrix}\text{a}+\text{b}+\text{c} & -\text{c} & -\text{b} \\-\text{c} & \text{a}+\text{b}+\text{c} & -\text{a}\\-\text{b} & -\text{a} & \text{a}+\text{b}+\text{c} \end{vmatrix}=2(\text{a}+\text{b})(\text{b}+\text{c})(\text{c}+\text{a}).$

Answer

$\begin{vmatrix}\text{a}+\text{b}+\text{c} & -\text{c} & -\text{b} \\-\text{c} & \text{a}+\text{b}+\text{c} & -\text{a}\\-\text{b} & -\text{a} & \text{a}+\text{b}+\text{c} \end{vmatrix}$
Applying $\text{R}_1\rightarrow\text{R}_1+\text{R}_2+\text{R}_3,$ we get
$\begin{vmatrix}\text{a} & \text{b} & \text{c} \\-\text{c} & \text{a}+\text{b}+\text{c} & -\text{a}\\-\text{b} & -\text{a} & \text{a}+\text{b}+\text{c} \end{vmatrix}$
Applying $\text{R}_3\rightarrow\text{R}_3-\text{R}_1,+\text{R}_2\rightarrow\text{R}_2-\text{R}_1$
$\begin{vmatrix}\text{a} & \text{b} & \text{c} \\-(\text{a}+\text{c}) & (\text{a}+\text{c}) & -(\text{a}+\text{c})\\-(\text{a}+\text{b}) & -(\text{a}+\text{b}) & (\text{a}+\text{b}) \end{vmatrix}$
Taking (a + c) and (a + b) common from $R_2$ and $R_3$ respectively.
$(\text{a}+\text{b})(\text{a}+\text{c})\begin{vmatrix}\text{a} & \text{b} & \text{c} \\-1 & 1 & -1\\-1 & -1 & 1 \end{vmatrix}$
expanding along $R_3$
$(\text{a}+\text{c})(\text{a}+\text{b})[\text{a}(1-1)-\text{b}(-1-1)+\text{c}(1+1)]$
$(\text{a}+\text{c})(\text{a}+\text{b})[-2\text{b}-2\text{c}]$
$=2(\text{a}+\text{b})(\text{b}+\text{c})(\text{c}+\text{a})$

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